Jacquy Pfeiffer Génoise Sponge

Preparation time: 30 minutes; Baking time: 30-35 minutes; Makes: 9-inch (23cm) round sponge

Ingredients

• 100g (3.5oz) clarified butter (you’ll need 140g/5oz unclarified butter to make 100g)
• 120g (1 cup, 4.5oz) cake flour
• 14g (0.5oz, 1½ tablespoons) cornstach (cornflour)
• 200g eggs (4 large eggs)
• 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence (extract)
• 20g (1 tablespoon) clover honey

Instructions

1. To make clarified butter. place 140g/5oz butter in a small sauce pan over low heat and heat it slowly until it comes to a boil. The boiling butter will be noisy at first because of water droplets hitting the bottom of the pan. After about 2-3 minutes the noise will stop because water will have evaporated. Skim off any solids a the top. Let the butter cook for another 3 minutes, also making sure that it does not brown. Turn off the heat. Set aside for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh or cheese cloth. This should clear all the solids. Weigh 100g (3.5oz) of the butter and cool to 105ºF (41ºC).
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) ten minutes before using. Brush a 9-inch (23cm) round cake pan with softened butter and line the bottom and sides with parchment. Sift the flour and cornstarch into a sheet of parchment paper or a bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk over a water bath: Heat 1-inch (2.5cm) water in a small sauce pan over low heat. Combine the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan making sure the bottom does not touch the water. Using a hand whisk, whip the egg mixture continuously over the water bath, making sure you rotate and whisk everywhere to prevent the eggs from coagulating, until the temperature reaches 149ºF (65ºC). Immediately remove the bowl from the heat and place it on the stand mixer.
4. Whisk using a stand mixer: Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture for 3 minutes at the highest speed. The mixture should now be fluffy, light, and pale in colour. Reduce the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
5. Add the clarified butter: Make sure the temperature for clarified butter is at 105ºF(41ºC). Reduce the speed to low and slowly drizzle the butter into the egg mixture.
6. Fold in the flour: Stop the mixer and using a rubber spatula carefully transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Gently fold in half the flour, using a rubber spatula. Fold in the rest of the flour, making sure there no flour settled at the bottom.
7. Bake the sponge: Using the rubber spatula, transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, or until light golden brown and a skier inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake: Let rest 5 minutes then transfer onto a wire rack and cover with a towel and let cool. The cake can keep in fridge tightly wrapped for 2-3 days and put to one month frozen in the freezer.
9. Jacquy highly recommends ingredients be weighed for the best results.

Points to Note

1. The cake baked in twenty five minutes in a 9-inch (23cm) round cake tin (pan). If you want a deeper cake use an 8-inch (20 cm) pan. It’s highly recommended that you weigh all ingredients.

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