Last updated on March 10th, 2026.
Italian Ciambellone is the classic breakfast cake of Italy, simple, tender, and lightly sweet. Made with olive oil for a moist crumb and delicate flavor, this rustic ring cake is perfect for slicing and enjoying with coffee, tea, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ciambellone, literally translates to “big donut” in Italian, is a ring-shaped cake that holds a special place in Italian households, and let’s face it, nothing says ‘culinary creativity’ like naming your cake after a big donut in another language. This cake is made using simple ingredient is sort of like a piece of appliance in the kitchen, its almost always there offering a comforting piece of soft, tender slice. Kind of like my Classic Marble Cake, and a giant Jar of these Greek Butter Cookies.
Key Ingredients
The complete recipe, including the measurements can be found below in the recipe card, I listed below the key ingredients including their rule and substitutions when possible.
- All-purpose flour. Using unbleached flour, bleached or cake flour will result in a dryer cake. You can learn about it in my cookbook Baking Science.
- Lemons. The lemons have a double duty in this recipe: the zest adds the bright zesty lemony flavor, and the juice will add some acidity which will balance the sweetness of the cake, and add another layer of moisture texture. For the Orange cake version, check out this Orange Italian Hangover Cake.
- Unsalted butter and olive oil. Unsalted butter and olive oil. This combination delivers the best of both flavor and texture: butter creates a light texture through aeration and adds its unmistakable flavor, while olive oil brings a traditional Italian taste and extra moistness. You can use all-butter in this recipe, see recipe note for instructions.
- Optional: experiment with adding a handful of raisins or chopped nuts for extra texture. Another way to add a layer of flavor is with dried fennel seed or ground anise star.
Make It
This is a classic pound cake and the key for best results is room temperature ingredients: the butter, eggs, and milk all should be at the same temperature. Below are step-by-step images for visual guide and all my tips I gathered as I tested this recipe:
- Rubbing the sugar with the lemon zest is the best way to incorporate the lemon flavor to the cake. The lemon juice contribute to the texture but not the flavor.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the button and sides of the bowl as you go, sometime unmixed ingredients stick to the bottom and sides of the bowl and if not incorporate the cake batter will not be cohesive.
- The classic shape is a ring, but you can bake this cake using any shape including loaf pan. The secret is to make sure the batter does not go above 3/4 full.
- The cake is ready when the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out from the center of the cake with a few moist crumbs. As the cake chills the crumbs will set.
- Avoid slicing the cake before it is completely cooled. When slicing too soon the moisture in the cake evaporates in the fr of steam.
Storing and yield
To keep your Ciambellone fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap the cake with plastic wrap, whole or in individual slices, place in a freeze bag, and freeze for up to one month.
Traditionally, a ring-shaped pan is used for this Ciambella recipe, but you can use any 10-12 cups bundt pan or two 8, 9-inch loaf pans.
Ciambellone | A Zesty Italian Morning Cake
Ingredients
- 3 Cups (360g) All-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking powder
- 3/4 Cup (180ml) Milk, at room temperature
- 2 Lemons
- 1 1/2 Cups (200g) Sugar
- 1 Cup (225g) Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) Olive oil
- 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and grease one ten cups ring pan, or bundt pan.
- In a large bowl or a bowl of a standing mixer, measure the sugar (300g) and zest the lemons and use a fork to rub the zest into the sugar.
- Squeeze the lemons with the milk (180ml) and set aside. (The milk might curd when you add the lemon juice, but that's ok)
- In a medium owl, measure and sift the flour (360g) and baking powder (1 tablespoon). Set aside.
- Add the butter (225g) to the sugar and beat for about 3 minutes.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil (120ml).
- Add the eggs (total 4), one at a time, waiting for the egg to completely blend in before adding the next.
- Scrap the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternating with the milk mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the flour.
- Once you have added the last portion of the flour, turn the mixer off, and use a rubber spatula to mix in any flour residues.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake over the middle oven rack for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs from the center of the cake.
Notes
- Before baking, carefully read the recipe, measure the ingredients, and allow them to reach room temperature.
- Consider using orange or lime zest instead of lemon zest for a zesty variation. Ensure not to omit the zest, as it differs from the juice; lemon zest, found in the yellow part of the skin, imparts rich lemon flavor, while the juice contributes primarily to the recipe’s acidity.
- Enhance the texture by incorporating a handful of raisins or chopped nuts. Another option for an additional flavor dimension is the inclusion of dried fennel seeds or ground star anise.
- Finish off the Ciambellone by dusting it with powdered sugar for a decorative touch.
- To use all butter, replace the olive oil with butter, replace the olive oil with 9 tablespoon butter (125g), and reduce the milk amount to 2/3 cup (160ml)
Looks delicious, planning to make this coming Sunday. Question, can I add some chocolate chips to the batter?
Yes, you can fold 3/4 cup of chocolate chips (I recommend mini chocolate chips) along with the last portion of the flour. Consider maybe replacing the lemon zest and juice (up to a 1/4 cup) with orange.
Once again, this looks amazing. Adding it to my menu for my husband’s birthday brunch this weekend.
Thanks Susan,
That’s awesome, let me know how it turns out!
I would like to use oranges instead of lemons, but how much of the juice should I use? The juice of 2 oranges seems like too much juice.
You are right, use no more than 1/4 cup of orange juice. The flavor will come from the zest, you can can zest 1 large or even two oranges.
Looks beautiful. Did by have Bundt pan, what other pan can I use? I have loaf or round or tray
Thank you
Loaf pan is the best alternative. Fill the pan no more than 3/4 full.