Limoncello Cake is moist, bursting with lemon flavor and finished with scrumptious glaze dessert. It’s made lighter with Greek yogurt, in one bowl and baked in a loaf pan.
I love lemon desserts, and this limoncello cake has been on my mind ever since 2 bottles of limoncello made their way home with me from Italy.
I started with my Greek yogurt cake as the base, but used less sugar and more maple syrup. After 4 rounds of testing I can confidently say this one’s a keeper.
It’s perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, summer get togethers, then Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s just perfect!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Lighter: A cake recipe made mostly with Greek yogurt instead of oil and sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar.
- Irresistible glaze: A quick mix of icing sugar and limoncello creates a sweet, tangy glaze that takes the cake over the top.
- Tender texture: Sticky-sweet on top, moist with a tender crumb inside, light, fluffy perfection!
- Looks stunning: Golden, glossy, and totally eye-catching. This cake dresses up any table without even trying.
- Use up limoncello: Got a bottle sitting in the cupboard and not sure what to do with it? This! The alcohol bakes out so you don’t have to worry, it’s all about the flavor.
Ingredients for Limoncello Cake
This simple cake recipe uses everyday ingredients to bring out the sweet, tangy flavors of lemon and vanilla.
- Eggs: Key for texture, structure, flavor, and moisture in cakes.
- Plain Greek yogurt: I used 2% fat Greek yogurt and I’d recommend sticking with that or more % for moist results. I am not sure how 0% yogurt will behave.
- Liquid sweetener: I used mostly maple syrup to keep the cake more naturally sweetened. Honey is a great alternative, if you prefer its flavor. Also agave will work.
- Cane sugar: We have to use a bit of dry sweetener to make cake sweet without adding more flour to compensate for extra liquid. So, do not skip!
- Limoncello: A splash of this Italian liqueur infuses the cake with bright, citrusy notes.
- Oil: Grab a mild oil like avocado oil. Truthfully, since it’s a small amount any oil like olive oil etc. will be OK.
- Pure vanilla extract: Enhances the overall warmth and sweetness.
- Lemon zest: Fresh zest for extra lemon brightness.
- Baking essentials: Baking powder and baking soda team up for a light, fluffy texture, and a pinch of salt balances the flavors.
- All-purpose flour: I chose it for this limoncello cake recipe to give it the perfect balance of structure and softness without making it too heavy. Don’t use any other flour please.
- Lemon glaze: A mix of icing sugar or powdered sugar for sweetness and limoncello for a bright finish.
How to Make Limoncello Cake
Here’s how to make this easy cake with limoncello liqueur step by step, no hand mixer needed!
Start by preheating your oven to 350 F and lining a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, sugar, limoncello, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until smooth.
- Add the flour: Gently mix it in just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, or the cake can turn dense.
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 55–60 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake: Once out of the oven, transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let it cool completely.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and limoncello until smooth. Add a little more of either one if you need to tweak the consistency.
- Glaze and serve: Set the cake on a platter, drizzle with glaze, and let it set for about an hour. Then, slice with a serrated knife and enjoy!
Recipe Tip
Don’t over bake it. Just like with any cake, if you leave it in too long, it’ll dry out. Keep an eye on it near the end and pull it once a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Tips for Best Results
Here are a few extra tips to help make sure your cake turns out beautiful and perfect!
- Don’t skip sugar in the batter: It’s tempting to use only maple syrup but that extra sugar makes the cake sweet like a cake. I tested the recipe 2 times with only maple syrup and it was not sweet enough because you have to add more flour to get the proper consistency.
- Cool before glazing: A cooled cake helps the glaze set nicely on top. If you drizzle warm cake, the glaze will melt and create a sticky mess.
- Adjust glaze thickness: If the limoncello glaze is too thick it won’t pour easily, and if it’s too thin it might soak in or run off the sides. Just add a little more icing sugar to thicken or a splash of limoncello to thin it out until it’s just right.
- Let glaze set before slicing: So you get those clean, pretty slices rather than glaze dripping everywhere the moment you cut into the cake. You can stick it in the fridge to speed up the process if you need to.
- About the alcohol content: In the batter the alcohol bakes out. In the glaze, if you have kids or serving at a party and alcohol is a concern, use lemon juice instead of limoncello.
How to Store
Store: Keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, then pop it in the refrigerator for up to 5 more days.
Freeze: Freeze sliced cake in an airtight container for up to 3 months, this is perfect for grabbing one slice at a time. You can also freeze the whole loaf then thaw and glaze it later.
FAQs
Limoncello is a sweet, lemony Italian liqueur made with lemon zest, alcohol, and sugar. It’s typically served chilled after meals, but in this cake, it adds a bright, lemon flavor.
No. You can bake this in a round cake pan or a bundt pan, whatever you have or prefer based on the occasion. Just keep in mind that the cook time might vary depending on the pan you choose.
You can use lemon flavored vodka for both the cake and the glaze. If you don’t want alcohol in the glaze, you can use lemon juice.
More Stunning Cake Recipes to Try
Limoncello Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For Limoncello Cake:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, I use 2%
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/3 cup limoncello
- 2 tablespoons mild oil, I used avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large lemon, zest of
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Glaze:
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons limoncello
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 9 x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, sugar, limoncello, oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well until no white lumps are visible.
- Add flour and gently mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Transfer batter into previously prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for 10 minutes. Then remove bread from a loaf pan and let it cool completely before glazing.
- In a small bowl, whisk icing sugar with limoncello until the glaze forms. Adjust consistency with extra limoncello or icing sugar, if necessary.
- Place cake on a serving platter, drizzle glaze on top and let icing set for about 1 hour before slicing.
- Using serrated knife, cut into 10 slices and enjoy.
Notes
- Store: Store cake covered in a cool dry place for up to 2 days. After refrigerate for another 5 days.
- Freeze: Freeze sliced for easy enjoyment one slice at a time, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Can also freeze loaf, thaw and apply the glaze after.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
