Italian Lemon Cake

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5 from 11 votes

Italian lemon cake is light, bright and citrusy from fresh lemon. Lightly sweetened and perfect for spring.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Bailey Rhatigan

Equipment

9" cake pan or bread loaf

Ingredients

1¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
½ cup white granulated sugar
¼ cup half & half *see notes
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp lemon extract
2 eggs
2 Tbsp lemon zest *about 2 lemons
¼-⅓ cup lemon juice *about 2 lemons

2 ingredient icing

1 cup confectioner sugar
1 tsp milk or water *you may need ½ tsp more to thin it out

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, mix salt, baking powder and flour. Set aside.
With a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. Add one egg at a time, vanilla and lemon extract, lemon juice, milk and lemon zest. Next, slowly add in the flour mix. Do not over mix, but it should form a thick batter, you can add an extra Tbsp or two of milk if needed to thin the batter a bit.
In a 9 inch cake pan, place parchment paper on bottom or, grease the pan properly and sprinkle just a little flour around it to help prevent sticking. Using a spatula, add the batter to the cake pan. You will need a little patience, just push the batter around to the edges and make sure it is evenly spread and mostly smooth on top.
Put the cake pan in the oven, cook for about 22-25 minutes. Check on it at 25 minutes with a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean it is finished. Allow the cake to cool for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile while it's cooling, mix the icing together. Set aside.
Once the cake has cooled, take it out of the cake pan carefully. Set it on a cutting board. Dust with powdered sugar and leftover lemon zest. Drizzle the icing over the top, don't be shy. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

*nut milks or heavy cream will also work. Feel free to add 1-2 Tbsp extra if the batter is too thick.

*let the cake cool completely before transferring to ensure it binds.

*keep cake in a cake holder or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze using an airtight bag for up to 2 months.

*Please note, this cake is not meant to be overly sweet. It's light, fluffy and lightly sweetened, making it perfect for a snacking cake. This is why I add a heavy drizzle of icing for the ultimate treat.

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