This Italian breakfast cake has a golden crust, a soft crumb and the fresh scent of lemon. Cut it into generous slices to enjoy with coffee or a glass of milk.
Ciambellone is an Italian ring-shaped cake made in all kinds of home-style variations. This recipe follows the simple approach in the brief: eggs, sugar, flour, oil and lemon zest, with milk and baking powder added for a batter that rises well and is easy to mix. The cake is meant to be served in slices, not as a filled pastry; the flavor stays mildly sweet, and the lemon adds fragrance rather than sharp acidity.
Neutral oil makes the crumb tender and keeps the cake soft after it cools. Sunflower oil works well, but you can also use another neutral-tasting oil. Olive oil has a more distinctive aroma and can push the lemon into the background, so use it only if you want that flavor accent. Preferably use an unwaxed lemon and grate only the yellow part of the peel: the white pith can taste bitter.
The ring shape helps the batter bake evenly because the heat reaches the center too. Grease the pan carefully and dust it with flour, especially around the inner tube and in any grooves. Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is lighter in color and a little fluffier; this gives the cake some volume even before baking. Then briefly mix in the dry ingredients. Beating for too long after adding the flour will make the crumb firm rather than light.
A pan about 24 centimeters in diameter works for this quantity. If you only have a regular round cake pan without a hole, use one with a similar capacity and check the cake for doneness; the center may need longer. You can replace the milk with an unsweetened plant-based drink, though this may slightly change the flavor and browning. Baking powder is important for the rise here and is not the same as baking soda.
After baking, leave the cake in the pan for about ten minutes so it firms up before you turn it out. Serve slices with coffee or milk, or with some yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast. Store the cooled cake covered at room temperature and eat it within a few days; cut only what you’re serving so the rest is less likely to dry out. A brief warm-up softens a slice again.
Preheat the oven to 175 °C (top and bottom heat). Carefully grease a ring pan about 24 cm in diameter with oil and dust it with flour. Tap out any excess flour.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Beat in the oil, milk and lemon zest.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a second bowl. Sift them into the egg mixture and briefly fold them in or mix on low speed until you can no longer see any dry flour. Stop as soon as the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan and gently smooth the top. Bake the cake for 40–45 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
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