Classic Genoise Food

GENOISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper and grease it as well. Lightly flour pan and paper.
• Sift together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt onto a piece of wax paper.
• Place the eggs into a mixing bowl set over a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Add the 1/2 cup sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture feels warm (not hot) to the touch, about body temperature. Place the bowl onto a mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes pale yellow in color and falls off the end of the whisk attachment in long ribbons. Add the vanilla. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the beaten egg and fold in. Continue to add the remainder of the flour, folding it in each time.
• Place about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl containing the melted butter and combine the butter with the batter. Add this back to the main batter and fold it in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Immediately bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25 minutes or until the top is a light brown. Cool in pan on a rack about 10 minutes and then invert onto a rack. It is best to invert it again onto another rack so that it cools with the top up. Let cool completely before cutting or frosting.

CLASSIC GENOISE

Steps:

• Place a 1-quart saucepan half filled with water over high heat and bring it to a simmer. Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the simmering water. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the mixing bowl and make an egg foam by whisking the mixture to 113 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 10 minutes. The egg foam passes through various stages becoming foamy, then smooth and finally it thickens. When it is thick, it will be hot to the touch, tripled in volume, and light in color and the sugar will have completely dissolved. If you dip the whisk into the mixture and pull it out, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and whip the batter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it cools, increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes. Take the time to whip it well; if the mixture is under whipped, the baked genoise will be dense. Very, very carefully, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible, making sure to fold to the bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate. Fill buttered and parchment paper-lined 8-inch round cake pans 3/4 full with batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until well-risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Let the genoise cool slightly. Unmold, remove parchment paper and finish cooling on a wire rack. The baked genoise can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Return it to room temperature before using it.
• VARIATION: Make this recipe into a Chocolate Genoise by substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for 10 to 20 percent of the weight (a scant 1/4 cup to a full 1/3 cup) of the flour. Weigh the cocoa powder before you sift it.
• Jacques' Tip: Genoise can be made with butter. In this recipe, you can substitute butter (5 1/2 tablespoons) for the 3 large egg yolks. Melt and cool the butter and fold it in after the flour is added.

VANILLA GENOISE

Steps:

• Equipment: 11 x 17 x 1-inch baking tray, the bottom lined with parchment paper
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg yolks, 1 cup of the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Using the whisk attachment on high speed whip until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce to medium speed and slowly add the hot water. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase to high speed and again whip until thick. Fold in the flour and then the melted butter. Set aside.
• In a clean bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Increase to high speed and slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Whip the egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the reserved batter. Gently spread the batter in the prepared baking tray. Bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back lightly when touched, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan by running a knife along the inside edge of the pan and inverting it onto a work surface. Carefully peel off the parchment paper.
• The genoise can be made a day or two in advance. Store wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. It also freezes well.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

Steps:

• One 9 by 2-inch round layer pan, or a 9-inch springform pan, buttered and the bottom lined with a disk of parchment or wax paper
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the cake flour, cornstarch, and cocoa through a fine-meshed strainer over a piece of waxed paper to break up any lumps in the cocoa. Set sifted ingredients aside with the strainer.
• Whisk together the eggs yolks, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue whisking gently until the mixture is lukewarm, about 100 degrees. This should take only a minute or two.
• Whip with the electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is cooled and increased in volume, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove bowl from mixer and sift in dry ingredients, in three additions gently folding each third in with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread the top even with a spatula.
• Bake the layer about 30 minutes until it is well risen and the center is firm to the touch.
• If necessary, loosen the layer from the side of the pan with a small knife or spatula and invert the cake onto a rack. Place another rack on the cake and invert again. Remove the top rack, so that the layer cools right side up, still on the paper

VANILLA GENOISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg yolks, 1 cup of the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Using the whisk attachment on high speed whip until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce to medium speed and slowly add the hot water. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase to high speed and again whip until thick. Fold in the flour and then the melted butter. Set aside.
• In a clean bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Increase to high speed and slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Whip the egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the reserved batter. Gently spread the batter in the prepared baking tray. Bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back lightly when touched, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan by running a knife along the inside edge of the pan and inverting it onto a work surface. Carefully peel off the parchment paper.
• The genoise can be made a day or two in advance. Store wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. It also freezes well.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

