Sponge Cake (Genoise)

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour 100.000% 100 100 g

Eggs (6) 300.000% 300 300 g

Sugar 100.000% 100 100 g

1. Whisk whole eggs over bain marie (eggs should reach about 45ºC)
2. When eggs are warming, add sugar and whisk until sugar grains are dissolved (~43-45ºC )
3. Transfer eggs to mixer and mix at Sp 4-5 increasing quickly to Sp 7-9
4. Egg colour will change from mustard yellow to a lighter colour in about 10 minutes. Sift the flour and powders in the meantime.
   
   
5. After ~7 minutes, perform wall height tests to make sure mix has reached max volume
6. Once max volume has been reached, add sifted flour
7. Mix with a whisk going back a forth gently trying to keep as much air as possible (30")
8. Check SG to be 0.4-0.5
9. Oil a half tray and line it with parchment
10. Pour the batter on the parchment and spread with offset spatula
11. Make sure the spread is even (just over 1 cm to 1.5)
12. Bake immediately for about 7-10 minutes at 400 ºF
    
    
13. Once baked, check for doneness by pressing lightly in the center. Cake should bounce back
    
    
    

Tips

• Eggs get maximum volume when warm
• Don't use icing sugar as it has cornstarch that will dry the cake
• Brown sugar will change colour and batter will spread more
• Don't leave the eggs unattended as they coagulate at ~76ºC (in Canada/USA) and begin to cook at 85ºC
• Cake volume depends on whipping
• If no mixer is available, a High Fat cake may be a better option
• Filling will determine kind of cake. Heavy fillings or tall tiered cakes won't work with egg foam cakes
• Make sure all implements and bowls are free of water and contamination
• Wall height test: Increase speed to max and survey a high point inside bowl walls. If height doesn't rise, the max volume has been reached
• Make sure to stop whipping when max volume has been reached as it will lose volume if not
• Specific Gravity (SG): Divide de weight of the batter by the weight of the same volume of water.
• Spreadign the batter will increase the SG, so keep it at the lowest value to reach 0.4
• After SG is reached, proceed quickly to reduce air loss
• If batter is too low, it was overmixed
• Avoid slamming the tray more than once

Official Method:

Plain Sponge or Genoise Method

1. Preheat the revolving/mechanical oven to 400°F/204°C. Prepare a full sheet pan with a parchmen paper.
2. Warm the eggs and sugar in a bowl over a double boiler stirring constantly until the mixture has reached 43°C/110°F.
3. Transfer the egg and sugar mixture into a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, and on high speed whip until a high volume is obtained - ribbon stage.
4. Stabilize the air cells for one minute on a low speed.
5. Sift the flour very well. Gradually and gently fold in the flour by hand using a rubber spatula.
6. Spread the batter evenly on a very flat sheet pan lined with parchment paper, using an off set palette knife.
7. Bake immediately for about 7-9 minutes until a light golden colour is achieved.
8. Allow to sponge cool completely. Unmold from the pan then sprinkle with granulated sugar and cover with plastic before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.

Make enough for 1 half sheet pan