Genoise (Butter) Sponge Cake

Like most other sponge cakes, Genoise contains eggs, flour, and sugar. Despite not containing baking soda or baking powder, it is very light and fluffy, thanks to the prolonged beating of the eggs. The cake also impresses with its juiciness and rich buttery flavor, which comes from the addition of melted butter. Genoise sponge cake, often referred to as fine sponge cake, is an excellent base for preparing various cakes, rolls, and pastries, and it can also be used to make madeleines.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 30 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 35 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • pieces Oil, vegetable oil, canola

  • 4 pieces Egg, fresh

  • 120 g Sugar, white

  • 60 g Butter, unsalted

  • 120 g Wheat flour, white, multi-purpose

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a round cake pan with a removable bottom (20 cm in diameter) with oil, line the bottom with parchment paper. Sift the flour twice.

  2. In a small saucepan, slowly melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat and let it cool to lukewarm.

  3. Fill a small saucepan with water to just under halfway and place it on the stove. When the water boils, remove the saucepan and place a heatproof bowl on top, adding the eggs (without shells) and sugar. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water in the saucepan. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer on the highest speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until their volume doubles and a light, pale yellow mixture forms.

  4. Place the bowl with the beaten eggs on the work surface. Continue mixing with the electric mixer until the mixture triples in size and thickens slightly (about 8 minutes). If the egg mixture flows thickly from the beaters into the bowl and stays on the surface for a few seconds before sinking, you can stop mixing.

  5. Pour the melted butter along the edge of the bowl and gently fold it in using a hand whisk. Make gentle figure-eight motions, but do not beat the mixture!

  6. Add a pinch of salt to the flour and sift it onto the egg-butter mixture. Gently and slowly fold it in with a hand whisk, ensuring there are no lumps in the mixture.

  7. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top gently with a spatula, then place the pan in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Bake the sponge cake in the middle of the oven; it is done when it turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

  8. Remove the baked sponge cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Then carefully transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 298.28 kcal
  • Fat: 12.59 g
    • Saturated Fat: 6.55 g
  • Carbohydrates: 36.03 g
    • Sugars: 20.34 g
  • Protein: 7.76 g
  • Fiber: 0.34 g

Advice

If preparing madeleines, let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.