Ingredients
250 g granulated sugar
160 g butter, at room temperature
4 eggs, organic free-range, divided
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
300 g flour 00
16 g baking powder
100 g pine nuts
For the topping
1 egg white
50 g granulated sugar
25 g pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and line a 22-24 cm round springform pan.
- Melt the butter and let it cool. Roughly chop the pine nuts.
- Squeeze the lemon, keep the juice aside. Grate the zest and add it to the sugar, massaging it into the sugar.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites in 2 different bowls. Beat the egg yolks with the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar flavored with the lemon zest, the lemon juice and keep beating until all incorporated.
- Sift the flour and the baking powder. Add it to the batter by the spoonful, slowly and gently incorporating it.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff and add it slowly to the batter, incorporating it with circular movements from the bottom to the top.
- Lastly, add the chopped pine nuts and fold gently.
- Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and cook in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes. Check it, poking with a skewer the center of the cake, if it comes out clean it’s done.
- In the meantime, beat the egg white with the sugar. Set aside.
- Take the cake out of the oven, quickly but gently spread the egg white/sugar on top. Add the rest of the pine nuts. Put it back in the oven, turn on the broiler on low, and cook the top for about 5 minutes.
- Let cool on a rack.
- Ready to serve. Enjoy!