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This Italian Cake is a delicious moist Lemon Cake, originally made with a tablespoon to measure all the ingredients.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.
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THE CAKE WAS DELISH! However, my eggs never got ‘light and fluffy’ which resulted in a very, very flat cake. I did the low speed, adjusted it to medium after about 10 minutes. Questioning whether this was supposed to be egg whites and not the whole egg?
Hi Rachel, no the whole egg, just stay on low speed the eggs and sugar should go to a light pale colour, and 10 minutes is good enough, do not increase speed. Hope that helps.
Favorite of mine and my family. Honestly is divine and such a perfect treat. Thank you for sharing this spectacular recipe, I have made this so many times and each time it was delicious.
Hi Daevania, thanks so much, so glad everyone likes it.
We had Italian Theme night and I had to bring an Italian dessert. This was easy and all I had to buy was a fresh lemon. It was a hit. I use a round pan because I didn’t have the right size Bundt pan. I pre-sliced to check it out and garnished with sweet blueberries. Would make it again!! I wished I could share the pic here. Thanks Rosemary
Hi Cherrie, thanks, so glad it was a hit. And Italian Theme night must have been fun. If you have instagram you can tag #anitalianinmykitchen. 🙂
I will be making the cake tonight. I can’t wait to taste it. I’ll report back later.
Hi Su, I hope you like it and let me know.
I’m so excited to try this recipe. Would you make any adjustments for high altitude? I live in Colorado. I know what adjustments I would make for a regular size cake but wasn’t sure if I needed to adjust this cake.
Hi Linda, I have never made a cake in high altitude but I would say that maybe you should, let me know how it goes. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great weekend.
Hi Rosemary, Here are the adjustments that I made for high altitude: decreased baking powder by 1/8 teaspoon, decreased sugar by 1/2 tablespoon, increased both oil and milk 1 tablespoon each and increased the temperature to 375F. It came out perfect. Thank you so much for posting this wonderful little cake recipe. I hope you are having a terrific Mother’s Day!
Thanks so much Linda, for letting me know I added a note in the recipe. Glad you enjoyed. And I hope you had a wonderful mother’s day. Have a great week.
This cake looks beautiful! Always love the bright yellow color and zesty flavor of any delicious lemon baked goods. Making a whole recipe using tablespoon measurements is a new one for me but this cake looks so moist and yummy that I’ve got to try it.
Hi Linda, thanks so much, I hope you enjoy it and yes lots of lemon flavour. 🙂
I made this cake over the weekend. Hubby and I just loved it. In fact I am enjoying a piece with my coffee right now!
Hi Beth, thanks so glad you both enjoyed it. Have a great week.
I read the whole web page, the comments & all instructions very carefully because I really wanted this cute cake to work! I baked the cake in an 8” round cake pan and it came out perfectly! I love that it’s not too sweet. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Nica, thanks so much, so glad it worked, I have no idea why it works for some and not for everyone. One question was it a sunny day when you made it? Thanks
I made this lovely cake for the first time and it turned out fabulously!
YUM, is it ever yummy! Thanks Dolores
Hi Dolores, so glad you like it 🙂 have a great weekend.
Hello, did you have to adjust the baking time when baking in the 8-invh round cake pan?
Came out really good! Thank you.
Hi Rohini, thanks glad you liked it. Happy New Year.
The Italian lemon Cake was the easiest fastest cake I saw on the internet. I do not want anything fancy because like all most of us have a busy life.
My first baking a cake tonight after I had my prolapse operation for my bladder and backside. It seems no fuss to make this cake. Wish me luck making this cake tonight.
P.S. I love ITALIAN CAKE AND FOOD!
Thank you for posting. Anything fast and easy, please email me. I even like 1 big roasting pan meals to be placed in the oven.
Hello, I LOVED your recipe! it’s wonderful! I did one and a half of the measurements to make it a little biger, (I didn’t have a right size of a pan for it, so I had to improvise rsrsrs) But it turns out just great. It’s my new favorite recipe. Thanks a lot!
Hi Maria, thanks so much, I am so glad you like it. Have a wonderful weekend.
