Limoncello Cake

This Limoncello Cake is made with fluffy sponge cake layers, brushed with a limoncello syrup, filled with a thin layer of lemon curd and frosted with a decadent mascarpone and cream cheese frosting. 

Lemon lovers, have I got a cake for you!

This Limoncello Cake has the bright and refreshing flavor of lemon infused in every delicious bite. The light and fluffy sponge cake layers have lemon zest gently perfuming the cake layers, which are also soaked with a limoncello syrup. Limoncello has such a delicate lemon flavor. It’s mild and has some floral notes and isn’t overly tart. It gives the lemon flavored cake a really great balanced flavor.

The billowy cream cheese and mascarpone frosting also has both lemon zest and limoncello for flavor. The creamy and fluffy frosting works so well with the rest of the cake to make it luscious but not too rich. In the center of the cake, I added refreshing and creamy lemon curd, just enough to really bring up the lemon flavor up a notch but not overpower the cake. All in all, I tried to keep the cake tender and luscious but not overly sweet or tart.

When I made this cake for my family, it was a big hit. The first thing my husband said when he took a bite was that I didn’t “oversell” it:). So I hope you give it a try and are just as happy with the results. If you love the flavor of lemons, this cake is for you.

Ingredients:

Sponge Cake:

8 eggs, separated, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

½ cup milk and melted butter, total (1/4 cup each)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Limoncello Syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup limoncello

Frosting:

2 (8 0z) packages cream cheese (16 oz total), room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 (8 0z) packages mascarpone cheese (16 oz total), room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 – 1 Tablespoon limoncello

1/2 – 1 teaspoon, lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon curd

Instructions:

If you don’t want to use limoncello, you can omit it from the frosting and use lemonade in its place for the syrup. 

Sponge Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of 2 round (9 inch) cake pans with parchment paper.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.

Beat the whites using a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or a hand held mixer until foamy. Gradually pour in half of the sugar. Mix the whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In the other bowl with the yolks, add the remaining sugar and use the same whisk attachment to beat the yolks until they are pale and fluffy.

Combine the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest in a bowl or cup. Set aside.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, being careful not to deflate the batter as much as possible.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the folded eggs and gently fold in the batter.

When there are still some remaining streaks of flour, pour in the milk and butter mixture into the batter by the side of the bowl.

Continue gently folding until evenly distributed.

Divide the batter in half, pouring into the prepared cake pans.

Bake in the preheated oven until they are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the limoncello syrup and the frosting.

Limoncello Syrup:

Make a simple sugar by heating the sugar and water in a small pot until sugar dissolves and add the limoncello. Set aside to cool. Limoncello is an Italian liquor made from the zest of lemons, sugar, water, and, of course, alcohol. The flavor is very delicate and mild. 

Frosting:

In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until evenly mixed, smooth and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract and limoncello.

Add the mascarpone cheese. You can just fold in the mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula, since it’s soft enough or mix with the mixer just until combined, about 30 seconds.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until fluffy and stiff peaks form. You can do this by hand using a whisk or use a hand held mixer or a standing mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream into the frosting until evenly mixed. 

Assembling the Cake: 

Cut each cake in half horizontally.

Using a serrated knife, make a small cut all around the outside of the cake. This will keep your knife on the same level as you are cutting across. Continue cutting deeper into the cake until you have cut all the way through.

Another trick I use when decorating cakes is to line the serving plate all around the edge with aluminum foil so that the edge of the cake is overlapping the aluminum foil by about 1/2 inch. This will catch all the drips and crumbs, leaving your serving plate neat and clean. When you’re done decorating just carefully pull the aluminum foil out.

Using a pastry brush, brush the top and bottom of each layer with the limoncello syrup.

Put a dollop of frosting in the center of the cake plate, which will help to hold the cake in place. Place the first cake layer in the center of the cake plate and generously spread the cake layer with frosting, all the way to the edges.

Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted cake layer. Spread the lemon curd evenly over the surface of the cake, all the way to the edges. You can use more or less lemon curd, depending on how sweet and “lemony” you want the cake to be. 

Place the third cake layer on top of the lemon curd layer and generously spread the cake layer with frosting, all the way to the edges.

