Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake
This Italian Cake is a delicious moist Lemon Cake, originally made with a tablespoon to measure all the ingredients. It’s fast and easy and so good. The perfect breakfast, snack or even dessert Cake Recipe.
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. It was delicious and of course I asked for the recipe. And as it turned out this was another one of those you-gotta-love “Italian Desserts” recipes.
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 Cucchiai / Tablespoon Cake.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – either all purpose or cake/pastry flour
- Baking powder – be sure it hasn’t expired
- Sugar – granulated
- Eggs – large and room temperature
- Lemon – zest and juice
- Vegetable Oil – I use corn or sunflower oil although I am sure a light olive oil would also work.
- Milk – either whole or 2% milk
- Powder/Icing Sugar – for dusting the cooled cake
How to make Pastry/Cake flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
How to Make a Lemon Cake
- 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.
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. Although if you do want to fancy it up a bit for a dinner dessert you could add a scoop of ice cream or top it with this tasty Blueberry Sauce. Lemon and blueberry are a perfect combination!
Why bake with room temperature ingredients?
With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, creating a silky batter, which will help to create a light tender baked good.
How to check if baking powder is still good
Place 1/2 teaspoon of powder in a small bowl, pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over it. It should bubble up immediately and very strongly, if it does it’s still good, if it doesn’t, time to buy a new tin.
What baking pans can I use for this Cake?
Be sure to grease and flour the pans very well especially a bundt pan, if it is a fancy one it will need extra attention so you get every crease.
- An 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pan.
- An 8 or 9 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.
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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.
Never open the oven while the cake is baking before 30 minutes has passed, opening an oven door early can cause a cake to fall.
Bake the cake as soon as the batter has been mixed and poured into the pan, don’t let it stand around, this can also cause the cake to flatten.
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.
The difference between lemon juice and zest
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!
How to store the baked cake
Store the cooled baked cake at room temperate either wrapped in plastic or in a covered cake container. It will keep for up to 4 days at room temperature. You can also store the cake in the fridge, just be sure to make it airtight or it will dry out, it will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, bring it to room temperature before serving.
How to freeze the cake
Once the cake is completely cooled, double wrap it with either foil or plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cake thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
So if you are looking to make an Italian cake then I hope you try this Lemon Cake recipe and be sure to let me know what you. Enjoy!
More Delicious Lemon Dessert Recipes
Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 24 tablespoons all purpose flour (1 ½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 16 tablespoons sugar (1 cup)
- 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)
- 10 tablespoons milk* (½ cup + 2 tablespoons)
EXTRAS
- 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 round cake pan (20-23 cm).
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- In a large bowl beat on low speed sugar and eggs until very fluffy and light. Approximately 5 minutes.
- Then add the zest, juice, oil and milk, beat until combined on low speed. 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
Updated from May 30, 2018.
I used a 9” Bundt pan and the cake was less than 2” tall. Is this normal? When mixing it I thought it didn’t look like enough batter.
Hi Lourie, for a 9 inch pan it is, a small pan will give you a higher cake. 🙂
It was absolutely delicious. My bro took most of the cake home. I am sending the recipe to my aunt. Thanks this is a keeper for sure.
Hi Ann, thanks so much, glad it was enjoyed. I hope your aunt enjoys it also. Take care!
Hi, I was searching for Lemon Cake and your cake attracted my attention. I tried it right away and It was amazing. Thank you so much. It smells amazing and has a fabulous texture. I made it in 9″ Bundt Pan it was a bit flat. Next time I definately I will try on 8″ Pan.
Hi Arezoo, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipe. Take care and have a great week!
The cake came out really delicious. I was just a little misled by the picture of the Bundt cake on the website because this only makes 8 or 9 inch layer. I horizontally cut the layer and filled it with lemon curd. Spectacular!
Hi Sandy, sometimes I use a smaller bundt pan so they come out higher. Glad you liked the cake. Take care and Happy New Year!
I made this cake yesterday on a 8″ mold. It came out beautifully but was dense and bland. It is baking powder and no salt? I used all purpose flour. What went wrong??
Want to try it again!!!
Hi Liz, there is baking powder in it. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of salt if you wish. Add more zest if it wasn’t lemony enough. Hope that helps.
Hi! This recipe looks great! Do you think I could double it and bake it in a big long pan?
Hi Miranda, others have done it and it’s been fine, so I would say yes. Let me know how it goes. Take care!
I made this for my father’s birthday yesterday, and he loved it. My whole family had nothing but good things to say about this recipe and the cake it made. I made two delightful cakes. For the second one I incorporated a Tablespoon of Fresh Vanilla Bean, and it tasted beautiful with the lemon zest. I baked both in a Bundt pan, as I’ve been interested in using one for a while now, and both came out beautifully. This recipe is one of my absolute favorites , one that I will be using time and again. It’s easy to make with excellent directions. A superb cake for any occasion. Thank you
Hi Gabriella, thanks so much so glad the cake was enjoyed by all. Happy birthday to your father. Take care!
Hello!
May I use olive oil in this recipe?
Hi Sadaf, yes you can use olive oil, but I would use a light olive oil. Let me know how it goes. Take care.
Can you use butter instead of oil?
Hi Vivian, yes you can just be sure to let it cool after it has melted. Let me know how it goes. Take care.
I never comment on recipes but came here to say this was absolutely delicious. I didn’t have a mixer at hand but beat it well by hand and baked in a 9” round. It came out fluffy and moist. Thank you!
Hi KS, thanks so much, so glad you liked it take care and have a wonderful Sunday.
Hi Rosemary,
I am about to make your lemon cake and noticed that I have a printed version of the recipe from March, 2019. It says 12 tablespoons all purpose flour. Now I notice on the online recipe it says 24 tablespoons of flour. Would you please let me know which is correct, either 12 or 24 tablespoons of flour?
I made this once before and it turned out delicious! I am having a dinner party and plan to serve it with fresh picked strawberries!
Thanks so much,
Paula Cianca
Hi Paula, I redid it doubling the amount of flour (24 tablespoons) and turned out much better. Let me know how it goes.
The 24 tablespoons of flour made a perfect cake! It looked like it was professionally made right from a bakery! It was absolutely delicious! I only have a nine inch Bundt pan so it didn’t get quite as much height as yours in your online picture. All my guests were asking for the recipe! I served fresh picked strawberries with it along with a dollop of whipped cream. Also added a sliver of vanilla ice cream on the side. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful cake recipe! It is a winner for sure!
Hi Paula, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it and your guests too. Take care and have a great weekend.
todo maravilloso Hermoso este blog Te deseo muchos exito.Desde Colombia con gran cariño
Hola Mercy, muchas gracias. Ten Un Maravilloso Domingo.
Not sure what happened, but mine way very dry. I made it for Easter dinner. I was embarrassed. Not your fault though.
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. 🙂
Can I use Almond or Wheat flour for this recipe?
Hi Donna, I have never used almond or wheat flour, but if you try it, let me know how it goes. Take care.
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 💕.
Hi Duaa, thanks so much, so glad you like it and vanilla sounds amazing too. Take care.