Nonna's Lemon Bundt Cake

La storia di questo piatto

Ciambellone is a humble ring cake from the farmhouse tradition of central Italy, with roots in the Marche, and "Ciambellone della Nonna" is simply the family name for the home version, the one every grandmother bakes her own way. It was never a pastry-shop marvel, but the cake that waited on the table for whoever walked in.

Ingredienti

• 3 piece Eggs at room temperature
• 150 g Granulated sugar
• 80 ml Sunflower seed oil
• 120 ml Whole milk at room temperature
• 250 g Type 00 flour
• 8 g Baking powder
• 1 piece Untreated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1 pinch Fine salt
• 10 g Butter for the mold
• 1 tablespoon Type 00 flour for the mold
• 2 tablespoon Powdered sugar

Preparazione

1. Turn the oven on to 175°C in static mode and take the eggs and milk out of the fridge a little in advance: cold, they won't whip well. Butter the 24-26 cm bundt mold generously, reaching every little corner with your fingers or a brush. Then add a tablespoon of flour, rotate the mold until the flour coats everything, and tap out the excess: this thin layer is the secret to unmolding the cake cleanly, without tears.
2. Sift the flour together with the baking powder and the pinch of salt, letting them fall through a sieve: the leavening spreads evenly and the batter stays lump-free. Then grate the lemon zest by passing the lemon over the grater with a light hand, stopping as soon as the white appears, because that part is bitter. If the zest sticks to the grater, tap it with the back of a spoon.
3. In a large bowl, whip the eggs and sugar with the electric beaters on high speed for 6-8 minutes, patiently. The mixture is ready when it turns almost white, has tripled in volume and, when you lift the beaters, a ribbon falls that stays on the surface for a few seconds before dissolving. If you stop earlier, the bundt cake will be dense and heavy: this step is what gives it its softness.
4. Lower the beaters to low speed and pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream, then the milk, followed by the lemon zest and vanilla. Let it mix only long enough to combine: the batter should remain smooth and glossy, without separating. If you see oil spots on the surface, you poured too quickly or mixed too much.
5. Add the sifted flour in three additions, folding with a spatula from the bottom up, using wide, gentle movements so as not to deflate the air you've incorporated. Stop as soon as the last trace of flour disappears: overworking the batter makes it rubbery. It's right when it is fluid and falls slowly from the spatula in a ribbon, like a soft cream.
6. Pour the batter into the mold, which should fill about two-thirds of the way to leave room for rising, and tap once on the counter to bring the large bubbles to the surface. Bake in the center at 175°C for 40-45 minutes in total, and do not open the oven during the first 30-35 minutes: the temperature change will make the crown collapse. After the first 35 minutes, do the toothpick test: the cake is ready when it is tall and golden, the surface springs back when touched, and a toothpick inserted at the highest point comes out dry. If it's still moist, continue baking for another 5-10 minutes, always checking. A scent of lemon and vanilla will come from the oven.
7. As soon as the toothpick comes out dry, turn off the oven and leave the bundt cake in the mold, on a wire rack, for 15-20 minutes: unmolded while hot, it would break, and the crumb needs to settle. When the mold is just warm, gently run a thin knife along the edges, invert onto a plate, and let it cool completely before slicing.
8. Once the cake is completely cold, dust it with powdered sugar by passing it through a sieve, tapping gently with your palm for a fine, even snow. Taste a slice before serving: the crumb should be moist, light and fragrant with lemon, with the golden crust barely holding. Serve it like this, or dipped in warm milk or coffee.