Lemon Sponge Cake

2 lemons – grate and keep
- squeeze juice and add 4 Tbsp sugar – mix & set aside
10 eggs
1 cup + 1 tsp flour (white or wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ cup sugar (use 4 Tbsp for lemon juice)
¼ cup oil (vegetable or olive oil)
pinch of salt (can use sea salt)
2/3 cup water

Get 2 medium and 1 large bowls. Separate 7 eggs into the whites (med bowl) and yolk (large bowl). Measure out other ingredients into separate containers. For the dry ingredients, sift (flour, baking powder, salt). Beat yolks well (can see frothing) with mixer. While mixing, add in 1/3 (not exact) of each: sugar, oil, water and 1 whole egg. Do this 3 times, for each egg. This is why it’s convenient to premeasure ingredients. Add lemon juice. The mixture is pretty liquidy and frothy.

Add dry ingredients a little at a time while beating. Consistency is a little more liquid than regular cake batter. Add lemon peels. If want fluffier cake can sift batter before adding peels.

Preheat oven (convection oven option if possible) to 350°F. Oil the bundt pan.

Rinse mixer paddles. Beat egg whites until stiff. Use a spatula to fold egg whites into wet mixture. Don’t need to be real gentle – can mix vigorously to make a smooth batter. Can break up the egg white against the bowl if needed. Once the batter is smooth – don’t overbeat. It should be slightly thick (should need to smooth a little to get it even in the pan. Pour into pan and put in the oven for 10 min.

Turn down to 320°F and bake for additional 40-45 min. Check with chopstick. Remove from oven and allow to cool – it will deflate some.