This is a classic Italian style ring cake with lots of lemony flavor and a delicate crumb, perfect for afternoon tea.
Ingredients (about 10 min to prep + 50 min to bake)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (“00” is ok too)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- zest of one lemon or orange
- 2/3 cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Butter and flour a tube pan (or spray generously with baking spray)
- Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest; set aside. In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until white and form soft peaks
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
- On medium speed, mix in about 1/2 cup of the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture; beat about one minute. Beat in another 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and slowly add in the melted butter; beat until combined (about 1 more minute). Stop the mixture to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula when needed.
- On medium speed, mix in 1/2 of the milk and the vanilla followed by another 1/2 cup of the flour mixture until combined (about 1 minutscraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the rest of the milk followed by the rest of the flour mixture.
- Stir in about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in the rest of the egg whites. Bring the batter from the bottom of the bowl over the egg whites and keep turning the bowl around until it is all folded together.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and even out the top of the batter with yoru spatula; tap pan carefully on your counter to level out the batter.
- Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool and then remove the bottom of the pan and place on your serving plate.