Lucia's Breakfast Cake

Breakfast in Italy is usually a cup of perfectly prepared cappuccino and pastry. Since this is our Valentine's Day post, let's eat Italian style shall we?
This little gem is called a breakfast cake...it really isn't like any other cake I've ever made. This is a cake made with a dough instead of a batter. There's no leavening in it, so it doesn't rise. The dough is pressed into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, brushed with an egg wash and baked. It's a very simple little cake...no bells and whistles...none are needed. It holds it's ground as is, that was very evident with my first bite.
I cut this into wedges, picked it up with my hand and bit into a little cake that had a big shortbread cookie taste that was wonderful. A little crisp on the outside with a buttery shortbread consistency and taste that is addicting. Perfect for a light breakfast, fabulous with a cup of coffee or at tea time and with just the right amount of "sweet", it's the perfect ending to any meal. I doubled the vanilla in the recipe, 2 teaspoons instead of one. You could definitely switch out the vanilla for almond extract or add lemon zest to make it your own. Maybe add mini chocolate chips if that's your fancy....but make it as is the first time and taste the bliss of simplicity.