Lemon Sponge Cake ‘Pan di Spagna’

This delicious traditional Italian cake is used as the base in many deserts, including cassata and zuppa inglese. In our family Pan di Spagna or Lemon sponge cake was always a favourite, lightly garnished with icing sugar, and enjoyed with an espresso. 

RECIPE & INGREDIENTS

8 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 oz vegetable oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 orange, zest and juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon icing sugar, to garnish

Method:
1. Preheat oven to bake at 350 °F.

2. Beat the eggs until fluffy and tripled in size. This will take approximately 5 minutes with an electric beater on high speed.

2. Next, add the sugar and continue to beat for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Add the vegetable oil, citrus zest and juice. Beat until combined.

4. In a bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Next, addflour/baking powder to the egg mixture and beat until just incorporated.

5. Spray a large 10-12 cup Bundt cake pan with a vegetable oil based non-stick spray. Pour cake batter into pan, level with spatula. Place cake in centre of preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes. Check doneness of cake by inserting a wooden skewer in the centre of the cake, the skewer should come out clean with few crumbs.

6. Once removed from oven let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes, then turn cake out onto cooling rack to cool completely.

7. Garnish cake with a light sifting of icing sugar