Lemon sponge cake with pear marmalade
Ciambella con le Pere, an authentic Italian dessert served in the afternoon with sweet wine, is a delicious, zesty and freshing cake
SERVES
16
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
15
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
25
MINUTES
Ingredients
315g plain flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150g sugarÂ
3 eggs grated
zest of 6 lemons
120ml whole milk
240g pear marmalade
confectioners’ sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
In a medium bowl, toss the flour, salt and baking powder with a fork to mix well.
In a large bowl, beat the olive oil and sugar together with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Put the dry ingredients in a sifter and sift about one third onto the egg mixture.
Add the lemon zest and fold in the flour and zest, then stir in about one third of the milk. Add the remaining flour and milk in two additions each, blending well. Turn the batter into the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cakes are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans and spring back when pressed lightly in the centre with a finger. Turn the cakes out onto a rack and invert into another rack to cool.
To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread the marmalade over the top. Place the second later on top and gently press the layers together. Sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar.
