Paradise Cake, aka Torta Del Paradiso, is a wonderfully buttery cake from Italy that’s so good, you don’t need any frosting or cream on top.
It’s just so moist and tasty!
That said, a little glass of limoncello on the side wouldn’t hurt!
The Best Paradise Cake Recipe
So what makes this cake so scrumptious?
Well, it starts with a simple butter and sugar mix. You’ll need to beat that until it’s light and fluffy.
Pretty standard so far, I know.
From there, you’ll add egg yolks, followed by potato starch, flour, and baking powder. The starch works to keep the crumb insanely moist, and the yolks keep things bright and rich.
Add a touch of lemon (or orange) zest, and you could easily bake it right there. It would be soft, tasty, and wonderfully dense.
But for this recipe, you’ll need some egg whites. Once they’re whisked until thick and stiff, you’ll fold them into the cake batter to ensure the cake comes out light and airy.
Trust me, all you need once this baby bakes is a dusting of powdered sugar.
That said, I added a light lemon glaze, and it was unbelievably delicious. Seriously, it melted on my tongue!
Or, some silky-smooth lemon mascarpone frosting would be incredible!
I used small bundt pans to make these adorable little cakes. But this recipe is ideal for a simple, round, 8-inch cake pan.
How to Make Paradise Cake
This recipe is enough for one 8 or 9-inch (20-23 cm) pan. Feel free to double the recipe and stack them with some lemon and mascarpone frosting in the middle. Yum!
Ingredients:
- 300 grams of Powdered Sugar (split in two)
- 300 grams of soft Butter
- 150 grams of All-Purpose Flour
- 150 grams of Potato Starch
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 4 Egg Whites
- 1 tablespoon of Baking Powder
- 1 Lemon (zest and juice if you want to add the glaze)
- Powdered Sugar for dusting/glaze
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease the pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Put the soft butter and 150 grams of powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Beat with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until the butter looks pale and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the egg yolks and beat until combined.
- Sift the potato starch, flour, and baking soda, then add the dry to the bowl.
- Mix well with a spatula or with a mixer on the lowest speed.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to be sure you have all the lumps, add the lemon zest, and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites, starting on low, until they begin to froth.
- Then, slowly add the other half of the powdered sugar (150 grams), mixing continuously as you do so.
- Once the powdered sugar is all in, turn the mixer up and whisk until the egg whites have doubled in size.
- Add the whipped egg white a little at a time, folding them through the batter until you can no longer see streaks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool, then add a dusting of powdered sugar - or a glaze if you wish.
Note: to make the glaze, simply squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl and carefully fold in powdered sugar until it’s the consistency you prefer.