When we traveled to Italy, we enjoyed a delightful slice of lemon cake at a local café. It was incredibly flavorful and delicious, leaving a lasting impression on my taste buds. Upon returning home, I was determined to recreate it. :)
Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300grams)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
7 egg yolks
7 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon of vinegar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of Lemon zest (Zest of two lemons)
For garnish:
Powdered sugar
Lemon zest and lemon slices
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F . Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and half of the sugar together until thick and pale yellow. This will take about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer.
Slowly add in the melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract to the egg yolk mixture, and mix until well combined. Then add the milk to the mixture.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
In a separate clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar and beat for two minutes. Gradually add the rest of the sugar in batches and beat it. Beat until stiff peaks form .
Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until no white streaks remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it.
Once cooled, transfer the cake to a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with lemon zest .
Slice and serve your delicious lemon sponge cake! Enjoy!