An Italian dessert dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 8
Active time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h

Organic sourcing

Almonds are worth buying organic as conventional farming often uses pesticides. Lemons are on the Dirty Dozen list due to pesticide residue.

Ingredients

• 200 g almond meal
• 200 g sugar
• 100 g butter, softened
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• a pinch sea salt
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 22 cm (9-inch) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Incorporate the egg yolks into the butter mixture one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. Mix in the vanilla extract, grated lemon zest, and almond meal until well combined.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until stiff peaks form.
6. Gently fold the egg whites into the almond mixture in batches, retaining the airiness.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

• Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a side of fresh berries.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Italian recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.