Best Genoa Cake Recipes

4-INGREDIENT SPONGE CAKE (VIDEO RECIPE)

Steps:

• Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9″ cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (this is the one I have), beat 6 large eggs for 1 minute on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 minutes until thick and fluffy.
• Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder then sift this mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated. Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
• Divide evenly between prepared cake pans (it helps if you have a kitchen scale to weight the pans). Bake at 350˚F for 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula (here's the one I love for cakes) around the edges then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temperature then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.

GENOA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 150C / 130C fan / Gas 2Put a paper liner in a loaf tin approx 21 x 11 x 6 cm or line it with greaseproof or baking paper.
• Put the currants, sultanas, mixed peel, cherries, chopped almonds and lemon zest in a bowl and stir in a little of the measured flour to stop them sticking together. Set aside.
• Sift the rest of the flour with the salt then set aside.
• In a large bowl and preferably using electric beaters, beat together the butter, sugar and almond extract until soft and light.Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary during this and subsequent steps.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time along with 1 tbsp of the measured flour each time.
• Beat in the milk a tablespoon at a time with another scant tablespoon of the measured flour each time.
• Gently fold in the rest of the flour along with the dried fruit mixture until everything is just combined.
• Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.Cover the top with blanched almonds.
• Put the tin in the oven and bake until a skewer comes out clean: approx 55-65 minutes.
• Put the tin on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
• Take the cake, in its liner, out of the tin and leave until completely cold.Remove the paper when cold, slice and serve.Cake should keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

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.

NO FUSS GENOISE SPONGE CAKE (MARY BERRY'S)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit, line 2 6-inch baking pans (or 1 9-inch) with parchment paper on the bottom only. Don't grease the sides. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a sauce pan or microwave, set aside to cool slightly.
• Mix the flour and cornstarch together in a small bowl. If you are using all purpose flour, make sure to add the baking powder and pinch of salt listed in the notes area of this recipe. Sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times to remove any lumps and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on full speed until the mixture is almost white, triples (at least) in volume and reaches ribbon stage (see post above). About 10 to 11 minutes on high for a stand mixer, closer to 15 minutes for a hand mixer and 20 minutes or more if whisking by hand.
• Add half the flour very gently. Fold in to the egg mixture, then add half the butter, pouring it around the edge of the bowl. Fold in. Repeat with the remaining half of the flour and butter. Take care not to fold out too much air.
• Transfer the batter to your baking pan(s) and bake 22-25 minutes on the center rack, with the cakes closer to the oven door. Try not to open the door for the first half of baking.
• Check your cakes a bit early if your oven runs hot. They should spring back when gently pressed or a toothpick comes out clean.
• Use a sharp knife to run around the edges of the pan, then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Cakes themselves will be good tightly wrapped for up to 4 days. Layers may also be frozen for up to 2 months tightly wrapped.

GENOA CAKE

Steps:

• 1.Cream together the butter or margarine and sugar, then beat in the egg yolks, almond essence and orange rind.
• 2.Mix the fruit and nuts with a little of the flour until coated, then stir in spoonfuls of the flour, baking powder and cinnamon alternately with spoonfuls of the fruit mixture until everything is well blended. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and then fold them into the mixture.
• 3.Spoon into a greased and lined 23 cm cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 190 oCgas mark 5 for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160 oC gas mark 3 for a further 1.5 hours until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.
• 4.Decorate with whole almonds and glace cherries.