Perfect Sponge Cake Recipe (french génoise)
The best recipe for a perfectly tall, airy and foolproof sponge cake with just 3 ingredients, ideal for your layer cakes. A spongy, airy, and light french génoise. A light and easy sponge cake.
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INGREDIENTS
For an 18 cm x 12 cm cake pan lined with parchment paper (7 x 4.7 inches).
- 6 large eggs between 68 / 72 g per egg with the shell (2.5 oz)
- 200 g granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 200 g all-purpose flour (7 oz)
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder (3.5 g / 0.12 oz)
- 2 packets vanilla sugar (15 g / 0.5 oz)
PREPARATION
- I prefer using a hand mixer for better control, but you can also warm the eggs and sugar over a double boiler while stirring constantly, then whip them in a stand mixer for 15 minutes.
- Grease and Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and the sides with a 12 cm (4.7 inches) high strip of parchment paper for a 10 cm (4 inches) tall sponge cake. If you don't have a very tall cake pan, you can use a saucepan with a removable handle, like the Tefal Ingenio models.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) with static oven. Leave the drip tray at the top of the oven to prevent the sponge cake from browning too much.
- Put the eggs, sugar, and vanilla sugar in a large mixing bowl, as the mixture will triple in volume.
- Put some boiling water in a smaller bowl for the double boiler The bottom of the mixing bowl containing the eggs and sugar should touch the water, but the water should not rise up the sides of the bowl.
- Place the mixing bowl containing the eggs and sugar above the bowl with hot water.
- Whisk for 15 minutes, or even longer, depending on the power of your mixer. The mixture should triple in volume, whiten and become very smooth. The whisk should leave waves in the sabayon (whipped eggs + sugar), as it's so creamy and airy.
- Check the temperature of the sabayon. The mixture should always remain just warm. If not, remove it from the double boiler.
- Once the mixture has tripled in volume, remove it from the double boiler. It should be cold before adding the flour, otherwise continue beating to cool it down.
- Mix the flour and baking powder.
- Incorporate them in 3 or 4 additions, sifting them over the sabayon.
- Work gently from bottom to top, without whisking, to avoid deflating the mixture. You can use a rubber spatula from the start, but it's more practical with a whisk or a skimmer (read the tips section above).
- Pour the batter into the cake mold and bake immediately. Bake for 55 minutes on the middle rack.
- Check the baking after 45 minutes. Depending on the power of your oven, if it cooks quickly, start checking after 30 minutes, but do not open the oven door.
- Check if it's done by inserting a skewer into the center of the sponge cake. It should come out dry. Once baked, leave the sponge cake in the turned-off oven for 5 minutes with the door slightly ajar.
- Unmold the sponge cake onto a wire rack, then turn it over onto a second rack. Let it cool completely before cutting it into layers, either with a cake leveler or a knife.
- You can store it for 2 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer, well wrapped.
Tried this recipe? Don't forget to tag me on @gateau_et_cuisine_rachida or #gateauetcuisinerachida!