Ciambellone (Italian Tea Cake)
This is a perfect lemon cake, adapted very slightly from Smitten Kitchen. The lemon and orange rind permeate the cake; the mascarpone and the yogurt or sour cream produce a smooth texture, a dense crumb. Drizzle the lemon juice mixture over when it comes out of the oven to add a final touch of citrusy goodness. This cake freezes well.
More lemon desserts: Lemon Bars, Lemon Meringue Pie, Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies, Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf, Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake. More delicate and delicious Desserts.
Ingredients
For the cake:
2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea or table salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of half an orange
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (325 ml) neutral oil (such as sunflower, safflower, grapeseed or another vegetable oil)
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (about 185 grams) sour cream or plain, not Greek, yogurt (if all you have is Greek yogurt, then thin it by taking off 1 tablespoon and add a tablespoon of water)
1/2 cup (120 grams) mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 ml) vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
For the Glaze:
1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
Scant 2 tablespoons (30 ml) corn syrup or honey
About 3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Method
Make the cake: Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a bundt or tube cake pan (check notes for size tips) and coat with granulated sugar. Knock out any excess sugar from pan.
Place the sugar and salt in the bottom of a large bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into it. This abrasion helps release the most flavour from it.
Whisk in the oil, mascarpone, sour cream or yogurt, and then the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
Sprinkle the baking powder over the batter and whisk it thoroughly into the batter, a good 10 turns around the bowl. Sift the flour onto the batter and use a rubber spatula to stir just until the batter is smooth.
Drop the batter in large scoopfuls equally around the cake mold, then smooth, and drop it on counter a few times to ensure there are no trapped air bubbles.
Bake for about 40 - 60 minutes (times will range by shape and volume of pan), checking in at the 30 minute mark to rotate the pan for even colouring, and to ensure it’s not baking faster than anticipated. The cake is done when a toothpick or tester comes out batter-free (crumbs are fine).
While the cake bakes, make the glaze: Whisk the sugar, corn syrup or honey, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice together until smooth, adding the last tablespoon of juice just if needed. You want this glaze to be thick, thicker than your regular drizzle glaze, because we want it to stick to the sides of the cake when it’s hot.
When the cake is done, let it rest on a cooling rack for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan while piping hot. If desired, use a toothpick to poke holes in the cake so the glaze will seep in. Brush the glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake. The glaze will set as cake cools.
The cake is good at room temperature for 4 days. Slice into pieces and store in the freezer for a quick snack.
This is a perfect lemon cake, adapted very slightly from Smitten Kitchen. The lemon and orange rind permeate the cake; the mascarpone and the yogurt or sour cream produce a smooth texture, a dense crumb. Drizzle the lemon juice mixture over when it comes out of the oven to add a final touch of citrusy goodness. This cake freezes well.
More lemon desserts: Lemon Bars, Lemon Meringue Pie, Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies, Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf, Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake. More delicate and delicious Desserts.
Ingredients
For the cake:
2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea or table salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of half an orange
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (325 ml) neutral oil (such as sunflower, safflower, grapeseed or another vegetable oil)
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (about 185 grams) sour cream or plain, not Greek, yogurt (if all you have is Greek yogurt, then thin it by taking off 1 tablespoon and add a tablespoon of water)
1/2 cup (120 grams) mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 ml) vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
For the Glaze:
1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
Scant 2 tablespoons (30 ml) corn syrup or honey
About 3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Method
Make the cake: Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a bundt or tube cake pan (check notes for size tips) and coat with granulated sugar. Knock out any excess sugar from pan.
Place the sugar and salt in the bottom of a large bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into it. This abrasion helps release the most flavour from it.
Whisk in the oil, mascarpone, sour cream or yogurt, and then the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
Sprinkle the baking powder over the batter and whisk it thoroughly into the batter, a good 10 turns around the bowl. Sift the flour onto the batter and use a rubber spatula to stir just until the batter is smooth.
Drop the batter in large scoopfuls equally around the cake mold, then smooth, and drop it on counter a few times to ensure there are no trapped air bubbles.
Bake for about 40 - 60 minutes (times will range by shape and volume of pan), checking in at the 30 minute mark to rotate the pan for even colouring, and to ensure it’s not baking faster than anticipated. The cake is done when a toothpick or tester comes out batter-free (crumbs are fine).
While the cake bakes, make the glaze: Whisk the sugar, corn syrup or honey, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice together until smooth, adding the last tablespoon of juice just if needed. You want this glaze to be thick, thicker than your regular drizzle glaze, because we want it to stick to the sides of the cake when it’s hot.
When the cake is done, let it rest on a cooling rack for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan while piping hot. If desired, use a toothpick to poke holes in the cake so the glaze will seep in. Brush the glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake. The glaze will set as cake cools.
The cake is good at room temperature for 4 days. Slice into pieces and store in the freezer for a quick snack.