Steps:

• Place a 1-quart saucepan half filled with water over high heat and bring it to a simmer. Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the simmering water. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the mixing bowl and make an egg foam by whisking the mixture to 113 degrees F (45 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 10 minutes. The egg foam passes through various stages becoming foamy, then smooth and finally it thickens. When it is thick, it will be hot to the touch, tripled in volume, and light in color and the sugar will have completely dissolved. If you dip the whisk into the mixture and pull it out, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and whip the batter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it cools, increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes. Take the time to whip it well; if the mixture is underwhipped, the baked genoise will be dense. Very, very carefully, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible, making sure to fold to the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix or the batter will deflate.
• I bake the genoise on a baking sheet 99 percent of the time because then I can cut it to any size I want. Spread the batter over a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven until lightly and evenly browned and springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. If using cake pans, fill buttered and parchment paper-lined 8-inch round cake pans three quarters full. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until well-risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Genoise is baked at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time on a baking sheet than when baked in a cake pan to allow it to retain moisture; if overbaked, it will be dry and crunchy.
• Let the genoise cool slightly. Unmold and finish cooling on a wire rack to allow the air to circulate evenly around the cake. The baked genoise can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Return it to room temperature before using it.
• VARIATION: You can easily make this recipe into a Chocolate Genoise by substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for 10 to 20 percent of the weight (a scant 1/4 cup to a full 1/3 cup/0.8 to 1.6 ounces/25 to 50 grams) of the flour. Weigh the cocoa powder before you sift it.
• SIDEBAR: Genoise can be made with butter. In this recipe, you can substitute butter (5 1/2 tablespoons, 2.7 ounces or 75 grams) for the 3 large egg yolks. Melt and cool the butter and fold it in after the flour is added.

ITALIAN BASIC GENOISE (SPONGE CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Blend the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a mixer bowl with a wire whip attachment until the mixture doubles in volume-about 15 minutes on high speed. Just before stopping the mixer, add the vanilla and mix inches.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together the cake flour, cornstarch and salt. Fold dry mixture into egg mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, just until blended.
• Coat two 10-inch round cake pans with shortening. Pour the batter into the pans and put them immediately into preheated 350 degree oven.
• Bake until tops are springy to the touch, about 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the pans and cool on a wire rack.
• When cool, use a long serrated knife to slice off the tops of the cakes.
• For tiramisu or other layer cakes, divide each cake into three uniform layers with a serrated knives.

PLAIN GENOISE

Steps:

• 1 Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• 2 Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.
• 3 Whisk the eggs, yolks, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees (test with your finger). Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.
• 4 While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.
• 5 Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.
• 6 Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• 7 Bake the gênoise for about 25 minutes, or until well risen, deep gold, and firm to the touch.
• 8 Immediately use a small pairing knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack, then reinvert onto another rack and let the cake cool right side up on the paper. Remove the paper when the cake is cool.
• Variations
• Chocolate Genoise: Reduce the bake flour to 1/3 cup, increase the cornstarch to 1/3 cup, and add 1/4 cup alkalized (Dutch-process) cocoa powder to the flour and cornstarch mixture, sift.
• Genoise Sheet: Bake either the plain or chocolate batter in a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan that has been buttered and lined with buttered parchment at 400 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn't overbake and become to dry, especially if it is tot be rolled. (Makes on 10 x 15-inch layer.)

PAUL'S GENOISE SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Brush 2 x 20cm cake tins with melted butter, line the bases with baking paper, then dust well with flour tipping out any excess. Set aside.
• Put the sugar and eggs in a large heatproof bowl, then set it over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk with an electric hand whisk for about 7 mins or until the mixture is pale and has trebled in volume. Remove from the heat, then slowly pour in the butter folding it in as you pour until it is completely mixed in.
• Gently fold the flour and a pinch of salt into the egg mixture, then pour into your prepared cake tins. Cook for 25 mins until the cake is golden and risen - a skewer pushed into the cake should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for a few mins in the tin, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then set aside. Whizz about a quarter of the strawberries with 1 tbsp sugar until smooth, then fold this purée through the cream so you get a ripple effect.
• To assemble the cakes, cut each one in half horizontally. Put one sponge on a serving plate, spread a quarter of the cream mix on top, then dot a quarter of the blueberries and raspberries around the edge. Repeat this step two more times, put the last layer of cake on top (save a top half of cake for the top layer), spread the remaining cream over, then put the blueberries and raspberries around the edge and pile the strawberries in the centre. Dust with icing sugar just before you serve.

