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This Italian Cake is a delicious moist Lemon Cake, originally made with a tablespoon to measure all the ingredients.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.
Hi Rosemary! Can I substitute the flour with gluten free flour and if so do I use the same amount?
Thank you ! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Cindy, I have never baked with gluten free but as far as I know it’s a one for one substitute. Hope that helps.
I have never baked this cake but know with gluten free floor you usually need to make a wetter mixture so maybe you’d need a little less flour but I find it’s trial and error depending on recipe and floor.
Hi Helen, thanks so much, I actually want to try experimenting with gluten free flour so thank you for the advice. Have a great weekend.
One of the best cakes I have had in forever. Made it for a picnic with the in laws. SUCH a hit. Thanks!!♡
Hi Siddiqa, thanks so much and so glad everyone enjoyed it. Have a great week.
This is probably the best cake I have ever made. I did not have any oil so used butter. Also I used SR flour still added the baking powder. No fresh lemons had commercial lemon juice in fridge substituted with this. Held my breath and it turned out perfect. Thank you so much.
Hi Karen, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of our favourites too. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Hi 🙂
How much butter did you use?
Thank you for this recipe! Anxious to try it! Does this cake freeze successfully?
Hi KK Thanks so much, I have never frozen it but I am sure you could. First wrap it in plastic wrap then wrap it again in foil or place it in a zip loc bag, be sure to remove any air in the bag. Hope this helps.
I added a pip to my cake and oh my! It made it fabulous <3
Hi Alessia, so glad you liked it.:)
Hi Rosemary,
I made this cake last night to bring to my son’s family.
Like me they love anything lemonly!
It turned out great! I personally found it a bit too sweet, but that’s just me! I will definitely make it again!
I was wondering, would I be able to double the recipe and put it into a large bundt pan, rather than my 8 inch square pan? Thanks for the easy directions and lovely pictures!
Luisa a fellow Italian from Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada
Hi Luisa, thanks, so glad everyone enjoyed it. I have never doubled it but I don’t see why not. Let me know how it goes.
i was so excited to try this cake based on the simplicity and your picture of the finished product. I was disappointed with the results, i used the exact size pan and it looked like a pancake, i made sure to beat the eggs and sugar for over 5 minutes as suggested.
Hi Josie, sorry it didn’t work out. I have made this recipe at least 5 times before and after posting and I made a video. I am thinking that it could be your oven temperature is off or your baking powder has gone bad. Let me know.
Delicious tasting but the cake came out nearly as flat as a pancake even after mixing it for 5 minutes with a stand mixer. I used a bundt pan that measured 8.5 inches across the bottom, but it was probably too large.
Hi Caroline, yes your bundt pan was too big, this is a small cake so a 7 1/2 inch bundt pan is perfect.
Just baked it! Oh delicious! Thanks :))
Hi Patricia, your welcome and thanks so much and so glad you enjoyed it, have a wonderful Sunday.
Our cake didn’t rise, but I think it’s because we didn’t beat the eggs with sugar for 5minutes. Still we loved the cake (it was finished in minutes). We will try it again 🙂
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Theresa, yes it’s the beating of the egg and sugar that makes the difference. Glad you enjoyed it though. Have a great weekend.
Is there anything that I can use to replace milk?
Hi Miriam, a friend of mine actually uses water and says it works fine, so you could try that. Let me know how it goes.
Made this cake today. Realized my pan was too big.
The cake is a little short. But taste great! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Laura, thanks so much, a little short is ok as long as it tastes great! Have a great week.
I just made it. Instead of using one teaspoon of baking powder I used 1 tablespoon,the eggs never came out fluffy but I beat them for 5 minutes on medium speed and 5 minutes in high and just plain liquid mixture I used brown sugar.
The cake was ready in 25 minutes and it was 180C. It burnt a bit at 30 minutes on the top. It cooled so nicely and fluffy. The taste was amazing sweet and bitter. I used ripe limes. The texture of the cake was like a cloud and it was so tall I guess cuz I used double amount of baking powder and it kept its shape and height 🙂
Hi Meelany, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. I love limes so I am sure it would be amazing. I think the key is to beat the eggs and sugar for at least 5 minutes. I just finished a video. Posting today. Have a great weekend.
Made it 2x’s… used 1 tbs lemon extract and no rind or fresh lemon juice… came out amazing! Most best eggs and sugar until very fluffy, almost like a meringue!
Hi Joann, so glad you enjoyed it, I think that is exactly the reason it works, beating until light and fluffy. Have a great weekend.
LOVED IT and the whole family did ! I added 5 tablespoons of fresh orange juice and it came out prefect ! Thank u so much for the recipe
Hi Reem so glad to hear that, it has worked for me, in fact I made it a few times just to be sure, so I have no idea why it isn’t working for others. Have a great weekend.
What pan do you use for this cake? 7in bundt pans seem to vary in cup size. Thank you.
Hi Jillyanne, I used the small bundt pan from William Sonoma (not the individual pan) and it says 6 cup size. Hope that helps.
Interesting….did you use the lemon juice as well?
Did you up the dry ingredients or lessen the wet ingredients to make the same science of the batter?