Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups sugar (divided use)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ cups egg whites (from about 12 large eggs)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (strained of any pulp)

• 1 ½ teaspoons orange extract

• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Preparation:

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Set aside 3/4 cup sugar. Sift remaining sugar together with the flour onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites, salt and lemon juice. Using the mixer's whisk attachment, whip at medium speed until the eggs are white, opaque and begin to hold their shape.

4. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip in the reserved 3/4 cup sugar a couple tablespoons at a time. Whip until the egg whites hold a soft, glossy peak. Add the orange extract and zest and whip another few seconds.

5. A third at a time, sift the flour and sugar mixture over the whipped egg whites, then use a large rubber spatula to carefully fold it in.

6. Scrape the batter into an ungreased 10-inch two-piece tube pan, rotating the pan to fill it evenly. Gently plunge a rubber spatula into the batter at 2-inch intervals with an up-and-down motion to release any large air bubbles. Use the spatula to smooth the top of the batter.

7. Bake the cake 45 to 55 minutes, or until well browned, well risen and firm to the touch. Invert the central tube of the pan onto the neck of an empty narrow-necked bottle, such as a wine bottle, so the cake hangs upside down. Let the cake cool completely, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

8. Use a long, thin knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan, scraping the knife against the side of the pan, not the cake.

9. Remove the cake from the pan by pulling the central tube. Run the knife between the cake and bottom of the pan; use the knife to loosen the cake from the tube. Invert the cake onto a platter and gently pull the pan base and tube away from the cake.