Overnight batter · add leaveners tomorrow · bakes in ring molds or a bundt
This cake came together one afternoon when I had Meyer lemons on the counter, a small bottle of homemade limoncello that my neighbor Allison brought me for my birthday in December 2020 — the height of lockdown, and one of those small gifts that somehow perfectly captures a moment, sourdough starter that needed using, and a bundt pan sitting right there. I'd recently come across Maurizio Leo's gorgeous ciambella recipe on The Perfect Loaf (big fan), and it was very much on my mind. His version uses all-purpose flour and eggs — I wanted to make it vegan, and I also wanted to swap in semolina and almond flour for a denser, more custardy crumb.
A word of warning: when you first mix this batter it looks completely wrong. It's extremely liquid — more pancake batter than cake batter, almost crepe-like. Don't panic. That's the point. After 18+ hours in the fridge, the semolina absorbs everything and the batter transforms into something noticeably thicker. The overnight rest is not optional; it's the whole trick.
One more thing: that limoncello has been in my freezer since December 2020, doled out a few tablespoons at a time. Thank you, Allison. It was worth saving.
In the bundt pan, the cake doesn't rise dramatically — it puffs a bit, then settles back down as it cools. The final texture is velvety and smooth, dense in the best way, nowhere near underbaked. Greasing the bundt with coconut oil and a dusting of flour gave the outside a beautiful caramelization that I wasn't expecting and will absolutely be doing again. For my first bake I also layered blueberries in at about three-quarters of the way through filling the pan, then finished with a chocolate ganache and more blueberries on top once it cooled. Highly recommend. Ring molds are next on my list — I think the smaller format will allow the cake to rise higher.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 1 cup (240 g) vegan unsweetened yogurt
- ½ cup (120 g) sourdough starter, unfed, 100% hydration
- ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil
- Zest of 2 Meyer lemons
- 3 tbsp fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 2–3 tbsp limoncello
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (90 g) semolina
- ½ cup (50 g) almond flour
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, yogurt, sourdough starter, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, limoncello, and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the semolina, almond flour, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold or whisk until just combined.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight to hydrate the semolina and bloom the lemon flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). For a bundt pan/ring mold -- grease generously with coconut oil and dust with flour — this produces a lovely caramelized crust.
- Remove the batter from the fridge and whisk briefly to loosen. It will have thickened considerably overnight.
- Add the baking powder and baking soda and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Pour about three-quarters of the batter into the prepared pan. If adding blueberries, scatter a handful evenly over the surface now, then pour the remaining batter over the top.
- Bake 28–40 minutes, checking at 28. The cake will puff during baking, then settle back a little as it cools — this is normal. It's done when a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding. If using ganache and blueberries, add them once the cake is fully cooled.
Optional toppings
- Blueberry layer: at three-quarters fill, scatter a generous handful of fresh blueberries over the batter, then cover with the remaining batter. They sink in slightly and create little pockets of fruit throughout.
- Chocolate ganache: equal parts melted dark chocolate and hot plant milk, stirred smooth. Spread over the cooled cake and top with more fresh blueberries.
- Powdered sugar, dusted simply over the top if you want to keep it unfussy.
- Meyer lemon syrup: equal parts lemon juice and sugar, simmered briefly until slightly thickened, brushed over the warm cake.
Notes
- Overnight hydration is what gives this cake its silky, custardy crumb — the semolina and almond flour absorb the wet ingredients slowly in the fridge, which you don't get when you bake right away.
- Sourdough starter adds moisture and acidity, which is what activates the baking soda the next morning.
- Limoncello intensifies the lemon aroma without making the cake boozy — don't skip it if you have it.
- The batter looks wrong at first — extremely liquid, like crepe batter. That's fine. After 18+ hours in the fridge it thickens significantly. Trust the overnight rest.
- Rise and settle: this cake doesn't shoot up like a sponge. It rises modestly, then condenses slightly as it cools. The final texture is velvety and smooth — not underbaked, just dense and custardy in the best way.
- Coconut oil + flour for the bundt pan creates a noticeably caramelized outer crust. Worth doing even if your pan is non-stick.
- Ring molds vs. bundt: the bundt works beautifully. Smaller ring molds should bake even more evenly and are easier to portion and transport.
