Breakfast-in-Rome Lemon Cake | Baking with Dorie

The notion of a lemon breakfast cake in Rome with a cup of cappuccino in early spring, the way Dorie describes her experience, really speaks to me. Here we are in early March and it’s a beautiful bluebird day that skiers dream about. I had a piece of the breakfast-in-Rome lemon cake this morning before I headed out for first tracks in the mountain. The cake is full of lemon flavor and light and airy; it’s just what I need. Perhaps, an accompanying cup of cappuccino would have been perfect!

I can’t emphasize enough how simple it is to whip up this cake. You need basic baking ingredients: flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar, plus lemon (zest and juice). Flavorless oil, such as canola, is used instead of butter. That lightens the texture of the cake. In addition, egg whites are whisked until you get glossy peaks, which gives the cake an extra lift for airiness. (Blueberries are optional.)

In short, no butter or animal fat is in the batter. The lemon flavor, from the juice as well as zest of two lemons, is built right into the batter. No glaze, no icing, just an honest-to-goodness straight lemon cake. It’s something to marvel.

Tips: The only issue I encountered in the process of making the cake: it’s a sticky cake. Take extra care to grease the pan thoroughly, otherwise it will stick. I refrain from using a bundt pan for this reason. Even with a tube pan with removable bottom, the outcome is less than desirable. Maybe a non-stick pan may fare better?