Limoncello Mascarpone Cake Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment circles. Bring eggs and butter to room temperature if chilled (about 30 minutes).

Dry ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar

In a large mixing bowl using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the room-temperature unsalted butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and beat on medium-high for 3–4 minutes, scraping down the bowl, until light and fluffy and slightly paler in color.

Add eggs and flavor

Add the eggs one at a time, beating 20–30 seconds after each addition until incorporated. Scrape the bowl. Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest until distributed.

Combine wet and dry

With the mixer on low, add one-third of the dry ingredients, then half of the milk, then another third of the dry, then the remaining milk, finishing with the last third of the dry. Mix just until combined after each addition—do not overmix.

Add limoncello

Fold in the limoncello gently by hand with a spatula until evenly incorporated through the batter.

Bake

Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing tops. Bake in the preheated oven for 22–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the tops are lightly golden. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even color.

Cool and remove from pans

Cool cakes in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert onto racks, remove parchment, and let cool completely (about 1–1.5 hours) before assembling. While cakes cool, prepare the syrup and mascarpone filling.

Make the syrup: In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup limoncello and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Let cool to warm (not cold) — this will be used to soak the cake layers to add moisture and lemon flavor.

Chill equipment

Place a mixing bowl and whisk or paddle attachment in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes to keep the mascarpone mixture stable when whipping the cream.

Whip cream

In the chilled bowl, pour 1 cup cold heavy cream and whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Take care not to overwhip—stop when peaks hold but tips slightly fold.

Combine mascarpone and sugar

In another bowl gently beat the 16 oz chilled mascarpone with 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt on low speed until smooth and homogenous. Do not overmix or the mascarpone can become grainy.

Fold whipped cream into mascarpone

Fold about one-third of the whipped cream into the mascarpone to loosen the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully combined and light. Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon if desired (add up to 1–2 tbsp more powdered sugar or a little more lemon juice). Chill the filling briefly (10–15 minutes) if it feels too soft to spread.

Assemble on cake

Place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate or turntable. Using a pastry brush, poke a few small holes across the surface and brush or spoon half of the warm limoncello syrup evenly over the layer so it soaks in. Spread about half of the mascarpone filling evenly over the soaked layer (roughly 1–1 1/2 cups). Place the second cake layer on top, brush with remaining syrup, then spread the remaining mascarpone filling over the top and sides, using an offset spatula to smooth. For a lighter look, you can leave the sides semi-naked.

Chill to set

Chill the assembled cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (preferably 2–3 hours) to allow the filling to set and flavors to meld. This also makes slicing cleaner.

Finish and serve: Just before serving, dust the top with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and sprinkle 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest. Decorate with thin lemon slices or twists across the top. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts for clean slices. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.