Amalfi lemon cream cake
This cake is inspired by the delizie al limone served at the glorious bar-cum-bakery Pasticceria Panza in Amalfi, an old-fashioned place with mirrored walls, art deco signs and waiters in white gloves. It sits next to Amalfi’s beautiful mosaic-domed cathedral in the main square, and is the perfect place for an aperitivo. But no matter what the hour, even if it’s cocktail o’clock, I always have one of their signature lemon desserts. These come as individual domes: the outer layer is bright white lemony custard, while inside, held together by yet more lemon custard, are two airy layers of pan di spagna – a sponge made with no raising agent aside from air whose name presumably originated when Amalfi and the Kingdom of Naples were under Spanish rule.
I tried to recreate them at home and quickly concluded that making individual portions was best left to the master bakers, so instead I’ve made one large version as a cake. The result is rather like a very light but intensely creamy and lemony Victoria sponge. The original version covers the cake with custard mixed with lemon curd, but you can achieve the same indulgent citrusy feel by mixing lemon curd with whipped cream, cutting out the step of making the custard. It’s still a bit of a marathon, but it's worth it and actually becomes more delicious the day after you’ve made it.
Next, why not try more cake recipes from the House & Garden recipe archive?
This is an extract from Amber Guinness's new book Italian Coastal: Recipes and Stories from Where the Land Meets the Sea
About the author
‘It was as I bobbed in the crystal-clear waters off Punta Scario beach on the island of Salina that I truly began to appreciate the magical and restorative powers of the Tyrrhenian Sea,' says Amber Guinness in her new collection of transportive recipes and stories, Italian Coastal. Amber is an English cook and food writer living in Florence. Her first book, A House Party in Tuscany featured anecdotes and recipes from her acclaimed art course Arniano.
