Delicious Italian Grandma’s Lemon Custard Cake: 5 Tips
Italian Grandma’s Lemon Custard Cake blends creamy lemon filling and tender cake in one comforting, old‑world‑inspired dessert. It’s rustic, rich, and timeless—like a sunbeam in cake form.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3 large eggs (for cake batter)
½ cup granulated sugar (for custard)
¾ cup granulated sugar (for cake batter)
¼ cup all-purpose flour (for custard)
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (for cake batter)
Zest of 2 lemons
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup unsalted butter (for greasing & richness)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Optional: pine nuts for garnish
Instructions
1. Whisk milk, egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup flour in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened (6–8 mins).
2. Remove from heat; stir in half the lemon zest, lemon juice, and ½ tsp vanilla. Cool completely.
3. In a bowl, whisk 3 eggs and ¾ cup sugar until pale. Stir in melted butter, remaining zest, and ½ tsp vanilla.
4. In another bowl, whisk 1 ¾ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to egg mixture alternately with ½ cup milk, stirring until smooth.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan (line with parchment if desired).
6. Spread half the batter in pan, dollop custard over it, then top with remaining batter. Swirl lightly.
7. Sprinkle with pine nuts if using. Bake 35–40 mins, until edges test clean.
8. Cool 15 mins in pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve warm or at room temp.
Notes
Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave slices briefly. For freezing, wrap slices tightly and thaw overnight in the fridge. Wait to dust with sugar until serving for best appearance.