Torta Margherita is a soft, fluffy Italian cake made with simple ingredients like flour, eggs, and sugar. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a cozy afternoon treat.

Torta margherita with a slice cut and placed on top with a daisy as decoration.

Torta Margherita likely gets its name from the way it looks when sliced into wedges, each piece resembling a petal, with the powdered sugar on top and the golden-yellow crumb inside evoking the delicate look of a daisy.

This simple, delicate sponge cake takes my husband straight back to his childhood, to afternoons at nonna Maria’s house with the smell of something sweet wafting from the kitchen.

When he told me how much he missed that cake, I asked my mother-in-law if she still had the recipe for torta margherita. Without missing a beat, she smiled and just like that, she pulled out her old handwritten notebook and showed me the exact steps her mamma used to follow.

Torta Margherita (Italian sponge cake) on a platter and decorated with some fresh daisies on top.

How To Make Torta Margherita

First things first. Preheat your oven to 345°F (175°C). While the oven warms up, grab a 9-inch cake pan and grease it well with butter. Then dust it with a little flour.

In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter (make sure it’s really soft; I like to leave mine out for at least an hour) along with the sugar, a splash of vanilla, and some freshly grated lemon zest.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat everything together on high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should turn pale, creamy, and beautifully airy.

Mixing butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer.

You can do this step by hand (just like my mother in law used to do), it will take time but it’s doable for sure!

Now it’s time for the eggs. You’ll want to add them one at a time, mixing well after each one. I always crack mine into a small bowl first, just in case.

Once the first egg is fully blended into the mix, go ahead and add the second, and then the third. The batter should look nicely combined at this point.

Mixing eggs into the sugar and butter batter.

Next, pour the milk in and keep beating until everything is well incorporated. You’ll end up with a thick, soft, and glossy batter that already smells amazing.

Now grab a sieve and place it over your bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder all together.

Tip: This is one of those tiny steps that makes a big difference in this torta margherita. Sifting helps keep the batter light and ensures you don’t end up with large lumps.

Mix everything at low speed until everything is combined into a dense batter. Make sure you don’t overmix.

The final batter in a bowl with the electric mixer.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with your spatula. Pop it into the oven and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.

The top should turn a soft golden color, and when you insert a toothpick into the center, it should come out clean. Every oven is a little different, so I usually start checking around the 30-minute mark.

Once it’s done, take the cake out of the oven and let it rest in the pan over a wire rack for about 5 minutes.

The baked torta margherita cake in the pan over a cooling rack.

Then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. It smells so good at this point that it’s hard to wait, but try! The texture improves as it cools.

Note: As you can see, my cake cracked a bit on top, this was because I rushed and used some ingredients from the fridge (the butter and milk). So I just cut a little of the top with a knife and used the crumb to decorate (you can see on the photo below).

When it’s completely cool (and not a moment before!), dust the top with powdered sugar. That’s it. I also added a few daisies on top because well, here’s spring and we have the garden full of it!

A beautiful Torta Margherita sponge cake decorated with fresh daisies on top.

Slice it up and serve torta margherita plain, or alongside a cappuccino, a cup of tea, or even a spoonful of jam.

Baking Little Tips & Notes

Room temperature is your best friend. Cold eggs or milk can mess with the texture of the batter. I like to pull everything out about 30–60 minutes before I start baking, just while I’m having my coffee!

Give it time to cool. I know torta margherita smells amazing when it comes out of the oven (seriously, it’s torture), but wait until it’s completely cool before adding the powdered sugar. Otherwise, it melts right in and disappears like magic, sad magic.

Want a little twist? Sometimes I add a spoonful of orange zest instead of lemon for a citrusy change. Or I serve it with a spoonful of whipped cream and berries if I’m feeling fancy (or if we have guests).

Storing Tips

Torta Margherita keeps really well for a few days. Just let it cool completely, then store it at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in foil. It’ll stay soft and lovely for about 5 to 6 days.

If your kitchen is warm (hello, summer in Italy!), you can pop it in the fridge, but let it come back to room temp before serving.

You can also freeze it! Just wrap each piece in plastic wrap and tuck them in a freezer bag. Perfect for an emergency slice of cake with your coffee.

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