Start your weekend with the perfect Ciambella recipe

My love of cake and Italian food is known to all around me. I cannot resist the fresh, comforting flavours of our European cousins. You may have guessed this if you read my Bellini Pavlova recipe.  Just one sniff of zingy Amalfi lemons and the milky warmth of vanilla and the moka pot must be put straight on the stove so that I can start my Sunday the right way.  The Italian way. So apron-up for the perfect ciambella recipe

What’s to love about Ciambella?

What’s not to love? What I adore about Italian food is it’s simplicity; incredible, fresh ingredients that are cooked well and served with love and family.

Ciambella is no different, it tastes of creamy yoghurt, vanilla and lemons. It’s finished with a generous dusting of sweet icing sugar that must be licked from fingers between slices.

If I’m feeling in need of a very lazy Sunday morning, I make the ciambella recipe on Saturday evening. All I need to is shower the cake in sugar, set the moka pot to go and I’m armed with my iPad and ready laze in the garden with Monty, who is also a fan.

However, like most baked food, ciambella is at its best warm. I throw everything in the mixer, let it do all the heavy work, before popping it in the oven whilst I walk the dog.  I then get to reward myself with warm, lemony goodness. Heaven!

Ciambella Recipe

The recipe that I use is inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Yoghurt Pot Cake, I use her method, but I’ve adjusted some of the ingredients to create a more intense lemon flavour

Ingredients

• 150g plain yoghurt
• 150ml vegetable oil (plus some for greasing)
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 250g caster sugar
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• zest of a large un-waxed Amalfi lemon
• 175g plain flour
• 75g cornflour
• icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350°F, and grease your ring mould with a little melted butter.
2. Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until you have firm peaks,
3. Whisk the yoghurt, sugar with the egg yolks until airy.
4.  Slowly add the oil to the egg yolk mixture and when blended, stir in the vanilla and lemon.
5. Add the two flours a spoon at a time and once it has all be mixed in fold in the whisked fluffy egg whites.
6. Pour the batter into the ring mould (I got this one).
7. When cooked, remove it from the oven to a wire rack, letting the cake sit in the tin for 10 minutes before serving
8. To serve, turn the cake upside down before dusting generously with icing sugar.

Once you try ciambella, like me, you will find yourself making it again and again. Even though it doesn’t sound too good, dunking in your coffee is must-do. (No judging until you’ve tried it.)

Happy baking! (Scroll down for a cute pinnable image to save this recipe to your Pinterest board!)

Love,

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