This Italian Citrus Ring Cake recipe, aka Ciambella, is a ring shaped sponge cake. This Italian breakfast cake is great with lots of fruit or to dunk in your morning coffee. Simple. Classic. Italian.
During my teenage years, I distinctly remember a simple Italian cake my Mom used to make every Sunday morning. She called it the 8 ounce cake, and when I will share the list of ingredients, you will understand why. It is my pleasure to share with you my mom’s recipe for a Traditional Italian Citrus Ring Cake aka Ciambella.
Having fruit for dessert was normal in my childhood. (And as a dietitian and a mom, I tried to make it the norm in my kids’ childhood, too!) But when I reached my teenage years, my Mom began supplementing the fruit with all kinds of wonderful baked goods -especially simple Italian cakes. I guess she had more time to experiment in the kitchen as her kids got older, something I can definitely relate to.
This homemade lemon cake from scratch was one of the stars of the baked goods show, especially on Sundays (aka family day). Ciambella was certainly a family favorite, and the fact that it only needs about 10 minutes of prep time definitely helped its claim to fame in my parents’ house!
Ciambella is a type of Italian cake, but the specific form it takes varies wildly by region. It can be a bundt cake, an angel food cake, or a donut; it can be baked, fried or even boiled in water (and then baked); its signature ingredient can be potatoes, aniseed, cinnamon, rose water, etc., etc., etc. The thing that all of these cakes have in common is that they are all ring-shaped. (In spite of this, I did find a loaf version of the recipe!)
This moist lemon cake recipe that I’m sharing with you today might be called an Italian version of the bundt cake. You’ll notice that the ingredients in this particular recipe are very rustic, and you would most likely have them all on hand on any given day. That, in my opinion, makes this the perfect no-fuss Italian breakfast cake… perfect for dunking in your coffee!
You’ll also notice that eggs are a key ingredient in this recipe, as they are in almost all Italian cake recipes. Food chemistry time: did you know that, in a cake, eggs serve to bind all the other ingredients together? On the topic of eggs… Decades later, when I had kids of my own, my Mom stopped making this easy lemon cake recipe in favor of an Orange Chiffon Cake that required a whopping 6 eggs!
Lemon Cake recipes we love:
ORIGINS OF THE RECIPE FOR A ITALIAN CITRUS RING CAKE:
As with a lot of the recipes my Mom used to make, I can only assume that it was a recipe made by her Mom. After all, that is how traditions start… and I’m very pleased to keep this tradition going. Some other traditional Italian recipes that I still make to this day include Cavatelli and this recipe for Pasta and Lentils.
Recently, I made this Italian cake at a family gathering, and everyone was just in awe over how much it tasted like Mom’s! What a sweet compliment from my supportive family…
…especially because I actually didn’t use her exact recipe 🙂 For the record, my Mom’s recipe required 1 cup each of sugar, oil, and milk (hence the “8 ounce cake” nickname). I reduced the amounts of oil and sugar (and milk) to 3/4 cup… I guess I’ll have to start calling this the “6 ounce Italian cake” instead.
I like to serve this recipe for Traditional Italian Citrus Ring Cake with a simple dusting of confectioner’s sugar and lots of fresh fruit. Sometimes, I’ll serve it with this recipe for Macerated Strawberries. You can also drizzle it with a lemon or orange glaze, to really compliment the flavors within.
Have this Italian cake aka Ciambella with breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea… it’s great as a snack or dessert!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Italian Lemon Cake recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Traditional Italian Citrus Ring Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup lemon or orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 sachet vanillin paneangeli*
- Zest of 2 lemons or zest of whole orange
- icing sugar for dusting cake
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175°C) .
- Grease and flour (or use non-stick spray) a 10-inch bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl,sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl (of stand mixer) beat the eggs on high speed for about 3 minutes (eggs will become thick).
- Gradually add the sugar and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce speed and add oil, milk and juice.
- Add dry ingredients, vanillin (or vanilla extract) and zest and beat only until combined.
- Bake in a 350℉ (175°C) oven for approximately 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out dry.
- Cool completely on wire rack.
- Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Gianni
I’ve used your recipe as a master one over the years for ciambella, one of my favorite cakes. I typically replace 1/4c of the vegetable oil with lemon olive oil (or blood orange olive oil, if I’m doing an orange version). I’m also tempted by citrus-flavored oils in those speciality stores and love using them in desserts. I’ve also occasionally additionally subbed in a little thyme or rosemary olive oil, which can add a whole other element to this cake. Delicious. Thank you!
Maria
How wonderful Gianni! Thank you so much for sharing!
Rebecca Barbacci
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been looking for an authentic Ciambellone recipe that has the texture and flavor of the one I remember my Nonno bringing us for breakfast from the panetteria when we would spend our summer vacations in Umbria visiting the whole month of August! This one comes very close … next time I’ll try the original 8oz version as I would like it to be a bit more moist.
Maria
How wonderful Rebecca! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it!
Rebecca Barbacci
Hi Maria, I made this cake again this weekend (second time) with 8oz avocado oil & 8oz plain Greek yogurt, keeping the 6oz sugar and it was perfectly moist & delicious! So happy to finally be able to recreate my favorite childhood Italian breakfast cake … brings back such great memories of family summer vacations! I can’t wait to make this for my family next time we get together!!! Thank you for sharing this!
Maria
How wonderful Rebecca! Food memories are the best! Thank you so much for taking the time to share, I really appreciate it.
Lucille Lanza
Hi Maria I have made this recipe five times It’s became my go to when I need something quick and impressive It also reminds me of Italy so I’m hooked Thanks so much
Maria
How wonderful Lucille! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ashani
Lovely cake good recipe
Maria
Thank you kindly Ashani.
John
Great recipe! We substituted unsweetened almond milk due to our cow milk allergy and have made this a few times, no problems. We have also added 1/4 cup dried cranberries (could have added more) for a new twist. Thank you!
Maria
Thank you for taking the time to share John. I am sure this comment will help readers with milk allergies. Thrilled to read you enjoyed the recipe.
Sarah
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made this cake this morning for breakfast with tea and it was very soft and fluffy and had a delicious light lemony taste. I reduced the sugar content to 1/2 cup of sugar (not a fan of sugar, it was even slightly less than 1/2 cup). I cooked it for about 40min as it was still light in color at 35min (could be due to sugar content change). The cake was amazing. We all had 3 small pieces (I think it would serve 6 people on an empty stomach). It was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I’m not sure if the cake rose the way it should. Its height was about 2 inches. I used a 10 inch bundt cake pyrex for this recipe. Is this cake generally small in height ? Thank you again!
Maria
Thanks so much for taking the time to share. Yes, this is not a high cake… that sounds about right. The light color can be due to the decrease in sugar. Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the cake Sarah.
Samantha
Not sure what I did wrong. Followed recipe exactly as shown. Cake did not rise and was white and cracked on top. Cake tester was dry, so removed from oven. The taste was great but texture dense and not fluffy.
Baking forever. Not sure what the problem was. Any thoughts?
Maria
I am sorry the recipe did not work out Samantha. Let me see if I could help. The first thought that comes to mind is the freshness of the baking powder. Is the expiry date good? The temperature of the oven is another factor. Sometimes, ovens need to be re-calibrated. Have you ever tested the actual temperature of the oven with an oven thermometer? Will wait for your response and continue to brainstorm with you.