Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Torta Margherita
The simplest, fluffiest vanilla sponge cake in the Italian repertoire. Named 'Daisy Cake' for its bright yellow interior and powdered sugar top.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 8 servings
- eggs (separated)
- sugar
- potato starch or cornstarch
- all-purpose flour
- butter (melted and cooled)
- lemon zest
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
Equipment
- Two mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Springform pan
Instructions
- 1
Preheat and Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- 2
Separate Eggs
Carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites into two clean bowls.
- 3
Beat Yolks
Add half the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla to the egg yolks. Beat until the mixture is thick, pale, and forms a 'ribbon'.
- 4
Whip Whites
With clean beaters, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- 5
Lighten the Yolks
Gently fold one-third of the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it.
- 6
Sift Dry Ingredients
Sift the flour and potato starch together over the yolk mixture.
- 7
Fold Flour
Gently fold the dry ingredients in. Do not overmix.
- 8
Add Butter
Drizzle the melted, cooled butter down the side of the bowl. Fold it in very gently.
- 9
Fold Remaining Whites
Very gently fold in the remaining egg whites, keeping as much air in the batter as possible.
- 10
Bake
Pour into the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- 11
Cool
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
- 12
Decorate and Serve
Cover heavily with powdered sugar. The contrast of the white sugar and yellow cake resembles a daisy (margherita).
Cooking Tips
- There is no baking powder in this recipe. The lift comes entirely from the whipped eggs. Do not deflate them!
- Potato starch is essential to give the cake its signature light, melting texture.
Variations
- Torta Mantovana: Sprinkle the top with pine nuts and almonds before baking.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A classic birthday cake base, but equally common plain for breakfast alongside milk.
Nutrition Estimate
260 calories · 5g protein · 36g carbs · 10g fat · 0g fiber per serving
