Torta al latte caldo

This cake gets its lift from the whipped eggs and the fine crumb of all-purpose flour, so swaps do change the texture. A 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with a binder works best and stays closest to the original. Whole wheat makes it noticeably denser and drier, so replace at most half of the 160 g and fold even more gently.

Lightly golden is the goal, so if the surface colors early, loosely tent it with foil and keep baking to the full 30-35 minutes. Test with a skewer in the center: it should come out with no wet batter clinging to it, and the top should spring back when pressed. Pulling it out too soon is the most common cause of a sunken middle.

The milk and butter should be hot but never boiling, and it needs to go in slowly in a thin stream while you mix gently. Dumping it in at once cooks the egg foam and knocks out the air you spent 4-5 minutes whipping. Fold rather than beat at this stage, and stop as soon as the batter looks smooth.

Let it cool completely first, then keep it airtight at room temperature; refrigerating dries out this kind of light sponge. It stays tender for a few days and is best in the first two. Dust with powdered sugar only just before serving, since the sugar melts into the surface over time.

The whipped egg base cannot wait, so mix and bake in one go once you start. What you can do ahead is measure the dry mix of flour, baking powder, and salt and line the pan. The baked cake freezes well: cool it completely, wrap tightly without the powdered sugar, and dust after thawing at room temperature.