Italian breakfast cake muffins

Plain but very tasty individual cakes, similar to Spanish 'magdalenas', with the addition of a crunchy sugar top. Perfect with hot chocolate, coffee, tea or milk, either for breakfast or at any time.

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
   Melt the butter in one pan and warm the milk in another. Or do this in separate bowls in a microwave if you have one.
   Brush a little of the melted butter all over the insides of a six-hole giant muffin tin or a 12-hole standard muffin tin*. Dust with a little flour and tip out any excess.
   Sift the flour and baking powder together.
   Put the sugar in a mixing bowl. Separate the eggs. Add the yolks to the sugar and beat for about a minute. Finely grate the lemon zest and add to the mixture, along with the vanilla and beat again. Add 2 tablespoons of the sifted flour and baking powder, then beat well. While beating, slowly pour in the melted butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add 2 more tbsp of flour and beat again. Add half of the warm milk, beat well, then add half of the remaining flour and beat. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour.
   Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add 1/4 to the bowl and stir together. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites.
   Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling each one just over half full. Scatter over the pearl / nibbed sugar if using.
   Bake for 18-20 minutes in a standard muffin tin, and 22-25 minute in a giant muffin tin. A cocktail stick inserted in the centre should come out clean when they are ready.
   Leave to cool then turn out of the tin, running a palette knife around the sides of each muffin to help loosen if needed.
   If not using pearl / nibbed sugar, dust with a little icing sugar once cooled.