Top with the last layer and this time frost the sides and the top of the cake. Carefully pull out the aluminum foil from underneath the edges of the cake and discard.

You will have enough frosting left over to pipe a border all the way around the cake too. I piped a border all the way around the edges of the cake and added a few swirls in the center too. I used my favorite Wilton 1M piping tip. 

I also grated white chocolate on top of the cake as well as lemon zest and a thin lemon slice in the center of the cake.

The cake should be chilled in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours before serving, or overnight. The cake can be made 2 days in advance, completely assembled and stored in the refrigerator, covered.

Before serving, let the cake stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, for the best taste and texture.

Print

Limoncello Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 25 reviews

This Limoncello Cake is made with fluffy sponge cake layers, brushed with a limoncello syrup, filled with a thin layer of lemon curd and frosted with a decadent mascarpone and cream cheese frosting.

  • Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
  • Prep Time: 120 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 265 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cake (9 inch) 1x
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

Scale

Sponge Cake:

  • 8 eggs (separated, room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar (divided)
  • ½ cup milk and melted butter (total (1/4 cup each))
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Limoncello Syrup:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup limoncello

Frosting:

  • 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (16 oz total), room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/21 Tablespoon limoncello
  • 2 (8 oz) 8 oz packages mascarpone cheese (16 oz total), room temperature
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (chilled)
  • 1/21 teaspoon (lemon zest)
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd

Instructions

Sponge Cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of 2 round (9 inccake pans with parchment paper.
  2. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.
  3. Beat the whites using a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or a hand held mixer until foamy. Gradually pour in half of the sugar. Mix the whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  4. In the other bowl with the yolks, add the remaining sugar and use the same whisk attachment to beat the yolks until they are pale and fluffy.
  5. Combine the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest in a bowl or cup. Set aside.
  6. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, being careful not to deflate the batter as much as possible.
  7. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the folded eggs and gently fold in the batter.
  8. When there are still some remaining streaks of flour, pour in the milk and butter mixture into the batter by the side of the bowl. Continue gently folding until evenly distributed.
  9. Divide the batter in half, pouring into the prepared cake pans.
  10. Bake in the preheated oven until they are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
  11. Cool on a wire rack.
  12. Meanwhile, prepare the limoncello syrup and the frosting.

Limoncello Syrup:

  1. Make a simple sugar by heating the sugar and water in a small pot until sugar dissolves and add the limoncello. Set aside to cool.

Frosting:

  1. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until evenly mixed, smooth and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract and limoncello.
  2. Add the mascarpone cheese. You can just fold in the mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula, since it’s soft enough or mix with the mixer just until combined, about 30 seconds.
  3. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until fluffy and stiff peaks form. You can do this by hand using a whisk or use a hand held mixer or a standing mixer.
  4. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream into the frosting until evenly mixed.

Assembling the Cake:

  1. Cut each cake in half horizontally.
  2. Using a serrated knife, make a small cut all around the outside of the cake. This will keep your knife on the same level as you are cutting across. Continue cutting deeper into the cake until you have cut all the way through.
  3. Another trick I use when decorating cakes is to line the serving plate all around the edge with aluminum foil so that the edge of the cake is overlapping the aluminum foil by about 1/2 inch. This will catch all the drips and crumbs, leaving your serving plate neat and clean. When you’re done decorating just carefully pull the aluminum foil out.
  4. Using a pastry brush, brush the top and bottom of each layer with the limoncello syrup.
  5. Put a dollop of frosting in the center of the cake plate, which will help to hold the cake in place. Place the first cake layer in the center of the cake plate and generously spread the cake layer with frosting, all the way to the edges.
  6. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted cake layer. Spread the lemon curd evenly over the surface of the cake, all the way to the edges. You can use more or less lemon curd, depending on how sweet and “lemony” you want the cake to be.
  7. Place the third cake layer on top of the lemon curd layer and generously spread the cake layer with frosting, all the way to the edges.
  8. Top with the last layer and this time frost the sides and the top of the cake. Carefully pull out the aluminum foil from underneath the edges of the cake and discard.
  9. You will have enough frosting left over to pipe a border all the way around the cake too. I piped a border all the way around the edges of the cake and added a few swirls in the center too. I used my favorite Wilton 1M piping tip.
  10. I also grated white chocolate on top of the cake as well as lemon zest and a thin lemon slice in the center of the cake.
  11. The cake should be chilled in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours before serving, or overnight. The cake can be made 2 days in advance, completely assembled and stored in the refrigerator, covered.
  12. Before serving, let the cake stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, for the best taste and texture.

