Lemon Almond Cake (Dolce di Amalfi)

Dolce di Amalfi is a traditional Italian lemon almond cake from the Amalfi Coast, soft, fragrant, and easy to make at home. This classic dessert captures the essence of southern Italy with just a few simple ingredients: fresh lemons, almonds, and a light, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

The finely chopped almonds and the zest of fresh lemons give this lemon almond cake its distinctive aroma and moist crumb, delicate yet rich at the same time. Every bite is balanced, fresh, and never overly sweet.

Traditionally, Dolce di Amalfi is baked in a dome-shaped pan. The famous Neapolitan pastry chef Sal De Riso made this shape iconic, naming the cake in honor of his homeland and its sun-ripened lemons.

Do not confuse Dolce di Amalfi with Torta Caprese Bianca. Although both are made with almonds and lemon, they are very different cakes, with unique textures and ingredients.

For the best result, use organic lemons with thick, fragrant peel, and high-quality almonds, either whole or in flour form.

Perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or as a dessert served with gelato, Dolce di Amalfi is a simple cake with an unmistakable Italian character.

Lemon Torta Caprese. gelato.

Ingredients

Kitchen Tools and Equipment

• For this lemon almond cake we opted for an electric stand mixer that really is a great help. We recommend the KitchenAid, but there are other really great brands. It's essential in this recipe to add the ingredients always stirring to mix them quickly. 
• You can also make Dolce di Amalfi with an electric hand mixer.
• A really useful tool for this recipe is a good hand grater for citrus zest.
• Furthermore, if you decide to grind whole almonds, a fairly powerful electric chopper will be essential. You don't just have to chop the almonds, but you have to chop them almost to make them a fairly fine flour.
• We chose, as we said, a hemisphere ball cake pan, in the keeping with tradition. But of course you can use the cake mold you prefer. The doses indicated are for a 20 cm (8 inch) cake pan. For example, a bundt cake pan is also widely used for this cake.
• Finally, very useful to preserve the softness of Lemon Almond Cake, is a Cake Stand with Dome Cover.

Instructions

Make the Dough

Step 1) - First of all, grate the zest of the lemons. Be careful to grate only the superficial, yellow part. The white part underneath may make the cake bitter.

Then, if you don't use almond flour, grind the almonds with an electric grinder then set the almond flour aside.

Step 2) - Add the lemon zest to the butter at room temperature. Mix well, to make a smooth, soft flavored butter and lemon cream.

Step 3) - Place the buttercream and lemon zest in a bowl and add the powdered sugar. Using an electric mixer or planetary mixer, beat for about 2 minutes or as long as it takes to get a frothy, smooth cream.

Now add the eggs one at a time and beat on high speed. When the first egg is perfectly absorbed, add the second one. Continue to whisk until the mixture is velvety; it will take about 5 minutes.

Step 4) - Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix the powders together. Mix the baking powder with the flour and sift them together. Then add the almond flour and potato starch.

Step 5) - Now add two tablespoons of the flour mixture to the butter and egg cream, keeping mixing on low speed.

Step 6) - Then add the milk, mixing slowly. Finally incorporate the rest of the flours. Mix well for about 2 minutes, just long enough for your lemon almond cake batter to be soft and fluffy.

Bake and Serve

Step 7) - Prepare the cake pan. Grease it very well all over with butter and then sprinkle it with corn flour. Not only will this ensure that the cake doesn't stick to the mold, it will also form a nice crispy crust on the surface of the cake.

Step 8) - Pour the cake batter into the greased and floured cake pan and level it well.

To keep the hemisphere ball cake pan from moving or wobbling while baking, we recommend placing it in the oven on top of a circle made with aluminum foil.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160° C (320 F ) for about 1 hour.

Step 9) - Once the cake is baked, turn off the oven and leave the lemon almond cake in the semi-open oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

Then take it out of the oven and let it rest at room temperature about 20 minutes before flipping it over.

Step 10) - Let the cake cool completely before slicing!

As soon as it's warm it's delicious and melts in your mouth, but it's so soft and moist that it's hard to cut nice slices. When it has cooled, you'll be able to cut the cake into slices perfectly. The next day it will be even better, still soft and moist but firmer.

Decorate with plenty of powdered sugar and serve.

Storage

Store the Dolce di Amalfi at room temperature under a glass cake dome or loosely covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Keep it in a cool, dry place, away from heat and direct sunlight.

