Genoise Sponge Cake
Whip up this delightful French Genoise Sponge Cake! It’s incredibly light, airy, and wonderfully versatile – the perfect canvas for your favorite fillings, frostings, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar. A true baking gem!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 large eggs (264 g), at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (125 g) cake flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Get Ready: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease, flour, and line the bottom of three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Whip It Up: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt on high speed with an electric mixer. Continue for about 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture has tripled in volume, is pale, and falls from the whisk in thick ribbons.
- Fold with Care (Part 1): Sift about half of the cake flour over the egg mixture. Gently fold it in with a rubber spatula until almost combined – a few streaks of flour are okay! Then, gently fold in about half of the cooled melted butter.
- Fold with Care (Part 2): Sift the remaining cake flour over the batter and fold until almost incorporated. Finally, fold in the remaining melted butter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix and deflate your airy batter.
- Bake to Perfection: Divide the batter evenly among your prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes are beautifully golden, spring back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Down: Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes. Then, carefully run a thin knife around the edges of each cake and invert them onto the wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Notes
- Serving Suggestions: This Genoise is lovely dusted with powdered sugar! Or, layer it with fresh berries and whipped cream, a rich chocolate ganache, or a zesty citrus curd. You can also add a teaspoon of citrus zest (like lemon or orange) to the batter for a bright flavor.
- Tips & Tricks for Success:
- Room Temp Eggs: Using room temperature eggs is key for achieving maximum volume when whipping.
- Gentle Folding: Be gentle when folding in the flour and butter to keep the batter light and airy.
- No Peeking! Avoid opening the oven door while baking, especially early on, as this can cause the cakes to collapse.
- Storage Savvy:
- Store cooled, unfrosted cake layers well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- If filled or frosted (especially with dairy), refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Make Ahead: Baked and cooled layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before using.
Find it online: https://cakeshungry.com/genoise-sponge-cake/