giant of the Italian pastry tradition, translates literally to “Spanish bread” but is neither Spanish nor bread. Similar to a genoise or Genovese cake, pan di Spagna is a delicate, fluffy sponge cake that harnesses the power of egg foam, both aerated meringue and ribboned egg yolks. And while this cake has always been a national treasure, a clever marketing scheme introduced another Italian icon into the equation. Though the pan di Spagna needs no extra leavening power thanks to the egg foam in the batter, Lievito Bertolini had a leavening