Notes

If you don’t want to use limoncello, you can omit it from the frosting and use lemonade in its place for the syrup.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

77 Comments

  • Tania

    Lemoncello cake is my husbands favorite. So I was very excited when you posted this recipe. But have to tell you I’m a little disappointed with the results. This recipe is not quiet it. Both the sponge cake and the cream is too thick and heavy. The one that we order at an Italian restaurant is very light and fluffy. The flavor is similar. But the texture is too heavy and dense for me.

    • Larisa

      Olga, thank you so much for recipe. I’m planning to make it this week. That would be so great if you can make a book of your recipes for sale! I wish I can buy one ASAP!

  • Oksana

    Hi Olga! I made this beautiful cake for Thanksgiving and what a sad turnout it was despite its presentation. The cake is very dense and the cream/frosting is so thick! Not what we wanted in a lemoncello cake. I wish the frosting was fluffier and the cake was softer. Will not make this again. I’ll continue searching for the perfect lemoncello cake.

      • Francesca

        Hi. I made it and it came out great and got great reviews from my lady friends. I think the key is to let it refrig for a good half day and then let get room temp for a good two hours….Frosting was perfect.

  • oksana

    I made this cake twice already….and oh my goodness!! Absolutely divine!! My guests thought so too. I don’t think the reviewers above read all the details when it specified that the cake is best when at room temp for at least 30 minutes. My culinary teacher always said “never start a recipe until you have read everything from top to bottom 🙂 I took the cake out of the fridge when dinner guests arrived. It sat at room temp for about an hour. And I am not lying…it was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! The cake layers were soft and fluffy and the frosting indeed was “billowy.” What a great recipe!! Definitely a keeper!! And one other detail, I did make my own homemade lemon curd. Thank you Olga, for another perfect recipe!!! I highly recommend others to try this recipe.

    • olgak7

      Thank you for taking the time to write, Oksana.
      I agree that the seemingly unimportant step of bringing the cake to room temperature is something some people may overlook but it makes such a big difference. The texture of both the cake and the frosting is completely different if you serve it cold. I myself, do not like it straight out of the refrigerator.
      I am so happy you enjoyed the cake.

      • oksana

        Oh and I’m totally stealing the cake recipe for future cakes, omitting the lemon when needee 🙂 It was SO delicious!! I love how it didn’t turn into mush when soaked as sometimes biskvit tends to do. Perfect recipe!! Thank you :))

  • Tatiana

    I made this cake for my son’s birthday. I let it stay at room temperature for a good hour, and it turned out so delicious, perfectly moist, and for sure was a winner. It was gone very quickly.
    I will definitely make this cake again! Thank you Olga!

  • Oksana

    This cake is so Devine that’s the only word how I can explain this cake . Frosting is delicious fluffy I couldn’t get enough of it . I think this cake is fancy too . We loved it . Thank you for the recipe .

  • andrea

    Hi. I have a question about the milk/butter measurement. It’s a 1/2 C of milk and how much melted butter? A 1/4 cup? Or 1/4 C milk and 1/4 C melted butter totaling 1/2 C?

    Thanks for the clarification.

    • Francesca

      I made this cake. Follow the recipe to a tea. Used quality organic dairy. I think the key is to let it refrig for half a day, and sit out for more then 30 minutes. I had it after 30 minutes and it was good, but it was even better when it was out overnight. Very moist, fluffy, and light.

      Thank you! My friends said it was a keeper.

      • olgak7

        Hi Francesca! I’m thrilled that you and your friends enjoyed the Limoncello Cake. I definitely agree with you about letting the cake sit in the refrigerator overnight and then at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. It makes a huge difference in the taste and texture of the cake.

