Dorie Greenspan recently published a recipe in the New York Times that she described as a recreation of a scrumptious breakfast cake she’d had in Rome. A little asking around revealed it to be a ciambella, a lightly sweet lemon cake eaten by hand and often dunked in coffee or sweet red wine. Dorie’s recounting of that moment at the Italian coffee shop was so delicious and so romantic that despite the fact that her recipe includes whipped egg whites (dangerous territory at high altitude), I couldn’t resist trying to adapt it into this High Altitude Lemon Blackberry Breakfast Cake.
Much to my joyful amazement (and quite honestly, shock), the cake worked on the first try. It baked up light and high and perfectly tender. A small summertime miracle! And trust, people: this required no particularly tricky baking skill on my part; it’s all about the chemistry. You too can make this lofty, light, scrumptious beauty, even at 10,000 feet.
I’m a sucker for lemon-flavored baked goods (see: here and here), and this recipe packs a triple-punch with fresh lemon juice, zest, and lemon extract. The tartness is balanced with just the right touch of sweetness (even when I reduced the amount of sugar to help strengthen the batter).
It’s a simple batter – just flour, sugar, baking powder (to boost that fantastic rise), salt, lemon, and eggs. Lots of eggs.
A word on whipping egg whites
Why are whipped egg whites scary at altitude? Because, thanks to the lower atmospheric pressure up here, the whites tend to expand quickly and collapse dramatically. Which, without the necessary precautions, can render your cake/souffle/meringue a big pile of mess.
What you want in this case is a texture just past soft peaks, which is the point at which the whites stand up and flop over slightly. At this point they’ll still have a little room to expand when they hit the heat. Adding a pinch of salt (or cream of tartar) also helps stabilize them.
Whipping egg whites is an art, I have learned. They do not behave like whipping cream, which allows you to walk away from the mixer and multi-task. I can’t tell you how many egg whites I’ve ruined by overwhipping in my stand mixer. It’s a fine, fine line between perfect stiff peaks and grainy, watery, over-whipped whites. I’ve crossed that line many times and uttered a great number of curse words.
The best method I’ve found is to whip the whites by hand, in a clean, grease-free bowl with a big wire whisk. It’s an arm workout, but you have much better control and feel for what you’re doing.
The pan matters
The recipe calls for a tube pan, but you could use an angel food cake or a bundt pan too. What’s important is the ring shape, which really helps the batter bake evenly and thoroughly (a sanity-saver at altitude). Be sure to butter and flour your pan meticulously, as this cake is, as Dorie says, a sticker. I used this non-stick angel food cake pan and lots of butter and flour and my cake slid right out.
Dorie’s recipe suggests adding berries, and the blackberries have been so sweet and juicy lately that I had to fold some in. I mean, look at the size of these babies:
I had to cut them in half. There’s also a little trick for making sure they don’t all sink to the bottom of the cake: coat the berries in flour. This gives them a little friction with which to “grab” the batter and stay suspended throughout.
I don’t have photos of the freshly baked cake because I planned my time poorly and had to rush to work before it was done. So I had to leave my non-baker husband (no seriously, he’s never baked) in charge. He had to test for doneness, remove the cake from the oven, and un-mold it. Thankfully, he followed directions brilliantly and didn’t lose a crumb. I added a dusting of powdered sugar on top (totally optional), and we dug in.
Just look at that. Not many cakes come out four inches high at high altitude. Make it, be proud, and enjoy thoroughly. When you eat it – for breakfast, dessert, whenever – maybe say a wee prayer of thanks to Dorie, Italy, and the goddess of egg whites.
Print
High Altitude Lemon Blackberry Breakfast Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour, 5 mins
- Yield: 8–12 slices 1x
Description
Lofty, luscious, lemony perfection is possible at high altitudes with this lightly sweet, moist, berry-studded ring cake, inspired by the classic Italian ciambella.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt, divided
6 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups + 2 TB granulated sugar
freshly grated zest of two lemons
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)
1/4 tsp lemon extract
1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil (I use grapeseed or avocado)
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries + 2 TB flour for coating
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.* Thoroughly butter and flour a tube, angel food, or bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt (reserve the remainder of the salt).
In a separate bowl or stand mixer, whip the remaining 1/4 tsp salt with the egg whites until the whites are just past the soft peak stage (do not over-whip or whites will become puffy, grainy, and watery). Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the lemon zest and sugar and mix until combined (if you’ve used the stand mixer to whip the egg whites, no need to clean it first). Add the 6 egg yolks and beat until the mixture is creamy and well-combined, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla, and oil. Beat 3 minutes more, then scrape the bowl again. Stir in the flour mixture just until all the flour is incorporated.
If your egg whites are looking droopy, whisk them for a few moments to renew their texture. Add a big dollop to the thick batter and stir it in gently to loosen the mixture, then fold in the remainder of the whites gently and with extreme care to ensure they don’t deflate. Carefully fold in the blackberries.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature from 375 to 350 degrees* and bake undisturbed (resisting any urges to open the oven door for a peek) for 45-50 minutes, until the top is evenly brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife carefully around the edges of the pan to release the sides. Invert the cake onto a rack, remove the pan, and continue to cool. When the cake is completely cool, dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.
Wrap leftovers in plastic or keep in an airtight container.
Notes
… starting the bake at a higher temperature and then reducing it give the batter a strong blast of heat that helps it set in the middle.
… if you want to make a sweeter cake, whip up a simple glaze made of lemon juice and powdered sugar to drizzle on top.
Bravo!!!! And… Way to go David!!!
Please add this to my list of goodies you’ll be making me when I come visit!!!
Thank you very much.
Thank you for the tutorial on how to whip egg whites in high altitude. Your cake looks amazing. I cannot wait to make it. Thanks for a wonderful blog and recipes.
Thank you, Connie! Egg whites are tricky for sure so I’m glad to share my tips. Let me know how the cake turns out for you!