Lemon Cake a delicious moist Italian Cake, and all you need is a tablespoon for measurement. Fast and Easy and so good. The perfect Breakfast, Snack or Dessert Cake Recipe.
Lemon Cake
Lemon CakeGive me a tablespoon and I will give you a Cake! A delicious moist Lemon Cake at that.
I first tried this cake a little while ago at a friend’s house. To tell the truth it was delicious but a little on the sweet side for me. But that didn’t stop me from asking for the recipe.
And as it turned out this was another one of those you-gotta-love “Italian Desserts”.
This Tablespoon Lemon Cake was along the same lines as my Easy Yogurt Cake that was given to me in yogurt cup measurements! But this cake is actually called Torta dei 12 Cucchiai / 12 Tablespoon Cake.
I actually remade this cake a few times until I got it right, or as the Italian declared now this is a Lemon Cake!
And that was to bring a couple of ingredients down to 10 tablespoons instead of 12, and to add a little more of this and a little less of that.
And that is why it’s called the “Tablespoon Cake”.
How to make Lemon Cake
- Beat egg and sugar until light and fluffy
- add zest and juice, milk, oil and combine
- Add flour and baking powder and beat until smooth
- Pour into prepared cake or bundt pan and bake.
- Simple, Easy and so good! And all you need is a tablespoon!
Italian Lemon Cake
If you have noticed Italians are not big on lots of creams or frostings. A simple dusting of powder sugar is all that is needed on most desserts.
Unless of course we are talking about Tiramisu. But again it is not an overly sweet dessert.
What baking pans can I use for this Cake?
- An 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pan.
- An 8 inch bundt pan.
- An 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inch (20 x 20 x 4 cm) square pan.
- A 9 inch Loaf pan.
More Delicious Lemon Dessert Recipes
Tips for making this Lemon Cake a success
When I received comments from readers who have tried this cake and it rose and then when it came out of the oven it sank, I really wanted to discover why this was happening. So …
I decided to make it changing up my beating speed. I started out beating the eggs and sugar on low speed but then turned up to medium high. I continued to beat the ingredients going from medium to medium high.
And yes the cake rose and then sank almost immediately once it was out of the oven.
I then made the cake again, this time beating the whole time on low speed (speed #1) and the cake came out perfect. So remember beat on low speed, and the eggs and sugar must be beaten at least 5-7 minutes. All ingredients should be room temperature.
If you are having trouble with this cake, a reader mentioned beating the flour into the mixture by hand instead of with a mixer. A whisk or spatula would work for this.
Be sure to watch the Video at the top of the post!
Should I add make at own risk?! 🙂
How to adjust the recipe for high altitude
- Decrease baking powder by 1/8 teaspoon
- Decrease sugar by 1/2 tablespoon
- Increased both oil and milk by 1 tablespoon each
- And increase the temperature to 375F. Thanks to Linda for writing in and letting me know.
I use both lemon juice and lemon zest in this recipe. Some insist that the zest has more lemon flavour than the juice.
The zest is the oil of the lemon and is therefore filled with the pure lemon flavour.
The juice holds the acidic tart taste of the lemon. Just be sure to grate only the yellow part of the lemon and no white part. The white part will add only bitterness. And you don’t want that!
So grab your tablespoon and let’s make a Lemon Cake. Enjoy!
Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 24 tablespoons all purpose flour (1 ½ cups) (195 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 16 tablespoons sugar (1 cup) (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs*
- zest one lemon*
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice*
- 10 tablespoons vegetable oil (your choice I use corn or sunflower oil) (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) (125 grams)
- 10 tablespoons milk* (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) (150 grams)
TOPPING
- 2-3 tablespoons Icing/powdered sugar for dusting finished cooled cake
*Room temperature, remove from the fridge 45-60 minutes before using.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C), grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch cake (20-23 cm)
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- In a large bowl beat on low to medium speed (low is best but no higher then medium speed) sugar and eggs until very fluffy and light. Approximately 5 minutes.
- Then add the zest, juice, oil and milk, beat until combined. Then add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until smooth.
- Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan then remove to a cake plate.
- Let cool completely before dusting with powdered / icing sugar. Enjoy!
**All tablespoons (and teaspoon) are level not heaping.
Notes
Nutrition
Amina says
Hello,
Just writing to thank you for this wonderful cake!!
Enjoying it right now with my 2 year old (she’s like mmm yummy mommy:)
Sending you warm regards from Canada:)
Rosemary says
Hi Amina, thanks so much, you know it’s good when the kids eat it! 🙂 Have a great weekend. I miss Canada.
Hana says
Can i skip milk ?
Rosemary says
Hi Hana, no you need the milk to help moisten the cake. 🙂
Hana says
I MADE IT!! IT WAS FANTABULOUS. THANKS <3<3
Rosemary says
Hi Hana, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great week.
Christine says
I made this with my little grandchildren who love to help bake and it was perfect!!!!
Rosemary says
Hi Christine, thanks so much, I love that. I hope to do that one day too! Have a great weekend.
Annie says
Can I use olive oil?
Rosemary says
Hi Annie, yes you probably can but choose a lighter more delicate olive oil. Hope that helps. 🙂
Jael says
Made this last night and it was very good! I will make it again in a couple of weeks when out-of-state company is visiting. I was wondering if I could use sour cream in place of milk. If so, would it be the same amount as the milk?
Rosemary says
Hi Jael, I wouldn’t substitute with sour cream, it will give it a different taste and probably denser also. Hope that helps.
Citrus J says
Hi ! I had abit of mishap due to my own fault , I accidentally added 1 cup of oil so I decided to match the milk to it as well and I thought it was going to go totally south but luckily , it turned out absolutely great and taste so gooood . It is so fluffy ! Thank you ! .
Rosemary says
Hi Citrus, thanks, so glad it worked out. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Jennifer says
Hi, can I make any of these delicious Italian Cakes w/ An All Purpose Gluten free Flour that has the thickener in it already? Will the cakes come out ok you think? Thanks Jennifer
Rosemary says
Hi Jennifer, I have never worked with gluten free flour but my cousin does and has success with it, if you try it let me know how it turns out.
Julia says
This is yummy – my husband and a girlfriend are both impressed, the latter asking for the recipe. Very moist and lemony. A keeper and now prefer to my usual lemon drizzle recipe.
Rosemary says
Hi Julia, thanks so much, so glad they liked it. Have a great week.
Shyama Praveen says
Hi
I tried this recipe and loved it so much. I didnt have milk with me so instead of milk and oil i used curd and butter. It came out pretty good. I loved the taste like it had lemon candy flavour especially next day its flavour became more pronunced. Really i liked it..
Thanku.
Rosemary says
Hi Shyama, thanks so much, interesting the curd and butter. Take care.
eileen says
Could I use almond flour for a substitute when baking for Passover?
Thank You
I love lemon cakes
Rosemary says
Hi Eileen apparently you can but because almond flour is heavier than all purpose sometimes adjustments to the recipe have to be made and I really am not sure what that be. You might find some useful information here https://www.momables.com/ingredient-substitution-list-for-baking/. Hope it helps.