Portuguese Honey Cake

• 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Sliced almonds, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat egg yolks, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until they are thick. Add honey and olive oil and beat well.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until well mixed. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until they are combined.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whip egg whites until they form stiff peaks and gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. Spoon the batter into a 9-inch springform pan sprayed well with nonstick cooking spray-with-flour, and garnish the top of the cake with sliced almonds.

Bake the cake on the middle rack 40 to 45 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Remove it from the oven and cool 25 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the outer band of the springform pan and cool completely.

Yield: one 9-inch cake