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The ultimate spring dessert recipe has arrived! Topped with a sweet lemony glaze, Limoncello whipped cream, and plenty of fresh berries, this lemon yogurt cake is a bakery-quality dessert recipe that you’ll turn to time and time again.
On special occasions, I generally serve my cake recipes alongside coffee, espresso, or an after dinner cocktail (Negroni, White Russian, or Irish Coffee, anyone?). But this lemon cake combines those two concepts in one. Spiked with limoncello, a smooth and sweet Italian lemon liqueur, this citrus dessert recipe delivers dessert and a cocktail all in each bite.
Inspired by my Lemon Yogurt Cake, Lemon Bundt Cake, and Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake, just with a makeover for the 21+ crowd, this fluffy, light, and bright cake recipe will have everyone begging for your secrets. (Hint: There’s nothing complicated about it; the liqueur, plenty of lemon, freshly-whipped cream, and a dollop of yogurt make all the magic happen.)
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Yogurt: Regular or Greek; either works as long as it’s the tangy plain (not flavored) variety.
- Lemons: Zest these first for the cake batter and limoncello cream, then slice them open to juice for the lemon glaze.
- Limoncello: Find this in the spirits section of your supermarket. Or if you have time to let it marinate, learn how to make homemade Limoncello. You’ll just need ¼ cup for this lemon cake recipe; what you do with the rest of the bottle is up to you. (A few more batches of this dessert or several nights of slow-sipping after-dinner drinks sound like great options if you ask me!)
Step-by-step instructions
To make the lemon cake:
- Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients in batches, whisking to incorporate after each addition. Fold in oil and stir carefully until uniformly combined. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. The cake should be fragrant and spring back when pressed lightly. Remove from oven and cool in pan 10 minutes.
To make the lemon glaze:
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or medium heat, heat lemon juice and ⅓ cup sugar. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Using a sharp knife, slice around the inside of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Flip out on to a large plate. Slowly drizzle glaze over the top. Cool cake completely.
To make the limoncello cream:
- Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in Limoncello.
- Spread whipped cream on top of cake.
- Top with berries and additional lemon zest, if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This lemon cake recipe makes 10 generous slices.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Both the lemon glaze and the Limoncello whipped cream can be made while the cake is baking. Leave the glaze at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the whipped cream until serving time.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. To make this cake in a loaf pan, preheat oven to 350 degrees, coat loaf pan with nonstick spray, and line with parchment paper. Follow the instructions for making the cake. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.
Limoncello
It’s easy to master how to make Limoncello. For a thoughtful food gift or cocktail party menu addition, this simple Limoncello recipe is the perfect Italian pick-me-up. Limoncello is a smooth and sweet Italian lemon…
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Lemon Cake with Limoncello Cream
Ingredients
For the lemon cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup plain yogurt regular or Greek (see note 1)
- 4 eggs
- 4 teaspoons lemon zest (see note 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
For the lemon glaze:
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
For the limoncello cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup Limoncello liqueur (see note 3)
- Fresh berries for topping
- Lemon zest for topping
Instructions
To make the lemon cake:
- Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients in batches, whisking to incorporate after each addition. Fold in oil and stir carefully until uniformly combined. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. The cake should be fragrant and spring back when pressed lightly. Remove from oven and cool in pan 10 minutes.
To make the lemon glaze:
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or medium heat, heat lemon juice and ⅓ cup sugar. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Using a sharp knife, slice around the inside of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Flip out on to a large plate. Slowly drizzle glaze over the top. Cool cake completely.
To make the limoncello cream:
- Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in Limoncello.
- Spread whipped cream on top of cake. Top with berries and additional lemon zest, if desired.
Notes
- Yogurt: Regular or Greek; either works as long as it’s the tangy plain (not flavored) variety.
- Lemons: Zest these first for the cake batter and limoncello cream, then slice them open to juice for the lemon glaze.
- Limoncello: Find this in the spirits section of your supermarket. Or if you have time to let it marinate, learn how to make homemade Limoncello. You’ll just need ¼ cup for this lemon cake recipe; what you do with the rest of the bottle is up to you. (A few more batches of this dessert or several nights of slow-sipping after-dinner drinks sound like great options if you ask me!)
- Yield: This lemon cake recipe makes 10 generous slices.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Both the lemon glaze and the Limoncello whipped cream can be made while the cake is baking. Leave the glaze at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the whipped cream until serving time.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
This is an extraordinary cake with a texture and flavor that will delight your taste buds. I have made this cake for dinner guests several times and there is no better way to end a meal especially when guests ask if they can take some home. It’s that good.