Lemon Paradise Cake

Lemon Paradise Cake is a citrusy variant of the classic Paradise Cake, a soft specialty of Italian pastry. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 150 g softened butter at room temperature
• 150 g granulated sugar
• The grated zest of 1 lemon (make sure it is untreated and well washed)
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 130 g 00 flour
• 70 g potato starch
• One packet of baking powder (about 16 g)
• A pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar (for decorating)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and butter and flour (or line with parchment paper) a 20 cm springform pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar using an electric mixer until you obtain a fluffy and pale mixture.
3. Add the grated lemon zest to the mixture and mix well.
4. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Sift the flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt directly into the egg and butter mixture, and mix gently with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine everything without deflating the mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, level it, and bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
8. Once cooled, dust the surface of the cake with powdered sugar to decorate.

Trivia

The Paradise Cake owes its origin to a pastry chef from Pavia, Enrico Vigoni, who created this dessert in the 1800s. The name “Paradise” seems to have been attributed to emphasize its incredible softness and lightness, which makes it almost ethereal.

You could accompany this sweet creation with a dusting of powdered sugar or with a light lemon glaze to emphasize the citrus aroma. Additionally, if you desire an even more pronounced lemon flavor, you could also add a bit of fresh lemon juice to the mixture.