The soft quilt cake with lemon custard, also known as duvet cake, owes its name to the appearance it takes on during baking thanks to the custard spread on the cake before baking.
It looks like a tart… but it isn’t!
An easy, soft pantry cake filled with lemon fragrance, perfect for an afternoon tea with friends or as a dessert at the end of a meal.
I don’t know who invented this cake, but its appearance and preparation intrigued me, so I decided to try it using my microwave lemon custard (using flour instead of starches) and as a base, a soft yogurt batter… while flavoring both the custard and the batter with lemons.
Take a little time… but just a little because you bake it in 15 minutes at max and prepare your own soft quilt cake!
READ THE FAQ AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RECIPE TO CLEAR YOUR DOUBTS
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8/10
- Cooking methods: Oven, Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 313.93 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 38.46 (g) of which sugars 18.91 (g)
- Proteins 5.93 (g)
- Fat 15.72 (g) of which saturated 3.46 (g)of which unsaturated 10.99 (g)
- Fibers 0.69 (g)
- Sodium 29.34 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Ingredients and quantities for a 20/22 cm diameter mold
- 1 cup cups partially skimmed milk (or whole)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 3 tbsps tbsps all-purpose flour
- 5 tbsps tbsps granulated sugar
- lemon zest (untreated)
- vanilla (in powder or liquid)
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 1/2 cup cups sugar
- 2 tbsps tbsps lemon juice
- 3 tbsps tbsps plain natural yogurt (or lemon flavored)
- 2/3 cup cups rice oil
- 2 cups cups all-purpose flour (or 00)
- 1 package baking powder
- powdered sugar
Steps
For the successful outcome of the soft quilt cake, I recommend using eggs and yogurt at room temperature; therefore, take them out of the fridge about an hour earlier depending on the season.
– Place the sugar, grated lemon zest (well washed), and vanilla in a glass bowl; mix and then add the flour.
– Pour the egg over the powders and beat with the whisk to remove lumps and mix everything well; finally pour the milk in twice, mixing well. Microwave for 2 minutes at max power (for me, 800W); take it out, stir quickly, and cook for another 20 seconds checking the consistency… if necessary, cook for another 5/7 seconds.
– Transfer the custard to a clean container, cover with cling film in contact, and let it cool in the fridge or freezer (read here all tips)
First, preheat the oven to 350°F if fan-forced or 180°C if static
– Break the eggs in a bowl, add the sugar, and grated lemon zest, and beat with electric whisks until the batter becomes light.
– With the mixer still running, pour in the lemon juice, then the yogurt, and oil.
– Pour the sifted flour and baking powder over the mixture, and mix with a spatula (to avoid making everything fly around)
– Grease and flour the cake pan, pour the batter and level it.
– Put the now-cooled custard in a piping bag, cut the tip, and decorate the cake’s surface starting from the edge and then creating stripes.
– Bake for about 35 minutes, doing the toothpick test; then let the cake cool on a rack.
– Dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve.
Variations
– You can also make the soft quilt cake with cocoa by subtracting about 2 tbsps of flour and adding the sifted cocoa.
– If you don’t like lemons, use orange instead.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
If you have any doubts, read below, and if you don’t find the answer, I’ll be happy to help you
Can I use butter instead of oil?
– Yes, 3/4 cup melted and cooled
I don’t have rice oil, what should I do?
– Use sunflower oil or another mild oil.
I am lactose intolerant, how should I adjust the recipe?
– You can use soy yogurt and a plant-based drink instead of milk.
I don’t have a microwave, is this recipe still suitable?
– Yes, you can also make the custard by bringing the milk to a boil and then pouring it over the beaten eggs, sugar, and flour, and proceed on the stove until cooked.
