Food - Drink
What Makes Genoise Sponge Cake More Tender Than Other Varieties
By WENDY MEAD
If you’ve watched any baking shows, you’ve likely heard of Genoise sponge cake, a special and versatile cake with a rich flavor and an especially light fluffy texture.
While there’s some debate about the origins of Genoise, French chefs definitely helped bring it to its modern form. Today, the soft cake is a staple in French patisseries.
A Genoise doesn’t use any rising agents like baking powder. The eggs and sugar in the cake are whipped to an airy consistency, giving it a tenderness that trumps most other cakes.
To properly make Genoise cake, beat eggs and sugar until they become thick and airy and reach the “ribbon stage,” when the batter looks like ribbons as it falls from the whisk.
A mixture of flour and cornstarch is gently folded in, in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 of the total amount at a time. Lastly, the flour-egg batter is folded into melted, cooled butter.
Bake your completed batter in a greased and floured cake pan. The final cake should be light, spongy, and tender, yet rich in flavor thanks to the melted butter.
You can also wipe out some of the flour for cocoa powder to make chocolate Genoise. Layer the cake with cream and fruit, turn it into tiramisu or a trifle, or enjoy on its own.