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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake Recipe

    Modified: May 10, 2020 · Published: Feb 21, 2016 by Sharon Rigsby · 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Southern Style Limoncello Cake

    If you have been looking for a simple limoncello cake recipe, you are in the right place. This delicious Southern Style Limoncello Cake is quick and easy to make! It’s also perfect for dessert, for welcoming new neighbors to the neighborhood, taking to potluck dinners, and for anytime you want something sweet and indulgent!

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake sliced on a China platter.

    I first saw the recipe for Limoncello Lemon Loaf on a Southerner’s Notebook blog, a wonderful cooking blog, hosted by Carolyn Haley, a great cook and long-time friend of mine. Carolyn’s blog had a link to another blog, Accounting for All of my Blessings, which is hosted by a friend of hers, Julie. Julie posted this fabulous recipe on her blog, and then because Carolyn follows Julie’s blog it also appeared on Carolyn’s blog. Hopefully, I haven’t totally confused you, because that’s often how it happens in the blogosphere! The bottom line is, special thanks to both Carolyn and Julie for posting and sharing this delicious limoncello cake recipe so that I can share it with you!

    This limoncello cake recipe is a very easy and quick to make with a yummy, lemony limoncello glaze. Limoncello is a lemon liqueur that is usually served after dinner. If you don’t have any limoncello, you can easily substitute fresh lemon juice.

    This recipe for limoncello cake is just one of the uses for limoncello. A quick search on Google brought up literally thousands of limoncello recipes including recipes for making limoncello yourself if you are so inclined.

    The beautiful china platter that the easy limoncello cake is on in the photos belongs to my Mother-in-Law, Dot, who is 92. It’s her wedding china, and it is as beautiful and sweet as she is!

    The minute I saw the adorable lemon loaf pan that Julie baked her cake in, I knew I had to have one, and my Amazon order was on its way. Isn’t this the cutest pan you have ever seen for a limoncello cake?

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake pan on the counter.

    If you like southern-style dessert recipes, you might also like this delicious favorites: Southern Peaches and Cream Pie, Minnie Lee Croley’s Sour Cream Pound Cake, and Southern Pecan Praline Cake. 

    This limoncello cake recipe has a short ingredient’s list which includes: eggs, whole milk or vanilla Greek yogurt, (I didn’t have anything, but no-fat yogurt so decided to substitute sour cream for the yogurt, and the cake was delicious. You can, however, save some calories by following the recipe and using the yogurt.) sugar, vegetable oil, lemon zest, Limoncello or lemon juice, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. You don’t even have to pull out your heavy stand mixer because you mix everything by hand.

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake ingredients including lemon, eggs, and baking powder.

    How to make Southern Style Limoncello Cake

    To begin, gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

    To a large bowl, add the eggs, milk or yogurt, sugar, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and limoncello or lemon juice. Whisk well.

    In a large bowl are the wet ingredients mixed with a whisk.

    In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well.

    In a large bowl are the dry ingredients mixed with a whisk.

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix the batter well by hand. Do not over mix.

    Spray a loaf pan generously with cooking spray with flour, like Bakers Joy. Pour the batter into the pan.

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake batter in a lemon loaf pan.

    Bake about 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Look at the cute detail on the top from the lemon pan!

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake cooling on a wire rack.

    In the meantime, make the glaze by combining limoncello, (or lemon juice) confectioners sugar and lemon zest. Whisk well. You want a smooth, pourable consistency. If needed, add more limoncello to make it the proper consistency.

    For easy clean-up, put a piece of wax paper under the cake rack to catch the glaze drips. When the cake is completely cool, drizzle the limoncello glaze over the cake.

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake with the glaze on a wire rack.

    Have a slice and enjoy!

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake sliced on a China platter.

    If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating it and leaving a comment below. Also, follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. And finally, to be the first to receive new notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box. Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

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    Southern Style Limoncello Cake sliced on a China platter.

