Torta Margherita is a classic Italian cake that's both fluffy and slightly dense, and not too sweet. This is a great treat to have for breakfast or dessert served with berries and whipped cream.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan (or cake pan) and dust with powdered sugar; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Use a handheld mixer on high to mix together the ingredients until light in color and frothy; about 3-4 minutes.
To the mixture add in the lemon zest, flour, and cornstarch. Use a rubber spatula to fold all of the ingredients together until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Bake on center rack in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, before removing collar and letting cool completely.
Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Eggs: use room temperature large eggs. Save the leftover egg whites to make egg white omelets or these delicious Lemon Amaretti Cookies.
Mixing: the eggs and sugar need to be light and frothy before adding in the dry ingredients otherwise the cake will be dense.
Cornstarch: in Italy, this cake is made using potato starch instead of cornstarch. Either thickeners work for this recipe.
Cake Pan: if you don't have a springform pan, a standard 9-inch cake pan works. Be sure to grease the pan well and add a parchment round to the bottom.
Topping: Torta Margherita is traditionally served with dusted powdered sugar on top. You can also serve it with macerated berries and whipped cream for a simple dessert.
Storage: leftover cake can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze the cake for up to two months. Defrost before serving.