Pan di Spagna

Pan di Spagna is a light and spongy cake that is often used as a base for filled or decorated cakes. Here are the ingredients and preparation to make a classic Pan di Spagna.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 120 g of sugar
• 120 g of 00 flour
• A pinch of salt
• Aromas (optional): vanilla or grated lemon zest

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
2. Separate the yolks from the whites and place the whites in a large bowl with a pinch of salt.
3. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the sugar little by little until you obtain a glossy and foamy mixture.
4. Add the yolks one at a time, incorporating them gently with movements from the bottom to the top to avoid deflating the mixture.
5. Add the chosen aromas (vanilla or lemon zest).
6. Sift the flour and incorporate it into the mixture, always mixing very gently from top to bottom.
7. Pour the batter into a previously buttered and floured cake pan or lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. The Pan di Spagna is ready when it is golden and, by doing the toothpick test, it comes out clean.
9. Let it cool completely before unmolding.

Trivia

Pan di Spagna owes its name to the Genoese diplomat Giovan Battista Cabona who, at the Spanish court in the 1700s, presented this soft and fluffy cake which was a huge success. In Italy it was then named after the country in which it was first presented.