The LEMON CAPRESE, soft, intensely fragrant and flourless, is the queen of desserts from the Amalfi Coast — a fresh, luminous alternative to the famous chocolate caprese. A simple but surprising cake, it wins you over with its moist, melt-in-the-mouth texture and a lemon scent that tastes of sun and the Mediterranean.
The base is made with finely ground almonds, white chocolate and the zest of untreated lemons, which give each bite an intense aroma and a delicate sweetness. Every slice is a little taste of summer, ideal on its own with a dusting of powdered sugar, or served with a dollop of cream or a scoop of ice cream for an even more indulgent touch.
Perfect to finish a special lunch, for an elegant snack or as a cake to share on festive occasions, the lemon caprese is a naturally gluten-free dessert that brings together tradition and lightness in one unforgettable bite.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 518.44 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 37.82 (g) of which sugars 31.24 (g)
- Proteins 9.50 (g)
- Fat 36.36 (g) of which saturated 14.50 (g)of which unsaturated 8.44 (g)
- Fibers 2.48 (g)
- Sodium 99.35 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 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
- 4 eggs (medium, at room temperature)
- 2/3 cup butter (softened)
- 1 1/6 cup powdered sugar
- 1 3/8 cup blanched almonds
- 1 1/3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 3/8 cup potato starch
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 lemons (zest only, untreated (organic if possible))
- 5.3 oz white chocolate
- 2 tsp limoncello (optional)
- 1 pinch salt
For the Lemon Caprese you will need
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Food chopper
- 1 Pan
- Electric beaters
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Spatula
Preparation Lemon Caprese
Toast the blanched almonds in the oven at 356°F for 5 minutes or until they start to release their oils. Remove from the oven, let them cool completely and finely chop them with a tablespoon of powdered sugar to obtain an almond meal.
Take the butter out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes until softened.
Melt the white chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave and let it cool slightly.
Separate the yolks from the whites.
In a bowl, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar until you get a pale cream.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, incorporating each well.Add the melted white chocolate and the lemon zest.
Finally add the almond flour, the potato starch and the sifted baking powder, and the limoncello if using. Mix everything together.In another bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt.
Fold them into the batter with gentle upward motions.Pour the batter into a buttered and dusted pan 9–9.5 inches (better to use potato starch or rice flour) and level the surface.
Bake the lemon caprese in a preheated static oven at 338°F for about 40–45 minutes.
Do the toothpick test: it should come out clean but not overly dry — the cake should remain moist.Remove from the oven, let it cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar.
Tips for a perfect lemon caprese
Use high-quality lemons (organic!)
The heart of this cake is the lemon aroma: choose untreated, very fresh lemons with thick peels rich in essential oils (Amalfi or Sorrento lemons are ideal).
Grind the almonds finely but not to a powder
You can use ready-made almond flour or grind blanched almonds with a tablespoon of powdered sugar taken from the total: the sugar absorbs moisture and makes the crumbs drier. Don’t reduce them to a very fine powder: a slightly grainy texture will give the cake a more interesting bite.
Melt the white chocolate carefully
White chocolate burns easily: melt it in a bain-marie or in the microwave at low power, stirring often. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the batter so as not to deflate the eggs.
Beat the butter and sugar well
Work the softened butter with the powdered sugar until it’s pale and fluffy: this will make the cake lighter and airier, even without flour.
Beat the butter and sugar well
Work the softened butter with the powdered sugar until it’s pale and fluffy: this will make the cake lighter and airier, even without flour.
