Rachel Roddy's recipe for torta del paradiso, or paradise cake | A kitchen in Rome

For a few weeks I had an appointment on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. It was suggested that while I shouldn't eat a big lunch ahead of time, I could have a light snack that didn't interfere with my shoulder manipulation. If I had been told not to eat anything, it would have been easier: an adjustment at breakfast maybe, an ice cream or a bag of crisps afterwards, and thoughts of dinner. But "anything that might interfere with my shoulder" was a question as much as a suggestion. What wouldn't interfere with my shoulder? Crackers and cheese, yogurt, ice cream, banana, triangle sandwich, or jam-filled cookie from the nearest bar?

One ​​of the many benefits of having a granny who ran a pub knew from an early age what a wonderful place a long bar can be. And not just in a pub. It can be in a canteen or a pool cafe, or in a bar in the Italian sense - a long counter where you have something to eat or drink quickly, be alone in company, have things happening behind the bar at to watch and a person to talk to. Or not. Anyway, this was the third or fourth week I've been standing at the counter in Bar Paradiso, having a cappuccino and a slice of plain cake. It was perfect, didn't interfere with my shoulder and my stomach didn't growl. I went back the following week, which was my last appointment. But heaven and cake were now forever linked, so when I read about torta del paradiso, which has nothing to do with a bar in Rome ( it's typical of Pavia in Lombardia), I decided to do it.

There is a legend about a herbalist monk inventing this cake for his confreres , and a story that it was the creation of Enrico Vigoni, a local baker. In both cases, the peculiarity of the torta del paradiso is its airy lightness. That's thanks to four things: using icing sugar, creaming the butter, icing sugar, and yolks until extremely pale and fluffy, using half potato starch and half flour, and whipping the egg whites into stiff peaks before folding in. All the aeration produces a paler cake too. It is also a memorable "quattro quarti" (four-part) cake, which, like a classic pound cake, uses equal parts butter, sugar, flour and eggs.

The classic way to serve this cake is dusted with icing sugar, using a stencil to make a pattern, if desired. Another way is to invert the cake and fill it with lemon cream and/or mascarpone sweetened with a little sugar. You can also prick the underside of the cake with a toothpick and sprinkle the holes with a liqueur – think maraschino and williams pear – so that the bottom centimeter is lightly soaked. Which means that while it's a light cake, nature's paradise is as much about sinking as it is about floating.

Torta del Paradiso

Preparation 15 minBaking 40 minMakes 1 cake 24cm

250g softened butter 250g icing sugar 5 eggs separated 125g potato starch 125g flour 2tsp baking powder chemical Zest of 1 large untreated lemon

To serve (all optional)Icing sugar, for dusting 1 small jar of lemon curd 150g mascarpone mixed with 2 tsp sugar Liquor (eg maraschino or williams pear)

Beat the butter and half the icing sugar very well, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well in each before adding the next, then add the potato starch, flour, baking powder and lemon zest, and beat again. /p>

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until nice and frothy, add the rest of the sugar and whisk until stiff. Fold the egg white mixture into the bowl of butter, then scrape everything into a 24cm lined cake pan and bake in the middle of a 180C (160C fan)/350F/Gas 4 oven for 40 minutes, until a skewer or spaghetti comes out clean.

To serve, dust with icing sugar. Alternatively, invert and fill with lemon cream and/or mascarpone sweetened with a little sugar, or prick the underside with a toothpick, sprinkle with liqueur and leave to soak for a few minutes.