Pine Nut Cake

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with half the sugar. In another bowl, beat the remaining sugar with the butter. Gently stir the two mixtures together. Gradually add this to the flour, mixing in a little at a time to avoid lumps forming. Beat the eggwhites until stiff and gently fold them into the mixture, taking care to retain as much air as possible.

Scatter the pine nuts over a baking sheet. Toast in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until they begin to color. Grind 5 ounces of them in a blender and reserve the remainder. Fold the ground nuts into the batter. Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan and fill it with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry.

Turn the cake out onto a serving plate. Decorate the top with the remaining pine nuts, sprinkle with the powdered sugar and serve.