There’s a Spanish proverb that roughly translates into: The stomach rules the mind. That being said, it’s no surprise that students are always more inclined to attend events with free food. Group leaders tell us all the time that one of the easiest ways to encourage students to attend a recruitment meeting or keep them engaged before it’s time to depart is to serve food from the places the group will be traveling to.

If you’re going on a trip to Italy, check out this recipe for Italian olive oil lemon cake. It appeared yesterday on Boston.com and seemed too delicious not to post. Why not serve it at your next meeting?

Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan) 7 eggs, separated and at room temperature 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup top-quality olive oil 1 cup flour 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder Grated rind of 1 lemon Confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling)

1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust it with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. In a bowl using a whisk, beat the egg yolks and gradually beat in the granulated sugar and olive oil.

3. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and lemon rind. Mix well.

4. In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture until no white patches show.

5. Transfer the batter to the pan. Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed with a fingertip.

6. Let the cake cool. Unlatch the spring and slide the cake onto a flat platter. Sprinkle generously with confectioners’ sugar.