Hi, I would need to double the recipe but don’t want to have to measure out 20 tablespoons of milk, etc. Do you have a version with cup measurements? Thanks in advance!
Hi Shaina well there are 16 tablespoons in a cup so 20 tablespoons would be 1 1/4 cups. Hope that helps.
I was so looking forward to making this cake.
5 minutes after I took it out of the oven, it fell down to about 1” high!! What did I do wrong?
Please help!!!
Mine did, too! Ugh! I made it twice, because I thought I didn’t bake it long enough the first time, and I used a 9” round pan. So, the second time, I changed the oil to canola, used an 8” square, baked it longer, and it still fell flat.
Hi Mary, have you gotten a private reply yet? I haven’t. I tried it twice as well, and it fell both times. The second time I used an 8” round cake pan like someone said, and it still fell.
Hi Anne, this is so strange, I have a question, how was the weather when you made it? I am trying to figure out why it isn’t working, it works fine when I make it. Do you beat the egg and sugar for 5 minutes? I know for sure a bigger pan is not the answer. Thanks and so sorry it didn’t work.
Can I use less sugar and if so, what is the minimum amount of sugar? I want to make this for my toddler’s class part and don’t want kids bouncing off the wall from sugar high. Thanks!
HI Germaine I don’t think I would reduce the amount the amount of sugar in this cake because it has to be quite precise. How about the Easy Yogurt Cake instead? https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/easy-yogurt-cake/ I think you could safely reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup. Hope that helps.
I made the cake but it was so shallow…Did you use a regular size bundt pan? I felt like there was so little flour compared to the wet ingredients. Only 12 tablespoons of flour?I checked my baking powder and it was good. I wonder what else it could be?
Hi Dianne, I actually used a small 7 1/2 inch bundt pan. And yes the ingredients are all correct. So if you use a large pan the cake is going to be quite flat. Hope that helps.
Hi dear
I followed recipe exactly but the cake turned out to be one piece custer like from inside not cake. What could i have done wrong?
Hi Heba, to tell the truth, I have no idea, I have made this recipe so many times testing it out and even making a video and I really don’t know why it works for some and not all. Maybe you aren’t being the eggs enough, or your stove temperature is off, or the baking powder has expired, or the pan is too big. I guess I would have to come and watch you make it, but unfortunately that is not possible. So sorry I am not a better help.
Taste very good , just Same happen on my cake texture with caster inside . Is it because I used foil on top to avoid cake burning that may lower temperature. How can I avoid cake to get burn on top?
Hi Joyce, I have no idea why it would burn unless your oven temperature is off. And yes the cake should not be covered while it is baking. Maybe turn the temperature down to 325F. Hope that helps.
Hi
If I use butter instead of oil , will it result as caster inside still want to try to make another cake for same week as taste so good
And easy process
Joyce
Hi Joyce, I really don’t know, make sure you melt the butter though. Let me know how it goes.
Hi Rosemary,
I have just started baking and this recipe was so simple. Even amateur cook like me made it. Tastes really good. Thanks for keeping it so simple! Just the right combination of lemon and sugar!
Hi Garima, your welcome, and so glad you started baking and you like the recipe. Thanks so much let me know what you try next. Have a great week.
Is it OK to double the recipe? And if so do I need to cook it for longer?
Hi Bevin I have never doubled the recipe so I don’t know if it would work, although I think other bakers have. If you are looking for a full size Lemon Cake, than this Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake is really good too. https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/italian-fresh-cream-lemon-cake/. Let me know.
Hi. Happy to find this recipe. Need a nonpumpkin nobfrosting cake for Thanksgiving and the host is Italian Do you think the recipe can be doubled for a full size Bundt pan?
Hi Judy, I personally love this cake but I have never doubled the recipe. And to tell the truth it works every time for me and for most who have made this recipe, but I would hate to see you have problems on Thanksgiving, so I am going to suggest that you try this Lemon Cake instead. Just as good, some including my husband likes it more. 🙂 And it will fill a full size bundt cake. https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/italian-fresh-cream-lemon-cake/ Hope this helps. Let me know.