Mantovana Cake

Lombardy

Cooking time: 35/40 minutes Difficulty: Ingredients, amounts for 6/8 people: butter: 5 oz white flour: 5 ½ oz almonds: 3 oz grated lemon peel: eggs: 3 sugar: 5 ½ oz

Preparation: Melt the butter in a double boiler. Beat two eggs plus one yolk in a bowl and add the sugar. The resulting mixture should be soft and well combined. At this point add the tepid, melted butter a little at a time, and the lemon peel. Add the sifted flour and two thirds of the almonds. Butter and flour a 22-cm (8-½ inch) cake pan. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of it. Place in a preheated 180° C (350° F/Gas Mark 4) oven and allow to cook for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool, remove from the pan and serve.