Italian lemon rice cake

SERVES 6- 8

Serve this cake as a dessert to follow the beef rolls (right) and you’ve got a genuine Italian feast to enjoy.

25g butter, melted

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

or use panko crumbs

2½ cups full milk

¾ cup Arborio rice

1⁄ 3 cup sugar, plus

1 tbsp extra

zest of 2 lemons, plus extra, to garnish

¼ tsp salt

4 eggs, separated

1⁄ 3 cup ground almonds Icing sugar and yoghurt or whipped cream, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease the bottom and sides of a 20cm springform tin with the melted butter, then coat with breadcrumbs. Shake the tin to remove any excess.

2 In a saucepan, bring milk to the boil and remove from heat. Add the rice, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Return to the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the milk is absorbed and the rice creamy – about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3 Separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the cooled rice. Add the ground almonds, stirring to combine.

4 Whip the egg whites to a stiff peak and gently fold into the rice mixture.

5 Spoon into the springform tin and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

6 Cool in the tin for 30 minutes before removing.

7 Dredge with icing sugar, then serve with the cream or yoghurt and a sprinkling of zest.