Margherita Cake without Butter

I can provide you with a version of the Margherita Cake without butter. We will use oil as an alternative to butter in the traditional recipe.

Ingredients

• 200 g of sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 200 g of 00 flour
• The grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
• A pinch of salt
• 100 ml of sunflower seed oil or another neutral-flavored oil
• 16 g of baking powder
• (Optional) A tablespoon of liqueur such as limoncello or alchermes for flavoring

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and set the whites aside.
3. Beat the yolks with the sugar until you obtain a frothy and pale mixture.
4. Add the grated lemon zest to the yolk and sugar mixture, and if you decide to use the liqueur, add it at this stage.
5. Gently incorporate the oil into the mixture while stirring continuously, to avoid deflating the batter.
6. Sift the flour and baking powder and add them to the mixture, stirring with a spatula using upward folding motions to avoid deflating the batter.
7. In another bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt.
8. Fold the beaten egg whites into the mixture a little at a time, using gentle upward folding motions to avoid deflating the batter.
9. Grease and flour a cake pan (or use parchment paper), then pour the batter into the pan.
10. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
11. Once baked, let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Trivia

The Margherita Cake is a classic dessert from Italian pastry tradition, and it likely takes its name from the shape resembling the petals of a daisy flower, or in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy. This cake is appreciated for its simplicity and its fluffiness.