  • Francesca

    I made it and it came out very good. My friends raved over it. I think the secret is to refrig over night, and then let get room temp for a few hours before serving. I found Day 2 of the cake was better because it was really room temp. But Day 1 was yummy and not dense.

  • Francesca

    It just wasn’t as pretty as yours :-). I need to take a cake decorating class. And as for the person who made the comment about printing….she obviously didn’t click on the print button for the recipe, which only prints two pages.

  • Veronica

    Hi!

    A friend brought me a limoncello bottle from her holidays and I thought about making this cake for mother’s day as an extra sweet present for my mum! Can I just be a little bit daft and ask which size eggs you use? I was gathering all the ingredients and noticed that I only have large eggs at home and I am not sure if that is going to work for this recipe.

    Thank you so much for your help!

      • Veronica

        Thanks for that!
        I made the cake and it is absolutely beautiful. I did it for my mum as she loves lemons and I ended up loving it as well, even though I don’t appreciate lemons that much hahaha

        Another question, after eating part of the cake, should I put the remaining in the chiller? Or keep it out as it reached room temperature already? Sorry if it’s a stupid question.






        • olgak7

          I’m so glad you were happy with the cake, Veronica. It’s so thoughtful of you to prepare a cake that you knew your mother would enjoy.
          Yes, place the remaining cake that you didn’t eat in the refrigerator and store it there. Bring it to room temperature each time you are serving it. If you’re just going to eat a slice or two, only take out those and let them get to room temperature and keep the rest cold, so it stays fresh.
          I’m happy to answer any questions:).

  • Cindy

    I want to make a double batch of this recipe. When I printed the double recipe I noticed that the flour went from 1 1/2 cups to 11 cups….in stead of 3 cups…is that correct. I am unwilling to waist that much flour until I find out if it is truly correct in the calculations.

  • Karen

    We LOVED this cake! It took a while to make and I made my own Lemon Curd. It was perfect! I made it the night before and took it out 45 minutes before it was served. Our guests RAVED about it! The frosting was not at all stiff-I actually wish it was stiffer but in 90 degree humid weather, I would wilt too. I think the key is to follow every step as outlined and make it the night before-it is truly worth the time and effort! Thank you Olga!






  • Tricia

    Made this for a friend’s birthday and it was a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. All of the details and pictures were a huge help. I will be making this cake again soon!






  • Jacqueline

    I’m working on the cake as I’m writing this. A strange thing is happening when printing the recipe that resulted in me having to throw out the batter the first round. The printed out recipe has an amount of 5 1/2 Cups of flour. As I was thinking, ‘That is a lot of flour’ but put it all in anyway, I took a pause to check out your images and saw that your batter is a lot thinner. I threw out my batter because it was like bread dough, so thick. After “investigating” I noticed the difference in flour on the printed recipe. After printing another one strangely enough the amount of flour now was the correct 1 1/2C I took a screenshot so you can see, I’ll check in a bit if I can e-mail it to you. It is possible why you have comments about the cake being too dense, maybe they also had the 5 1/2 C of flour on their recipe.






    • olgak7

      I’m so sorry, Jacqueline! That is terrible. I have no idea how the printable recipe has that major mistake, although when I look at it from the backend, it’s written correctly and is displaying the correct 1 1/2 cups of flour on the website too.

      • Jacqueline

        That’s ok Olga, the cake is FANTASTIC!!! Everyone loved it!!! I figured out the problem. Before printing the recipe I changed from 1X to 2X (I actually thought it would make the fond bigger)
        When you click on the 2X it changes the amount of flour to 11 Cups (on 3X to 16 1/2 C flour).
        When you click back on the 1X, the amount of flour stays on 5 1/2 Cups of flour. So there is the glitch 🙂
        Thank you for your e-mail!

  • Alina Sebastian

    I know you suggested lemonade instead of limoncello but didn’t know if you have personally tried it yourself to see how good it actually turns out. I’m pregnant & can’t have any alcohol

    • olgak7

      No, I have not personally tried it, Alina. I prefer limoncello:). By the way, the amount of limoncello is so small, 1/3 cup for the entire cake. If you have a slice, it will be a very insignificant amount, and you can even decrease the amount if you’d like. It will still have the flavor of limoncello, just not as strong. If you’d rather not use it at all, just use the lemonade.

