Italian breakfast ring cake (Ciambellone)

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C; butter a ring or bundt tin of about 24 cm and dust it with flour.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and a pinch of salt using an electric mixer for 8-10 minutes until pale and doubled in volume.

3. On low speed, add the milk, oil and grated lemon zest.

4. Mix the flour with the baking powder, sift it in two or three batches and fold it in gently with a spatula so as not to knock out the air.

5. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes; it's done when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out without raw batter.

6. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and, once cool, dust with icing sugar.

Tip: The classic breakfast and snack cake of Italian families, best dunked in milky coffee; stir cocoa into half the batter for a marbled version, and covered it stays soft for 3-4 days.