The Margherita cake is a traditional festive cake prepared in Northern and Central Italy.
Once covered with powdered sugar and cut into wedges, it resembles the flower from which it takes its name, with each white slice being a petal next to the yellow color of the cake’s interior.
It is a cake of peasant origin that was originally made only with flour, potato starch, sugar, and eggs. It resulted in a sort of sponge cake that was great for dipping.
Because of its simplicity and goodness, it was a common practice in the past to exchange a Margherita cake during festive occasions among people who held each other in high esteem.
In this way, they implicitly recognized each other’s virtues and excellent qualities.
Nowadays, the recipe for this cake also includes the addition of a fat component like butter or oil and yeast.
It is a very good cake, suitable for the whole family, and you can decide whether to enjoy it simply or filled with cream of your choice inside.
By following my recipe, you’ll find some tips that will help you achieve a great result.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 259.81 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 33.14 (g) of which sugars 17.04 (g)
- Proteins 4.91 (g)
- Fat 13.00 (g) of which saturated 7.92 (g)of which unsaturated 5.06 (g)
- Fibers 0.28 (g)
- Sodium 42.53 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 75 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup potato starch
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
- 7 tbsp butter
- 4 eggs
- Half packet vanillin
- 1 packet baking powder
- to taste lemon zest (grated)
- to taste powdered sugar
Tools
- 2 Bowls
- Electric whisk
- 1 Spatula silicone
- 1 Sieve for flour
- 1 Lemon grater
- 1 Cake pan square 8" x 8"
Steps
To prepare the Margherita cake, start by melting the butter over very low heat.
Then let it cool.
Take the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites.
Beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric mixer.
In the bowl containing the yolks, add the 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp of sugar and beat with the electric mixer until frothy.
Add the grated zest of an untreated lemon and half a packet of vanillin.
Then, gradually, add 2/3 cup of sifted all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup of potato starch.
Continue with 1 packet of sifted baking powder, the melted and cooled butter, and finally the egg whites.
Mix with movements that go from bottom to top, using a silicone spatula.
Once a homogeneous mixture is obtained, pour it all into a square 8″ x 8″ springform pan, buttered and floured, or as I preferred, buttered and lined with parchment paper cut to size.
Bake at 356°F in a preheated static oven, middle/lower level, for about 30/35 minutes.
Always perform the toothpick test before removing from the oven.
Unmold the cake after at least a few minutes and then let it cool completely.
If you want a different presentation of the cake, trim the edges when cold and generously sprinkle its surface with powdered sugar.
Store at room temperature in an airtight cake container or under a glass dome for 4 or 5 days. However, if filled with cream, store in the fridge in an airtight container for about 2 or 3 days.
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