05/12/2025
The famous Italian lemon cake that melts in your mouth! Everyone is looking for this recipe!
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cream Filling:
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 Tbsp)
100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
60 g (5 Tbsp) cornstarch
300 ml (1ÂĽ cups) whole milk
For the Cake Dough:
2 large eggs, at room temperature
A pinch of salt
100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
100 ml (6½ Tbsp) vegetable oil
360 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanillin or vanilla extract
For Assembly & Topping:
3–4 medium apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), cored and thinly sliced
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Step-by-Step Cooking Directions
Prepare the Lemon Cream: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and free of lumps. Slowly pour in the milk while continuing to whisk.
Cook Until Thickened: Place the pan over medium heat and stir constantly. After about 5–7 minutes, the mixture will bubble and thicken to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat and transfer the cream to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or until completely cool.
Preheat Oven & Prep Pan: Preheat your oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
Mix the Cake Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, salt, and sugar until pale and slightly fluffy (about 2 minutes by hand or 1 minute with an electric mixer).
Incorporate Oil: With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil, mixing just until combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and vanillin. Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients with a spatula, stopping as soon as a smooth dough forms.
Divide the Dough: Divide the dough roughly in half. Press one half evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a flat base.
Assemble the Swirl & Apples:
Roll out the second half of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle about the size of your pan.
Spread half of the chilled lemon cream evenly over the rolled dough, then roll the dough up jelly-roll style into a loose log. Slice the roll into 1-inch thick rounds and arrange these spirals atop the base dough in a single layer, spacing them slightly.
Spoon the remaining half of the lemon cream over and around the spirals, spreading gently.
Arrange the apple slices in an even layer over the cream, tucking edges slightly into the filling.
Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool & Finish: Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.