This cake is the perfect ending to an Italian-themed dinner— especially if you serve it with small glasses of limoncello or shots of espresso.
Makes one 9-inch cake; 10 to 12 servings
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 to 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ¾ cups cake-and-pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Finely grated zest of 4 lemons
- 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup plain yogurt (3%)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup icing sugar, sifted
- Finely grated lemon zest and additional rosemary sprigs for garnish
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan with olive oil, then dust the pan with flour. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, lemon zest and rosemary. Using your fingers, rub the ingredients together to infuse the sugar with the flavorings.
- Add the eggs to the bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar mixture on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and has doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn down the speed to low. Gradually add the yogurt and lemon juice.
- With the mixer still running on low speed, gradually add the olive oil in a slow, thin stream. Beat until the ingredients are well combined.
- With the mixer still running on low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan lightly on the counter a couple of times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Turn the cake out onto the wire rack and let cool completely.
- Sift the icing sugar evenly over the top of the cake and garnish with more lemon zest and sprigs of rosemary.
