This Italian Lemon Cake is pure lemon perfection. A slightly sweet lemon cake is drenched in a lemon syrup offering mouth puckering goodness in every bite.
Amalfi Sunshine
I had the very great privilege of traveling to the Amalfi Coast last summer, the summer of 2019: right before Covid 19 completely uprooted and shifted how we all approach traveling. To say I’m grateful to have gone on this trip would be a significant under statement, as this had been a trip I had been dreaming of for years.
While there is so much to reflect on happily, there are a few things that stick out:
- The picture perfect, pebble strewn beaches
- The postcard-worthy cliffs drenched in green with yellow lemon trees resembling confetti
- The Amalfi sunshine, which I swear feels sweet on your skin, if that could be felt
All of these vivid visualizations dot my memories, but one day in particular stands out, which was truly one of the best days of my life.
Amalfi Lemon Experience
Before planning our trip, I had a few priorities that I wanted covered in our travels:
- Go to the Island of Capri
- Spend a day (or more!) at sea
- Drink as much Prosecco as possible
- Take a cooking class
While I knew that any cooking class would likely be life changing, I was particularly drawn to the Amalfi Lemon Experience: an organic Amalfi Lemon farm which also happened to offer cooking classes.
Literally: need I say more?!
The lemon tour was educational rooted in the fall history. Our tour guides (who were all related, of course) shared countless fun and interesting facts, once of which left my heart hurting a little bit: Amalfi lemons are not allowed to be exported. While products made from the specialty citrus are allowed, the fruit themselves aren’t allowed to be brought, say…home.
The rich tour and breathtaking views continue, with a steep incline to boot. The reward after our efforts, amidst a 90 degree day? Fresh squeezed lemonade, fresh lemon cake, and homemade limoncello.
As if life could get any better, next up was the cooking class! More to come on that, another time. But for now, let’s talk about cake.
Italian Lemon Cake
As all purpose flour is used regularly here in the States, Semolina flour is used the same in Italy. This was the flour used in the homemade pasta we made, as well as in this dense yet light cake.
This cake gets a double dose of lemon by way of the lemon zest, which is in the batter, in addition to the lemon juice which is reduced in to a syrup and gets poured over the still warm cake. It’s important to note that the Amalfi lemons I cooked with in Italy were grown completely organically, so much so that you could eat the entire lemon – pith, rind, pulp, and all.
Amalfi lemons are known to be less acidic and more sweet than the standard lemons readily available in the US, which you may still, just be sure they’re organic (and give them a good scrub).
This cake is synonymous with sunshine, and may just be the bright spot you need!
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Italian Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 eggs eggs and yolks divided
- 3 lemons juiced and zested
- 1 cup flour 00
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand or handheld mixer, thoroughly combine butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, mixing thoroughly to combine. Add the lemon zest.
- Sift together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Slowly add to the butter and sugar mixture.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine egg whites and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Using a standing or handheld mixer, whip to combine until airy and fluffy.
- Gently fold egg white mixture in to batter, taking care to not deflate the egg whites too much.
- Transfer to a 9 inch cake pan, which has been buttered and floured. Bake for 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prep the lemon glaze. In a small saucepan, combine lemon juice with 1/2 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, or until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool.
- Once cake is done baking, brush with lemon syrup. Serve either warm or chilled!