Butter-Free Margherita Cake

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 type 00 flour
• The grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
• A pinch of salt
• 100 ml of sunflower seed oil or another neutrally flavored oil
• 16 g of baking powder for sweets
• (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 yolks from the whites and set the whites aside.
3. Whip the yolks with the sugar until you have a frothy and light mixture.
4. Add the grated lemon zest to the mixture of yolks and sugar, and if you decide to use the liqueur, add it at this step.
5. Gently incorporate the oil into the mixture, stirring constantly, to not deflate it.
6. Sift the flour and baking powder and add them to the mixture, mixing with a spatula with movements from the bottom up to not deflate the batter.
7. In another bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt.
8. Fold the whipped whites into the mixture, a little at a time, proceeding with gentle movements from the bottom up so as not to deflate the batter.
9. Butter and flour a cake pan (or use parchment paper), then pour the mixture 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.

Curiosity

The Margherita Cake is a typical sweet of the Italian confectionery tradition, and probably 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 fluffiness.