Equipment
Ingredients
Main
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 1 g salt
- 41 g ghee, melted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 557 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 73 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 50 g
- Sodium
- 304 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 323 mg
- Potassium
- 142 mg
- Calcium
- 52 mg
- Iron
- 2.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 16 mg
- Phosphorus
- 186 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 260 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 1.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.27 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.51 mg
- Niacin
- 1.8 mg
- Folate
- 91 mcg
- Water
- 64 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with buttered waxed paper. Dust the pans with flour and tap out the excess.
Place the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
Beat the egg mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes until it reaches a lukewarm temperature of approximately 40°C (105°F).
Remove the bowl from the heat. Beat the mixture for 15 minutes until it is thick, pale, and has tripled in volume.
Sift the flour and salt together three times to ensure aeration.
Sift half of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs and fold it in gently using a spatula.
Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold gently until no flour streaks remain.
Drizzle the melted ghee over the batter and fold it in gently until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Invert the pans onto wire racks. Peel off the waxed paper and let the layers cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure your eggs are at room temperature; they will whip to a much greater volume when warm.
- Sifting the flour multiple times is crucial for lightness. Do not skip this step, as it aerates the flour and prevents gluten development.
- When folding in the dry ingredients and the melted ghee, use a light hand to avoid deflating the egg foam. The goal is to incorporate without losing volume.
- Be precise with the baking temperature and time. Overbaking will dry out the delicate sponge, while underbaking will result in a gummy texture.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before attempting to slice or assemble them. Warm genoise is fragile and prone to breaking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze layers individually wrapped in plastic and foil.
Troubleshooting
Cake is dense and flat
Cause: Loss of aeration during the folding process
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use a very light folding motion and do not over-mix once flour is added.
Cake is rubbery
Cause: Eggs and sugar were not beaten long enough to reach full volume
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the mixture triples in volume and becomes very thick before adding flour.
Cultural Context
Genoise, a classic French sponge cake, is fundamental in Italian patisserie, especially for layered desserts like tiramisu. Its light, airy structure is achieved through the careful whipping of eggs and sugar, making it a versatile base that absorbs flavors beautifully.
