Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Francine Segan's Torta Mimosa .

　　Pan di spagna, "bread of Spain," is a key ingredient in hundreds of classic Italian desserts like zuccoto and Sicilian cassata. Pan di spagna's light and airy texture absorbs fillings amazingly well, so it stacks wonderfully, allowing you to create tall, moist layer cakes.

　　

Ingredients

Makes enough for two 9-inch/23-centimeter round thin cake layers,<br/> or one 9-inch/23-centimeter round thick cake layer

　　Butter and flour for the pan

　　Eggs, 4 large

　　Sugar, 1 cup (8 ounces/225 grams) plus 2 tablespoons

　　Egg yolks, 8 large

　　00 flour, 1 7/8 cups (7 ounces/200 grams)

　　Potato starch or cornstarch, 1/4 cup (1 ounce/30 grams)

　　Pure vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons

　　Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter and flour one or two 9- or 10-inch (23- to 25-centimeter) springform cake pans.

　　

Step 2

Combine the whole eggs and sugar in a stand mixer and beat on high speed for 15 minutes, until the mixture quadruples in volume.

　　

Step 3

Add the egg yolks and beat on high speed for 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough to write with. Sift the flour and potato starch gradually into the egg-sugar mixture, incorporating a little at a time, mixing each inclusion of flour delicately with a spatula, scooping from the bottom up, so you do not deflate the eggs. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest until just blended, then divide the batter between the prepared pans.

　　

Step 4

Bake for about 30 minutes, until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not overbake. It will dry and set as it cools.

　　

Step 5

Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dolci: Italy's Sweets by Francine Segan, © 2013 Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams.