Italian Lemon Cake Recipe
This Italian Lemon Cake is a moist and flavorful dessert featuring the bright zest and juice of lemons combined with olive oil for a tender crumb. Perfectly baked to a golden brown, this cake is light, slightly tangy, and topped with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, making it an elegant treat for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (180 mls plus extra for the cake pan)
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice (60 mls)
- Finely grated zest of one lemon
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (250 grams)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350ºF (180ºC) to prepare for baking the cake.
- Prepare the cake pan. Lightly coat an 8-inch (20cm) round cake pan with extra virgin olive oil and line the base with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution and remove lumps.
- Beat eggs and sugar. Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for about 4 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, light, and creamy.
- Add wet ingredients. Reduce mixer speed to medium and slowly drizzle in the olive oil, then add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest, blending thoroughly.
- Incorporate dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Then increase speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth and free of lumps, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the cake has risen, is golden brown on top, and pulls away slightly from the sides. Insert a skewer to check doneness; it should come out clean. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
- Cool the cake. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve. Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Extra virgin olive oil adds a unique fruity flavor and keeps the cake moist but ensure to use fresh good quality oil.
- Whole milk can be substituted with a lower fat milk but the texture may be less rich.
- Always finely grate only the yellow part of the lemon peel to avoid bitterness from the white pith.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off rather than scooping to avoid packing and excess flour.
- If the cake is browning too fast during baking, lightly cover it with aluminum foil to prevent burning while the inside finishes cooking.
Find it online: https://yumntasty.com/italian-lemon-cake-recipe/
