Roman Breakfast Cake Recipe (2024)

The batter is pretty thick after Step 4, so adding the whipped egg whites all at once would tend to deflate them and cause the cake to flatten.If you pour just a bit of whipped egg white into the thick batter and stir gently the batter loosens up considerably. Then it's much easier to incorporate the rest of the egg whites into the batter with gentle folding motions.

If you roll the berries in flour before folding them in, they will distribute more evenly.

50+ years ago, when my husband and I were poor graduate students, I had a 10" round pan, but could not afford a tube pan. Back then frozen orange juice came in metal cans. So I plopped a clean, empty one (minus the circular ends) onto the center of my 10" round can, holding it firm while I poured in the batter. Worked perfectly, and still does.

Rubbing the zest into the sugar between my hands released truly extraordinary lemon fragrance--a heavenly "wow." The cake took about ten minutes beyond the recommended time to brown up top and to leave a clean cake tester. I think I will try dotting the berries on top of the batter before putting the cake in the oven next time, rather than folding them into the batter. They mainly drifted to the bottom of the tube pan, which made for a funky release. Otherwise, no sticking issues!

Readers on special diets should go to blogs dedicated to those diets. If you're counting [whatever] then don't read this or any gourmet recipe source and expect it to cater to whatever fad you've been suckered into this month. If you have diabetes or other legitimate, diagnosed restriction, then you should be sticking with sources for appropriate recipes. This is not a weight loss site.

I share your concern about sugar and it sends very excessive 1.5 cups. I always cut the sugar in half in recipes and find it sweet enough. I know profesional bakers say the sugar is needed for structure and raising also, but honestly I've never seen that is problem in my baking. I'm European and find the sweets here too sweet, so for the last 25 years have been cutting in half the sugar in recipes

I do not understand, people who shred a recipe to bits with so many changes, it’s a totally different recipe by the time they’re finished. But, I cannot fathom why someone, with so many dietary restrictions, is even looking at a cake (pie, cookie, or tart) recipe at all. Sprinkling guilt all over the rest of us for baking and enjoying this cake really isn’t necessary or nice. I baked and throughly enjoyed this cake, as did all I shared it with! Thanks, Ms. Greenspan!

Very similar to my family's ciambella recipe. In winter, instead of the fresh berries you can substitue raisins soaked in 1/2 cup of rum. So replace the berries and lemon juice with currants or raisins and rum. Delicious!

For cakes with a comparable amount of flour I use 150 grams of sugar (raw cane, preferably), that would be 3/4 cup in US measurements. If the berries are a bit tart, you can go up to 200 grams. We don't eat cakes so supersweet here in Germany.But from my experience, less that 150 grams would render the taste uninteresting.

In order to keep the berries from falling to the bottom, layer then with the batter instead of folding them in. Put some batter in your pan, smooth it out, and dot berries over the top. Repeat with the remaining batter and berries. The berries will be more evenly distributed.

I just baked this cake this morning and I love it. I put almost 2 cups of blueberries just picked from our friends house. I love the combination of the lemon in the cake with the blueberries. My husband can hold this cake and have his coffee in the morning on his way to work. Can't wait to have it with my cappucinno tomorrow morning.

I used the zest of two oranges and the juice of one instead of lemons and cranberries dusted with sugar instead of blueberries. I also drizzled it with a slurry of the juice of one of the oranges, a splash of orange liqueur, and confectioners sugar. It was pretty darn good.

This cake has an extraordinary amount of sugar which is an established health hazard, along with white flour. I like to use pastry whole wheat flour which is very light and substitutes well for all-purpose flour. (I'm allergic to nuts so no almond flour for me.) But, how little sugar (or sugar substitute) can I use without ruining or altering the cake altogether. Any constructive ideas? I can't be the only one who cares.

I don't feel harmed. I love a good piece of cake and after 65 years and perfect health I can say eat what makes you happy within moderation. This is a perfect recipe that should be made as written.

This is a glorious summer cake, light and lemony. The raspberries are a must. I baked it in the Vardagen cake pan from Ikea and it makes a lovely presentation (do heed the warnings about preparing your pan!). My only substitution was replacing 1/4 cup of flour with almond flour.

great recipe. i made the cake gluten free by using 1 1/4 cups king arthur gluten free four plus 1/4 cup of almond flour, which another commenter recommended. don’t have a round pan so i used two loaf pans. the texture is perfect and the cake is delish! 10/10!

I made this cake exactly as directed in a tube pan. Based on comments, I thought it would stick so, to keep it light and airy, I flipped the pan over directly from the oven (as I would do with an angel food cake) and it promptly plopped out of the pan onto the counter. No sticking at all. I did butter and flour I didn’t use a spray. This cake is delicious!! I didn’t have any berries on hand but we all agreed that it would be nice with raspberries, as well.

I've made this cake several times and decided to made a few changes. I follow the recipe to the letter, except that instead of the lemon oil I add the juice of BOTH zested lemons. (Didn't want to waste the extra one.) I also add a bit more fruit (cherries and blueberries) and since I first made this in the winter, I continue to use frozen fruit. With the extra moisture I leave in the cake in the oven for 4-7 mins. longer. Comes out perfectly each time--and of course it's delicious.

Whip egg whites longer?Cake had a good texture but did not rise. Used baking powder substitute. Could use more lemon zest. Berries sank

Love a cake recipe that doesn’t start with “1/2 cup butter, room temperature,” so when I decide to make it, I can just do it.

This cake is wonderful. I had eyed it for a while, but was a bit daunted by all the mixing. Then I treated myself to a top quality stand mixer and decided to try the recipe, minus the lemon oil. I also used frozen blueberries rather than fresh. It came out exactly as described. Next time I will add the lemon oil though maybe a little less sugar, but otherwise this cake is fantastic. Amazing!

This was delightful, even with me messing up the egg separation. I cut the sugar to 1 cup flat and did not miss anything - especially with the pop that the fresh raspberries I added gave the cake. I’m dreaming of this in 3 layers with some frosting- how wonderful! Maybe one day when I’m feeling adventurous.

163 g sugar (80% baker's percentage: see King Arthur "sugar reduction in cakes" blog entry) worked well for me with dried apricots.

I halved this recipe and baked it in a bread loaf pan with much success! Took 40 minutes in a glass pan, and came out really cleanly, though I heeded the sticky warning and buttered and floured liberally.

Can this be made in a loaf tin? If so, what adjustments should be made?

I pan sprayed and floured the pan and the batter still stuck after baking; any suggestions? Super frustrating! :(

So glad this turned up in Sam Sifton’s “post Christmas” newsletter this morning. In a few days, I’ll be ready to put on a party dress and head back to the recipe for Gabrielle Hamilton’s caviar sandwiches. But today, I baked this skipping the optional raspberries for a bit of a holiday food palate cleanser. The result was exactly the plain, bright cake I wanted to eat all by myself on one last afternoon in front of the Christmas tree.

This is very similar to my Mother's Passover sponge cake. I never thought to add berries, but this year, I will. Thanks!

Anyone try making this with Stevia?What? You want me to go first!

I read with envy how tall this cake is. Sadly, my cakes never rise! What am I doing wrong?