Pan Di Spagna

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a stand mixer bowl, combine whole eggs (at room temperature) and sugar. Beat on high speed for 20 minutes until the mixture is very thick, pale, and tripled in volume.
3. Add the grated lemon zest, vanilla essence (or seeds from a vanilla pod), and rum. Mix briefly to combine.
4. Sift together the flour, potato starch, and baking powder.
5. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a whisk or spatula, making bottom-to-top motions until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
6. Butter and flour a round cake pan (approx. 24 cm diameter). Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
7. Sprinkle the top of the batter with a thin layer of brown sugar (this helps prevent excessive rising and cracking).
8. Place the pan in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 150°C (300°F). Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn it upside down onto a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents it from collapsing.