Bundt cake

Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

March 27, 2021 by Marisa 32 Comments

Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake is a traditional Italian ring shaped cake. It’s so incredibly light with an airy fluffy crumb and infused with both the juice and zest of lemons. It makes for one very simple yet elegant dessert recipe.

Italians are notoriously known for their dolci, or rather sweet treats. Especially those yummy morsels that we leisurely love to dip in a steaming cup of coffee, tea or even milk.

It’s customary for us to break our morning fast with a biscotto, cornetto (little horn) which is not unlike a French croissant or even a brioche.

After all, aren’t mornings made for this?.

And, have I mentioned how much we love our sweets?

What is a Ciambella?

Ciambella is essentially referred to any round ring shaped cake, doughnut or even tiny ring cookies such as these lemon glazed Ciambelle Cookies. And also these rope shaped Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies.

But some would also call this type of Italian cake, a Ciambellone which references its larger shape.

In terms of simplicity, it probably doesn’t get much easier than this to make.

It’s all with ingredients you most likely already have on hand and you can whip up at a moments notice.

Shall we get started!

How To Make A Traditional Italian Lemon Cake

Step One: In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and then set this aside.

Step Two: In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar on medium high speed for about 2 minutes. The egg and sugar mixture should be pale yellow in colour.

Step Three: Mix in the oil, water, vanilla, lemon zest and juice to the egg mixture.

Step Four: Mix in the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat till smooth. Make sure to stop and scrape down the bowl if using a stand mixer.

Step Five: Pour the cake batter into a greased bundt pan.

Step Six: Bake the Italian lemon cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F., for about 45 minutes.

When ready the top of the cake will have a golden brown colour and will feel firm to the touch.

You can also check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer on top of the ciambella cake. If it comes out dry then the cake is ready!

Allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes. Take a butter knife or offset spatula and run it around the inside edges of the pan to loosen the cake.

Do take care not to scratch the non stick finish of your bundt pan. You don’t want to ruin a beautiful decorative bundt pan!

When you’re ready to serve this simple lemon cake, all it needs is a dusting of powdered or confectioner’s sugar.

You can enjoy this Italian breakfast cake accompanied with your morning cup of coffee or tea. Or simply a cold glass of milk if you so wish!

This Italian cake would also be great as an anytime dessert when you’re craving an easy to make lemon sponge cake.

How to prepare a bundt pan for a Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

Decorative cake pans can elevate a simple sponge cake to one of pretty elegance that would grace any table quite beautifully.

However, with all their intricate patterns and nooks and crevices, it can be quite a chore to release the cake with its pretty shape all intact.

I love, love decorative Bundt pans but although they have a non stick finish I always grease them.

One product I always use is Cake Release from Wilton. This is not a sponsored post and I’m not compensated in any way.

It has the consistency of softened butter and a little goes a long way.

I use a pastry brush so that all the sides and crevices are properly coated. You’ll want to brush the centre cone as well.
Hold up the pan near a light source just to make sure you don’t miss a spot. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way.
With the Cake Release product I don’t need to flour my pan.
If your choice of coating is melted butter, then consider using a pastry brush just the same for even distribution and then lightly dust with flour.
Make sure to tap any excess flour out over your kitchen sink. You don’t want any sticky flour residue over your cake.

Having said that, if you have another foolproof method that works for you, then use that and maybe share it in the comments below.

I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Baking!

Other Italian cake recipes you’ll love:

This recipe was originally published Sept. 13 2019 and republished March 27 2021 with new photos and content.

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4.5 from 12 votes

Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

A Ciambella is an Italian cake that is baked in a round cake tin. It's a typical Italian lemon breakfast cake that's light and spongy and so incredibly easy to make.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

Servings:

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Bundt Pan

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
lemon zest from 2 lemons
1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
powdered sugar for dusting over the cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat together the eggs with the sugar on medium high for about 2 minutes or until creamy and pale in colour.
Add in the oil, water, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and mix till combined.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until smooth and the batter falls into a ribbon like flow when the beaters are lifted.
Make sure to scrape down the bowl if using a stand mixer.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour and firm to the touch.
Alternately, you can insert a toothpick to check for doneness.
If the wooden toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, you'll know the cake is done.
Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes.
Loosen the edges with an offset spatula or butter knife. Take care not to scratch the non stick finish of your bundt pan.
Gently invert onto a wire rack to release the cake and allow to cool completely.
When ready to serve dust with confectioners sugar, slice and enjoy!

Nutrition

Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake

September 28, 2019 by Marisa 40 Comments

This simple and deliciously moist Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake is a fall inspired dessert that is just perfect for any day of the week.

The earthy flavour of rosemary lends itself well in combination with the sweet pears and honey. There is just a small amount of this woodsy herb…enough to awaken your taste buds to its subtle fragrance.

This Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake Recipe was originally published September 21, 2016 and republished September 28, 2019 with updated photos and content.

Papa’s pear tree stands proudly in his garden and continues to thrive.

Since his passing, one of the things I miss the most besides his absence…is his garden.

The rows upon rows of plump red juicy tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and glossy purple eggplants.

There were also fig trees with their luscious sweet fruits and a wonderful variety of lettuces and fine herbs.

It was a wonderfully tended garden!

So when my sister gave me loads of these ripe pears from my papa’s tree, I immediately realized that I had more then we could possible consume in a week.

I then came across this Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake from the Bake from scratch magazine. I was immediately intrigued as I had never baked with rosemary before.

We start with a buttery pear compote infused with the chopped rosemary.

The lovely aromatic compote is then cooled and stirred into the cake batter and baked till golden brown in colour.

A Fabulous Fall Dessert

This bundt cake is simple and pretty with a slightly dense texture. And…oh…so moist!

You’ll find that it actually tastes better the next day which makes it a perfect make ahead cake.

That’s so worth considering when planning a large family gathering as this frees up much needed oven space.

And then all that’s needed before serving is a light or generous dusting of powdered sugar for a little extra love and you’ll have a fabulous Fall dessert!

How to make a pear and rosemary compote

In a medium sized sauce pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add in the chopped pear, rosemary and cook for a few minutes until the pears are soft, while stirring occasionally.
Remove the pear and rosemary mixture from the heat and let it cool completely.
It’s so simple yet so flavourful!

How to Remove a Bundt Cake From Its Pan

As a good practice always grease and flour your bundt pans and I’ve got some great tips on how to prep your Bundt pans for baking on my Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake recipe.
Once your cake is baked, allow it to cool in its pan while resting on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. If you let it sit too long in the pan, it will start to stick from the dampness as its cooling off.
Before inverting the cake, loosen the edges with a butter knife or thin rubber spatula if needed.
Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and gently tap around the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the cake further.
Lift the pan off the cake and allow the cake to cool completely before dusting with the powdered sugar.

If you love herbs in sweet baked goods then this Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake is definitely for you!

Other Fabulous Fall Inspired Desserts You’ll Love:

Happy baking everyone!

This Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake Recipe was originally published September 21, 2016 and republished September 28, 2019 with updated photos and content.

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Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake

A deliciously moist pear Bundt cake, scented with honey and rosemary.

Course: Bundt Cake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake

Servings:

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and divided
2 cups peeled and chopped pear
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt I used fine sea salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup honey
Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 10 cup Bundt pan and set aside.
In a medium sized sauce pot, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add in the chopped pear, rosemary and cook for a few minutes till the pears are soft, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pear and rosemary mixture from the heat and let it cool completely.
In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed till fluffy. About 4 minutes.
Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and the salt.
In another smaller bowl combine the milk and honey together and whisk well.
Slowly add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk mixture. Start and end with flour mixture, beating just until combined.
Stir in the pear and rosemary mixture.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake for about 1 hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Slightly loosen the cake around the edges with a knife or offset spatula and invert onto a wire rack.
Let the cake cool completely and dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Bake from scratch Magazine

Blueberry Bundt Cake

June 25, 2015 by Marisa 17 Comments

Blueberry Bundt Cake a, wonderfully dense and moist cake baked in a rose shaped Bundt pan for a lovely sculpted look and scented with the sweet aroma of orange zest.

This Blueberry Bundt Cake is perfect for a Sunday brunch, potlucks and elegant enough for special occasions.

A huge advantage when baking with a bundt pan is the beautiful decorative shape, allowing nothing more than a light simple syrup and a dusting of icing sugar to enhance the look of your cake.

To ensure easy unmolding of your cake with all the fancy designs intact, use a good cake release product. Here I used one from Wilton which allowed me to release the cake effortlessly. Another good alternative is to brush the inside of your pan with vegetable shortening and then dust with flour.

What I was not successful with was using a cooking spray. I am not sure why I decided too but my first time using it was a disaster. Half the cake was stuck in the bottom of the pan and would not unmold, hence the delay in this post! Mind you, it was perfectly edible and my husband had no problem polishing it off…lol ! So I went searching the following day for a good cake release product and a few other ingredients to bake my cake all over again. 🙂

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tbsp coarsely grated orange rind
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup orange juice
4 cups fresh blueberries

Glaze:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup orange juice

Grease a 10 inch (3 liter) Bundt cake pan or an angel food cake pan and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the softened butter with 1 cup of sugar just until fluffy. Next beat in the egg yolks one at a time and then the grated orange rind.

In a smaller bowl, use clean beaters to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and set aside.

In yet another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and the salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the orange juice. You will make 3 additions of flour and 2 of juice. The batter will be slightly stiff.

Next, stir 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter mixture and fold in the remaining egg whites with a rubber spatula. Fold in 2 cups of the blueberries and scrape the cake batter into your prepared pan. Smooth out the top and give the pan a light tap on your counter to release any air pockets.

If you are using a regular Bundt pan or angel food pan, bake at 350F (180C) for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack. Let cool for 20 minutes. If using a cast aluminum Bundt pan as I did, preheat the oven at 325F (160*C) and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes.

Glaze: Combine 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of orange juice in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute while stirring. As another alternative, you can just as easily use your microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it so that it does not boil over. Let it cool a little.

Loosen the cake from the pan and invert onto a serving platter. Brush the cake with the orange glaze and let it cool.

Once cooled, fill the center of the cake with the remaining blueberries and dust with icing sugar 🙂

Yields 12 servings.

Adapted from Canadian living Magazine.