| Ciambellone (lemon sponge) |
Italians often eat what we see as teatime cake as a dessert. This cake is light, fluffy and fabulous served alongside strawberries in the summer or maybe some warm plums in the autumn.
Ingredients
3 large free range eggs
300 g (11 oz) caster sugar
250 ml (9 fl oz) sunflower oil
250 ml (9 fl oz) semi-skimmed or full-fat milk
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
300 g (11 oz) plain flour (Italian 00 flour can be used)
3 level tsp baking powder
Icing sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 160C, 325F or gas mark 4.
Lightly brush the inside of a 23 cm (9 in) springform cake tin with some of the sunflower oil and line with baking parchment.
Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl or food mixer. Whisk briefly then add sugar and whisk quickly until the mixture turns pale and creamy.
Combine the sunflower oil, milk, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a jug then pour into the egg mixture. Mix this thoroughly to form a runny batter.
Sieve the flour and baking powder into the batter. Gently fold in, making sure no lumps of flour remain. Pour the mixture into the tin — it will look very thin but don’t worry! Quickly place in the centre of the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. (Do not open the oven door for 30 minutes as the cake may sink.) Press gently on the top and if the cake springs back it will be ready.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and place on a cooling rack until ready to eat then dust lightly with icing sugar.
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