      • Alina Sebastian

        Thank you for the reply. I decided to use the lemonade in the syrup but for the frosting I used the lemon curd that I made and everything came out tasting great! The recipe was great and easy to follow through and a sponge case came out amazing pair we have yet to eat everything together as a whole but I’m anticipating a great tasting cake

  • Jean

    Does the frosting have 1/2 cup of lemon curd in it? It is listed under ingredients but do not see it listed with the directions for making the frosting. Thanks!

    • olgak7

      Hi Jean. The lemon curd is not added to the frosting. It is spread in between 2 of the cake layers separately. It is written in the recipe under Assembling the Cake, step #6. You can also see that step in the pictures.

  • John Fuentes

    I loved your cake and personally I love any excuse to use lemoncello. I’m sure my customer’s will as well. I work at Williams Sonoma and will be preparing another one as a demonstration on our cooktop. Please follow us @williamsSonomaTownCountry. I’ll be featuring this triumph on our Instagram page. Thank you for sharing. Do you have a page I can link to?






  • Katarina

    This recipe is fabulous—thank you so much for it Olga! I made it for my birthday a few days ago and while mine unfortunately did not come out as beautiful looking as yours, it was absolutely delicious! This was first time I’ve ever had a sponge cake come out for me, so I will use this recipe from now on in EVERY recipe I have calling for sponge. Frosting was creamy and decadent, but not too sweet, just perfect. The syrup is light and delicate tasting & has kept the cake so moist. Cannot overstate how much I love this – thank you again! Your cake made my birthday a happy one.






  • PeeDee

    This was my first time making Limoncello cake. It was sooo good!! My guests loved it! I did substitute all purpose for cake flour. I ran out of all purpose. It turned out like the sponge Cake I love at the restaurant I usually get my cake from. Thank you for the recipe 🍋🇮🇹






  • Patty

    This cake is a keeper! So good, perfect balance of flavor and not too sweet. I made it for an Anniversary gift for a friend. I wasn’t sure I would ever make it again until I tasted it……wow……Can’t wait to make again.






  • Seamus

    I’ve only had Limoncello cake when visiting the states and even at that hard to find a nice one. Never seen it anywhere in Ireland so I thought Id have a go last week. It turned out really well and everyone really enjoyed it . Will definitely make again. Thank you for the great recipe.






  • Leslie

    Best cake I’ve ever made. Not too sweet but rich and silky. Lets the mascarpone and lemon speak for itself. All the guests absolutely loved it.






  • Sam

    I made the cake exactly as directed with fresh ingredients however my cake is very flat. It still tastes delicious just flat and not as pretty as yours.

  • Mary Jo

    Olgak7,
    Can the cake be made in advance, warped securely and frozen then thawed and assembled according to your directions?

  • Katherine

    I made this cake for Easter and everybody loved it! The cake was super light and fluffy, and I loved the addition of lemon curd. Everybody at Easter had more than one piece. Thank you Olga!






  • Jenna

    I made this cake and it turned out amazing! I wished it had more lemon flavor but that was ONLY because I went too light with the syrup and didn’t add enough lemon zest to the frosting. Didn’t stop 2 of us from eating the whole thing though 😂 I’ve already been told that I have to make this frequently!






  • Lorraine

    Hi Olga I tried cake and I knew from beginning that 1 1/2 cups of flour doesn’t go far in 9 in pan. Used anyway cake layers were so thin. Was this cake suppose to rise? Gonna have to make a second batch. Will let you know about frosting






    • olgak7

      1 1/2 cups of flour is more than enough for a 9 inch cake pan to create a really fluffy and tender consistency. If you use more flour, the cake will be more dense.
      The cake should definitely rise when baking. Make sure that you beat the eggs long enough. If they don’t have enough air beaten in the cake will also not be as fluffy. Also be very gentle when folding in the flour. If you overmix it, the volume from the eggs will deflate and the cake will also be much flatter. I hope that helps.

