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¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Stir the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes, then drizzle over the cooled cake.

Orange Sponge Cake

The addition of egg yolks gives this cake a texture that’s a cross between an angel food cake and a traditional cake. Because the cake’s slightly heavier, the pan needs to be lightly greased. Once cooled, fill the center with fresh berries and serve the slices with Sweetened Whipped Cream. Makes one 10-inch round tube cake

Unsalted butter or nonstick spray for greasing the pan

1 cup cake flour, plus additional for dusting the pan

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest

1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter or spray the bottom, sides, and inner tube of a 10-inch round tube cake pan or angel food cake pan with a removable bottom; dust it with flour, shaking out the excess but making sure everything’s well coated.

Beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to high, and beat until you can create droopy peaks in the mixture by dabbing it with the turned-off beaters, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Clean and dry the beaters. In a second large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar at medium speed until thick ribbons form when the beaters are turned off and lifted out of the mixture (the ribbons will drizzle onto the batter without immediately dissolving back into it), about 5 minutes. Beat in the orange zest and the orange juice concentrate.

Scrape down the beaters and remove them. Gently fold in the cake flour with a rubber spatula just until moistened.

Add the beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula in two additions, folding in half until fully incorporated, then folding in the remainder gently and slowly just until the egg whites are evenly distributed throughout the batter, if still a tad visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

To cool: Set the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a long, thin knife around the inside rim of the cake and remove the sides. Set aside on the rack to continue cooling to room temperature.

To unmold: Run a knife along the bottom of the pan, slicing the cake off the tube pan. Also run the knife around the inner tube to release the cake there. Invert, then remove the tube pan’s bottom. Reinvert the cake onto a serving plate.

To store: Cool completely, then set under a cake dome for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Lemon Sponge Cake: Substitute lemon zest and lemon juice for the orange zest and orange juice.

Lime Sponge Cake: Substitute lime zest and lime juice for the orange zest and orange juice.

Orange Coconut Sponge Cake: Fold in 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut with the first half of the egg whites.

Strawberry Shortcake

Here’s simplicity itself: tender, yogurt-leavened biscuit cakes and fresh strawberries with Sweetened Whipped Cream. Makes 8 strawberry shortcakes

2¼ cups cake flour, plus additional for dusting

¼ cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2/3 cup plain regular or low-fat yogurt

(do not use fat-free)

1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 tablespoon gold rum, brandy, Cognac, or bourbon

Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Whisk the flour, ¼ cup sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture, using a