šŸ‹ Sicilian Whole Lemon Cake

A moist, dense Sicilian cake made with an entire Meyer lemonā€”peel, juice, and pulpā€”for an intensely lemony result. Original recipe by Christina's Cucina

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Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Servings12

For the Cake

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1Ā½ cups sugar
  • 1Ā¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2Ā½ teaspoons baking powder, or 1 packet Italian Pane degli Angeli vanilla baking powder
  • ā…“ cup butter, softened
  • ā…“ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 organic Meyer lemon, washed, cut into pieces, and seeds removed; use the peel, juice, and pulp
  • Ā½ teaspoon vanilla extract, only if using plain baking powder

For the Lemon Glaze

  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) water
  • 2ā…ž tablespoons sugar, just under 3 tablespoons

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350Ā°F (175Ā°C).
2
Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the base with parchment paper. Line the sides too if you want especially clean edges, then grease the paper.
3
Beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4
Sift the flour with the baking powder. Add it to the egg mixture a little at a time, alternating with the softened butter. Mix until fully blended, then stir in the yogurt and vanilla, if using.
5
Process the whole seeded lemonā€”peel, juice, and pulpā€”in a food processor until almost purĆ©ed.
6
Stir the lemon purƩe evenly into the batter, then transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
7
Bake for 50ā€“60 minutes, checking with a cake tester or skewer before removing it from the oven. Cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the side of the springform pan.
8
Make the glaze by heating the sugar, lemon juice, and water until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for a few minutes, just until lightly syrupy.
9
Spoon and brush the warm glaze over the cake. Let the cake cool completely before slicing. Garnish with a lemon twist or lemon slices, if desired.

šŸ’” Baker's Tips

  • Use an organic lemon: Because the entire peel goes into the batter, wash it thoroughly and choose unwaxed fruit.
  • Meyer lemon works best: Its thin, fragrant peel is less bitter than that of many standard lemons.
  • Remove every seed: Lemon seeds can make the cake unpleasantly bitter.
  • Test the center: This moist cake may need the full hour; a skewer should come out without wet batter.
  • Wait before slicing: Cooling completely helps the moist crumb set and gives cleaner slices.
Dessert
Sicilian
Lemon