Thanks to the almonds and butter, this lemon almond cake stays soft and moist for several days.

If needed, you can refrigerate it, but bring it back to room temperature before serving to fully enjoy its texture and aroma.

Variations

Lemon almond cake is a very simple recipe that can be enriched without changing its taste and characteristics.

CANDIED LEMON PEEL: Many people add 2-3 tablespoons of chopped candied lemon peel to the dough. This makes the lemon aroma even more intense.

LIMONCELLO: Another very common variation is made by adding 40 ml (⅙ cup) of Limoncello liqueur to the cake batter. Limoncello is another famous specialty typical of the Amalfi Coast which exalts the aroma of lemons to the maximum. They frequently use it in cakes and savor it at the end of meals as a digestive.

More Italian Cake Recipes

• Amor Polenta Cake
• Sicilian Orange Cake
• Lemon Cake Recipe
• Italian Paradise Cake

Recipe Card

STEP BY STEP PHOTOS ABOVE!Have a look at my step-by-step photo instructions, variations and tips. That way, you can get it perfect the first time you try it!

Dolce di Amalfi (Lemon Almond Cake Recipe)

Silvana Nava

Dolce di Amalfi is a traditional Italian lemon almond cake from the Amalfi Coast, soft, fragrant, and easy to make at home. This classic dessert captures the essence of southern Italy with just a few simple ingredients: fresh lemons, almonds, and a light, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

The finely chopped almonds and the zest of fresh lemons give this lemon almond cake its distinctive aroma and moist crumb, delicate yet rich at the same time. Every bite is balanced, fresh, and never overly sweet.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course cake, Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Calories 476 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 80 g 00 flour - ⅔ cup
• 50 g potato starch - ¼ cup
• 100 g almond flour - ¾ cup + 2 tbsp
• 150 g powdered sugar - 1 ¼ cups
• 125 g unsalted butter - 4.4 oz (at room temperature)
• 100 ml milk - 7 tablespoons (at room temperature)
• 16 g baking powder - 4 teaspoons
• lemon zest from 3 lemons
• 2 large eggs
• powdered sugar - for decoration
• 2 tablespoons corn flour (polenta flour) - for the cake pan

Instructions

 

• First of all, grate the zest of the lemons. Be careful to grate only the superficial, yellow part. The white part underneath may make the cake bitter.
• Then, if you don't use almond flour, grind the almonds with an electric grinder then set the almond flour aside (see the paragraph below how to make "Homemade Almond Flour").
• Add the lemon zest to the butter at room temperature. Mix well, to make a smooth, soft flavored butter and lemon cream.
• Place the buttercream and lemon zest in a bowl and add the powdered sugar. Using an electric mixer or planetary mixer, beat for about 2 minutes or as long as it takes to get a frothy, smooth cream.
• Now add the eggs one at a time and beat on high speed. When the first egg is perfectly absorbed, add the second one. Continue to whisk until the mixture is velvety; it will take about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix the powders together. Mix the baking powder with the flour and sift them together. Then add the almond flour and potato starch.
• Add two tablespoons of the flour mixture to the butter and egg cream, keeping mixing on low speed.
• Add the milk, mixing slowly. Finally incorporate the rest of the flours. Mix well for about 2 minutes, just long enough for your lemon almond cake batter to be soft and fluffy.
• Prepare a 8 inch (20 cm) Hemisphere Ball Cake Pan. Grease it very well all over with butter and then sprinkle it with corn flour. Not only will this ensure that the cake doesn't stick to the mold, it will also form a nice crispy crust on the surface of the cake.
• Pour the cake batter into the greased and floured cake pan and level it well.
• To keep the hemisphere ball cake pan from moving or wobbling while baking, we recommend placing it in the oven on top of a circle made with aluminum foil.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 160° C (320 F ) for about 1 hour.
• Once the cake is baked, turn off the oven and leave the lemon almond cake in the semi-open oven for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Then take it out of the oven and let it rest at room temperature about 20 minutes before flipping it over.
• Let the cake cool completely before slicing!
• As soon as it's warm it's delicious and melts in your mouth, but it's so soft and moist that it's hard to cut nice slices. When it has cooled, you'll be able to cut the cake into slices perfectly. The next day it will be even better, still soft and moist but firmer. Decorate with plenty of powdered sugar and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 100gCalories: 476kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 9gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 319mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 4gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 640IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 251mgIron: 2mg

Keyword dolce di amalfi, lemon almond cake

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