Ciambella, which literally translates to "donut", is a traditional Italian breakfast treat made with just a few ingredients. This is the classic version for ciambella that is flavored with just lemon zest and vanilla.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position your oven rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a standard bundt cake pan or ring-shaped pan with nonstick cooking spray or shortening; set aside.
Separate the eggs yolks and egg whites into two large bowls. Use a handheld mixer to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside.
In the bowl with the egg yolks, add in the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Mix until well combined; about two minutes. Add in the milk, oil, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined. Next, mix in the flour, working in three batches, until the flour is just incorporated into the batter.
Use a rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the ciambella has cooled, dust the top with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
Italians usually make Ciambella in a ring-shaped pan, however, a standard (12 cup) bundt cake pan works well for this recipe.
Use room temperature eggs. If your eggs are cold, let them sit in a bowl of warm water for five minutes before using.
I usually separate the egg whites from the yolks by cracking the egg in half and using the shell to hold the yolk while the white drips out. You could also crack the egg into a bowl and scoop out the yolk with clean hands, letting the whites drip out through your fingers.
Don't worry about being too gentle when incorporating the beaten egg whites into the batter.
Grease your pan well before adding the batter. Don't forget to grease the inside tube part of the pan.
Test the cake for doneness using a toothpick. Be careful not to over bake.
Store leftover Ciambella in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.