Pan di Spagna

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (static heat).
2. Butter the cake pan and dust with a little flour, tapping out excess.
3. Make sure all eggs are at room temperature.
4. In a stand mixer bowl or large bowl, crack the eggs, add a pinch of salt, all the sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean pulp), the optional shot of rum, and the grated zest of half a lemon (yellow part only).
5. Beat on high speed for exactly 20 minutes until the mixture is very thick, pale, and tripled in volume.
6. Sift the flour. Divide into 3-4 parts. Using a spatula, gently fold the flour into the egg mixture with bottom-to-top and rotating motions until fully incorporated and no flour lumps remain. Scrape the bottom of the bowl well.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Do not tap the pan; instead, gently rotate the pan to level the batter.
8. Place the pan in the hot oven, immediately lower the temperature to 160°C (static heat), and bake for 40 minutes. Do not open the oven during baking.
9. The cake is done when it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly in the pan.
10. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and remove the pan. Allow to cool completely before slicing or filling.