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Genoa Sponge Cake Preparation Guide

Oct 9, 2024

Genoa Sponge Cake Recipe Notes

Overview

  • Genoa sponge cake is a light, fluffy sponge cake suitable for many desserts.
  • Key to success: follow crucial steps to achieve a fluffy and silky texture.

Ingredients

  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Cake flour
  • Milk
  • Oil (e.g., olive oil or vegetable oil)
  • Vanilla extract

Preparation Steps

Initial Mixing

  1. Combine milk, oil, and vanilla extract in advance. Use a whisk.
  2. Sift cake flour to eliminate lumps and introduce air for fluffiness.

Egg and Sugar Mixture

  1. Crack eggs in a bowl and add sugar.
  2. Mix and place over boiling water until warm.
  3. Whip at high speed until mixture is very fluffy.
    • Tip: Warming eggs makes them whip faster and easier.
  4. Continue whipping at a lower speed for several minutes to refine texture.
    • Creates smaller air bubbles for a silkier texture.

Mixing and Baking

  1. After whipping, check that mixture can "draw" shapes on the surface.
  2. Add flour, mix with cut-and-fold motions to retain air.
  3. Ensure no flour is visible before adding liquid mixture.

Final Mixing

  • Mix quickly after adding liquids to preserve air bubbles.
  • The balance of mixing is crucial:
    • Under-mixing: overly airy texture.
    • Over-mixing: dense, less fluffy sponge.

Baking

  1. Pour batter into pans quickly.
    • Suggested pan sizes: Two 6-inch pans or one 8-inch pan.
  2. Before baking, tap pans to remove large air bubbles.
  3. Bake for about 35 minutes or until it slightly resists when pressed and springs back gently.
  4. Remove from oven before fully baked due to continued cooking from residual heat.
  5. Once out of oven, tap to remove steam and cool flipped upside down.

Storage Tips

  • Without much oil, sponge cake dries fast. Use within 24 hours or freeze.
  • Wrap tightly in parchment paper for storage.

Additional Tips

  • Use olive or vegetable oil for a lighter texture; butter adds richness.
  • Warm butter before mixing to avoid solidification.
  • Genoa sponge: whole eggs whipped together.
  • Biscuit sponge: egg whites and yolks whipped separately.

Personal Notes

  • The recipe evokes childhood memories, particularly of strawberry shortcake.
  • Flexible with oil or butter depending on dessert type and desired texture.

For further details on different sponge methods, refer to the Biscuit Sponge tutorial mentioned in the video.

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