Limoncello Cake Recipe: How to Make Limoncello Cake
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 18, 2024 • 4 min read
This Italian lemon cake, which features rich mascarpone frosting between rounds of airy cake soaked with limoncello liqueur, is a light, summery dessert that citrus lovers won’t be able to resist.
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What Is Limoncello Cake?
Limoncello cake is a bright, citrusy dessert featuring layers of airy sponge cake drizzled with limoncello—a sweet and tangy Italian liqueur—and topped with creamy lemon-infused frosting. Sponge cake is a light, springy cake made out of flour, whisked eggs, and sugar. The whisked eggs give this cake a foamy quality that allows it to rise without baking powder or baking soda. The airy texture of sponge cake absorbs liquid, which is why it serves as the base for desserts like tres leches cake and trifle.
This sponge cake absorbs the delicately tart lemon liqueur for a decadent dessert that will instantly transport you to Italy.
What Type of Alcohol Is Limoncello?
Limoncello, sometimes spelled lemoncello, is an Italian liqueur made from a blend of vodka (or similar grain alcohol) and sugar syrup infused with lemon peels. The result is a lemony, tangy-sweet beverage with a kick, thanks to an alcohol content hovering around thirty percent. Traditionally, you serve limoncello chilled in a shot glass or incorporate it into a mixed drink.
4 Tips for Making Limoncello Cake
Bakers of all skill levels can craft this refreshing confection without a hitch. Follow these tips to make a tart, fluffy limoncello cake:
- 1. Use homemade limoncello. You can make limoncello using lemon peel-infused vodka and simple syrup. Rely on this simple limoncello recipe if you can’t find any for sale at the grocery store.
- 2. Adjust the format. Make this cake a bundt, or even cupcakes, if you want to adjust the serving size. Bake the cake into single-serving cupcakes drizzled with limoncello and topped with icing, or bake the batter in a large bundt pan with limoncello drizzled along the base.
- 3. Experiment with different toppings. You can dress up this citrusy cake with a variety of toppings, including homemade whipped cream, fresh raspberries, white chocolate shavings, confectioners’ sugar, lemon curd, or candied lemons.
- 4. Store properly. Keep this cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Keep in mind that the longer it sits, the softer the cake layers will become.
Homemade Limoncello Cake Recipe
makes
prep time
45 mintotal time
1 hr 10 mincook time
25 minIngredients
For the cake:
For the frosting:
Note: The total time does not include 1 hour of inactive time.
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
- 2
Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. Line the sides of each pan with a strip of parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper and dust it with flour.
- 3
Sift the all-purpose flour and salt together into a medium bowl.
- 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large stainless steel bowl using a balloon whisk or a hand mixer), whisk the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed. Whisk until the egg mixture holds a ribbon trail for 10 seconds when you lift the whisk, about 5 minutes if using an electric mixer.
- 5
Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest, and whisk until just incorporated, a few seconds more.
- 6
Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold to incorporate, being careful not to deflate the egg mixture.
- 7
Sift the rest of the flour over the batter and gently fold to incorporate. Avoid overmixing.
- 8
Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans—dividing the batter equally–and bake in the preheated oven. Bake until the cake shrinks away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes back clean, about 25 minutes.
- 9
Leave the cakes in the pans until cool enough to handle, then invert onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
- 10
While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone, powdered sugar, limoncello, and lemon curd.
- 11
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, beat together the icing ingredients until the mixture is fluffy and light yellow, about 4–5 minutes.
- 12
When the cakes are completely cool, assemble the dessert on a cake stand, platter, or plate. Place one layer of the sponge cake on the base, and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the limoncello over the top of the cake. Spoon about ¼ of the frosting onto the cake, and spread it out to the edge in an even layer.
- 13
Repeat this process with the second layer of cake, spooning the remaining 2 tablespoons of limoncello over the cake before adding the rest of the frosting. Using an offset spatula or silicone spatula, spread the frosting over the top and around the sides of the cake.
- 14
Transfer the cake to the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
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