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Home » Popular » Cakes & Cupcakes » Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake

Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake

Last Updated June 24, 2021. Published May 30, 2018 By Rosemary 337 Comments

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 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 on a white plateLemon Cake

Give 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.

lemon cake how to make beaten and in the pan to bake

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

lemon cake with a dusting of powdered sugar

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?

  1. An 8 inch or 9 inch  round cake pan.
  2. An 8 inch bundt pan.
  3. An 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inch (20 x 20 x 4 cm) square pan.
  4. A 9 inch Loaf pan.

More Delicious Lemon Dessert Recipes

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Italian Lemon Crostata

Best Homemade Lemon Bread

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.

lemon cake with a slice on a black plate

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.

dusting powdered sugar on the tablespoon lemon cakeThe 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!

a slice of lemon cake on a black plate

just baked lemon cake on a white plate
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4.15 from 397 votes

Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake

Italian Lemon Cake a delicious moist Cake, and all you need is a tablespoon for measurement.  Fast and Easy and so good. The perfect Breakfast, Snack or Dessert Cake Recipe.
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Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 286kcal
Author Rosemary Molloy

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.

    US Customary - Metric

    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

      Eggs and sugar should be beaten on low speed, never on high speed. When adding the flour mix on low speed.
      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!

      Nutrition

      Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 102mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.8mg
      Tried this recipe?Mention @anitalianinmykitchen or tag #anitalianinmykitchen!

      just baked lemon cake on a white plate

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        Filed Under: Cakes & Cupcakes, fruit, Most Posts

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        1. mercy says

          May 8, 2022 at 12:44 am

          todo maravilloso Hermoso este blog Te deseo muchos exito.Desde Colombia con gran cariño

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            May 8, 2022 at 9:22 am

            Hola Mercy, muchas gracias. Ten Un Maravilloso Domingo.

            Reply
        2. Robin says

          April 17, 2022 at 10:58 pm

          Not sure what happened, but mine way very dry. I made it for Easter dinner. I was embarrassed. Not your fault though.

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            April 19, 2022 at 7:32 pm

            Hi Robin, it probably turned out too dry because you might have baked it too long. Although Italian cakes are not as moist as American cakes. 🙂

            Reply
        3. Donna says

          March 7, 2022 at 6:10 pm

          Can I use Almond or Wheat flour for this recipe?

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            March 9, 2022 at 12:13 pm

            Hi Donna, I have never used almond or wheat flour, but if you try it, let me know how it goes. Take care.

            Reply
        4. Duaa says

          February 1, 2022 at 2:55 am

          5 stars
          I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a recipe before, but on this one i just had to let you know how amazing this turned out. I’ve made this cake 4 times now. Once i used vanilla instead of lemon juice because we were out of lemons. Turned out great each time, except the one time the latch of my springform pan loosened, in which case it turned out ugly but still delicious lol. Anyway thanks so much for sharing this simple and delicious recipe 💕.

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            February 2, 2022 at 11:04 pm

            Hi Duaa, thanks so much, so glad you like it and vanilla sounds amazing too. Take care.

            Reply
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