Economical Cake

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a round cake pan with butter and dust lightly with flour, shaking out any excess.

Cream together the softened butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes of vigorous beating.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Add the egg yolks one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.

Add the vanilla or finely grated lemon peel to the mixture and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder with a fork until evenly distributed.

In another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the flour mixture into the butter and egg yolk mixture using a spatula, being careful not to overmix.

Carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in two additions to keep the mixture light and airy.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is golden brown.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.