  • ligia

    I have to say to all of the ladies that said the cake ended up too dense: It is very important not to mix too much the butter with milk in the batter. It is a sponge cake and it bases its texture on the fluffy eggs. As soon as you over mix or you don’t sift the flour, it will lose air and will become dense. also, don’t be tempted to pour all the batter in one pan, separate it as she says; i did both ways, and the one i put all batter in the pan, it ended up dense in the middle and slightly deflated even if it kept it as airy as possible.
    Also, put the pans with batter in the oven as soon as you make it, otherwise, it will deflate and become a dense cake.






  • Bella

    Made this cake perfectly, followed directions to a T. Came out tasty and as expected. A notice to mind the room temp during assembly would not have not gone amiss, wish recipe mentioned it. The frosting softened while working, and by the time I got the cake completely assembled , layers began sliding off one another. Kinda Sad aesthetically, after hours of work. Assemble in a cool area or chill your frosting prior to building layers if making in summer!!






  • Karen

    I just took my cake out of the oven. One is higher than the other! Maybe just slice it in half and leave the other one the way it is???






    • olgak7

      You can do whatever you like, Karen. Just keep in mind that the cake may end up slightly drier if you leave one of the cake layers whole since you won’t be able to use as much icing.

  • Daniel

    This is the first cake I made from scratch, took a while since I was learning along the way. I think I used too much lemon curd and not enough icing in between layers. It came out really tasty and looked nice inside though, but not the outside since I’m a crummy decorator. My parents also really liked it, so I’d say all the time and effort was worth it.






  • Andrea

    Not sure if this comment has already been made, but my beautiful cakes tested clean at 20 mins when I checked. I didn’t want to over bake so I always check at the minimum recommended time. I took them out of the oven and they shrank? Then I noticed my sides were not cooked. Only thing I can think of is the oven strips I used on my pans. But they are supposed to HELP make sure the cake is evenly baked? Is there something else up?

  • Max

    I’ve made this cake every year for my birthday the past four years, and it does not disappoint. The frosting is perfectly light with the addition of the cream. I add the juice of one lemon to give it an extra lemony kick.
    It’s taken me a long time to get the cake right and unfortunately this year is no exception. I always get clumps of raw flour in the final product despite putting it through a sieve, but it takes practice for sure. Sponge cake is not something I do often for exactly that reason. For anyone else having trouble with density, when the recipe says to whip the egg yolks until they’re pale yellow, they mean it. They should be about as stiff as a meringue, and that will give you much more lift.
    Thanks for this amazing recipe! Best birthday cake ever!






  • Michele

    I have made this cake several times as is and it always comes out beautifully and delicious! My mother in law loves strawberries and I was looking at your Strawberry Souffle Cake recipe which uses this same cake recipe but a difference icing. Is there a way to tweak this icing recipe by adding a strawberry puree without messing up the consistency?






    • olgak7

      I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy this recipe, Michele.
      Unfortunately, strawberries, especially pureed, are very watery and will make the frosting thin and watery too. You can use ground up/crushed freeze dried strawberries – they work great in frostings!

  • CAROL ANN

    I made this cake today and I am so happy with it. It is light as air and I don’t know how it could be any better.
    What a great way to start the new year, with such delicious cake!






  • Douglas DeMeo

    I made this cake for Easter. It is definitely a show stopper and everyone loved the delicate hint of lemon and mascarpone. Thanks for the step by step instructions, they ensure perfect results. I will certainly make it again!

  • DANA

    Ok so this was my first cake EVER… First of all I did my own lemon curd which came out splendid. Then this recipe turned out to be so friendly and easy, I don’t have many tools and yet I managed to follow all the steps without any problem… I thought the sponge cake would be the most challenging part but it wasn’t too complicated. Off course I couldn’t assembly the cake as neat as Olga but as I decorated it as a naked cake, it came out rustic and pretty.
    I loved this recipe, I made it for my mother in law’s bday and she really enjoyed it ’cause she likes soft and fresh desserts, it isn’t too sweet nor sour, it is just perfect…
    I’m so excited to try new recipes from this blog!!!






    • olgak7

      I’m so happy you were able to make the cake and were happy with the results, Dana. Thank you for taking the time to write – I really appreciate it.

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.