Proenca-a-Nova (honey cake)

• By Daphne Caruana Galizia

You will need:

Eight eggs, 200g of sugar, 200g of plain flour, one teaspoonful of baking powder, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one level teacup of olive oil, one level teacup of honey, the grated rind of one and a half lemons.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the sugar. Beat in the olive oil, honey and rind. Whisk the egg-whites until they are firm. Sift the flour with the baking powder and cinnamon. Into the yolk-and-honey mixture, stir the whisked whites a little at a time, alternating with gradual additions of flour. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured cake-tin with a hole in the middle. Bake it in a low oven for around an hour – but keep an eye on it.