    Southern Style Limoncello Cake Recipe

    Sharon Rigsby
    This Southern Style Limoncello Cake is a very easy, and simple to prepare, delicious pound-cake like lemon cake, with a yummy, luscious lemony limoncello glaze.
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Servings 10 servings
    Calories 300 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Limoncello Lemon Loaf

    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup whole milk or vanilla greek yogurt
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 lemon zested
    • 3 tablespoon Limoncello or lemon juice
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1-½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Limoncello Glaze

    • ½ cup powered sugar
    • 1 ½-2 tablespoon Limoncello or lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

    Instructions
     

    • To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
    • To a large bowl, add the eggs, milk or yogurt, sugar, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and limoncello or lemon juice. Whisk well.
    • In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix the batter well by hand. Do not over mix.
    • Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan generously with cooking spray with flour, like Bakers Joy. Pour the batter into the pan.
    • Bake about 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
    • In the meantime, make the glaze by combining limoncello, (or lemon juice) powered sugar and lemon zest. Whisk well. You want a smooth pourable consistency. If needed, add more limoncello to make it the proper consistency.
    • When the cake is completely cool, drizzle the limoncello glaze over it.
    • Slice and enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 18mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 50IUCalcium: 30mgIron: 1.3mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today! Mention @gritspinecones or tag #gritspinecones!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.78 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Eliana Db

      March 28, 2022 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      this is so good! i did find that i had to bake it for 50 min before it was not raw, but everything else is great! i had limencelo left over from a wedding

      Reply
    2. Patricia

      December 08, 2018 at 5:21 pm

      Before I make this I really need to know if there is supposed to be sour cream in this recipe? The ingredient picture shows a container of sour cream and yogurt but no milk. The recipe says 1 cup whole milk or vanilla greek yogurt or is it supposed to say 1 cup whole milk or vanilla greek yogurt or sour cream. Please explain. I promise I won’t bother you anymore. 🙂 Please reply. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        December 08, 2018 at 9:29 pm

        Hi Patricia,
        Again I am sorry for the confusion. The recipe calls for 1 cup of whole milk or yogurt. In the narrative, I said that I didn’t have either, so I used sour cream instead which worked fine. So you can use, milk, yogurt or sour cream.
        I thought I had responded to your last comment, but couldn’t find it anywhere so I’m not sure what happened and I do really try to respond to all comments in a timely manner.
        I do hope you enjoy the recipe and you are certainly not bothering me!
        All my best, Sharon

        Reply
        • Patricia

          December 09, 2018 at 8:25 am

          Thank you so very, very much for replying. I truly appreciate it.
          Patricia

    3. Patricia

      October 24, 2018 at 9:18 pm

      Thank you so much for replying so quickly. I did notice one more thing…you have a picture of your ingredients & I notice a container of sour cream & not any milk. So in the recipe should it be that you can use sour cream in place of the yogurt or is it supposed to be whole milk? I know other recipes you can use sour cream in place of yogurt but I have never seen whole milk. I don’t mean to be picky, but I do want to get it right when I make it.

      Thank you.

      Reply
    4. Patricia

      October 24, 2018 at 2:51 pm

      I plan on making this lovely loaf into mini loaves to share with friends. I have a couple questions first. In the instructions you say to add vanilla. Vanilla is not listed in the ingredient section. So, should there be vanilla & if so, how much?

      Also in the ingredients you list 1-1/2 baking powder. I am assuming it is teaspoons. The measurement is not shown in the ingredient section.

      Please reply. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        October 24, 2018 at 4:48 pm

        Hi Patricia, I am so sorry for the confusion. There is no vanilla extract in this recipe and you are right it is 1-1/2 tsp of baking powder. I have updated the recipe to correct this and I hope it didn’t cause you any inconvenience.
        I do hope you enjoy the cake!
        Sharon

        Reply

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    Sharon Rigsby, blogger at GritsandPinecones.com

    Hello, I'm Sharon Rigsby, blogger, content creator, videographer, and photographer for Grits and Pinecones®. I have over 50 years of experience in the kitchen, and I like nothing better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family, friends, and you!

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