VANILLA GENOISE CAKE

Steps:

• Oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line the bottom of One 8 or 9 inch round cake pan OR 8-inch square pan, OR 11x17 sheet pan with parchment, and spray lightly with some sort of spray release (like Pam).
• Combine the butter and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Set aside somewhere warm (you want the butter to stay melted).
• Combine the flour with 3 tbl.
• of the sugar and sift again.
• Set aside.
• In the bowl of your mixer, combine the eggs and rest of the sugar.
• Place the mixing bowl in a large pan of hot (not boiling, very hot tap water is good) water, and mix with your VERY CLEAN hand (kids love this part) until the eggs feel warm to the touch (body temp)*.
• Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on high speed until cool, light and at the ribbon stage (when you lift the beaters, ribbons of batter fall back into the bowl and don't disappear very quickly).
• Now, everyone says to use a rubber spatula, but I find it much easier to use my hand to do this next part**.
• Sprinkle about 1/3 of the flour onto the eggs and quickly and gently fold into the batter.
• Fold in half the remaining, then the rest.
• Take about a handful of the batter and mix into the small bowl of butter and vanilla until well combined.
• Gently fold that back into the batter.
• Divide between the pans and bake as follows: for an 8" square, 20-25 min.
• ;an 8" round, 25-30 minutes; a 9" round, 20-25 minutes; and an 11x17 sheet pan, 15-20 minutes.
• The cakes should JUST BEGIN to shrink away from the side of the pans, and should spring back when you lightly touch them in the center.
• Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a flat surface and let cool completely before peeling off the parchment.
• Set aside until ready to use.
• DO NOT OVERBAKE.
• This cake is best if allowed to sit a day before using in trifles.
• NOTE 1: Genoise is supposed to be a dry cake.
• It was made specifically to take moist toppings so it could soak them up.
• *NOTE2: I learned to use my hand when warming yolks in culinary school.
• The idea is that as soon as it feels warm on your hand, it is at the perfect temperature to whip to ribbon stage.
• **NOTE3: I learned to fold flour into delicate batters like this with my VERY CLEAN hand in culinary school also.
• At first I thought it was stupid, but I quickly saw it was the best way to be able to tell if all of your flour is mixed in and avoid any un-incorporated flour bits.
• I mix angelfood cakes this way, too.
• Children love to do this!

GENOISE

Steps:

• Have eggs at room temperature.
• Select a saucepan that can hold the bowl of your stand mixer easily. Fill it with a few inches of water and bring to the simmer.
• Crack eggs into the mixer bowl, add sugar, and salt.
• When water is hot, place eggs over, and beat with a whip until they are golden and warm. Note: As long as the water is not too hot, it is okay to leave the egg and sugar mixture sitting there without it being stirred, the point of this is to melt the sugar, and warm the whole, but do not leave it out of sight, whip it periodically, this may take 7 minutes. The mixture should be warm on your finger, but not hot.
• Transfer the bowl to the mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. Turn to setting 8 (out of 10), and beat until the eggs almost fill the bowl. This may only take 5 minutes.
• Tip the butter in gently, still with the mixer on high speed, let it run down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should deflate only minimally, if at all.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the stand, discard the whisk attachment.
• Get a whisk, it could be the one that was used to whip the eggs in the water, or it could be a clean one. Also have hand a rubber spatula or big wooden spoon.
• Add the flour in thirds. Whipping lightly but well between additions. The mixture will deflate but do not be alarmed, there will be plenty of batter, and the cake will still be light. Do not overwork the dough.
• Switch to the spoon, lifting the batter up several times to assure that there are no lumps. Be cautious to overwork the batter.
• Transfer to pans evenly and rap them against the side of the counter.
• Bake at three fifty.