How To Make A Sponge Cake Without Chemical Yeast
One of the most common ways to prepare cakes at home is to mix the ingredients and add the impeller to make it grow. On the other hand, getting a good sponge cake without chemical yeast seems like an option only suitable for professional pastry chefs.
However, this is not entirely true, as there are other ways to get light, juicy and bulky doughs without using this ingredient. One of the best known is the Genoese dough recipe. An almost certain success in the kitchen that we learn to do next.
Is it possible to prepare a sponge cake without chemical yeast?
The Genoese cake is a classic among basic pastry recipes. Its main characteristic is that it does not require chemical yeast or propellant. But the rest of the ingredients used are the common ones in this type of preparation.
The key to making the cake rise and be fluffy and smooth is in the consistency of the batter. The vigorous beating of the eggs together with the sugar allows it to trap air inside.
There are different ways to achieve this, since the yolks and whites can be beaten together or separately. Others prefer to heat the liquid a little in a bain-marie to accelerate the rise of the dough. But the differential point is always marked by the shake.
How to prepare a Genoese cake
This sponge cake of Italian origin is very easy to prepare and requires few ingredients. Today its preparation is universal and serves as the basis for many other recipes. This is all you need.
Ingredients
The appropriate quantities to fill a mold of about 18 centimeters in diameter are the following:
- 120 grams of sugar.
- 4 eggs
- 120 grams of loose flour.
- Butter and flour or non-stick spray for the mold.
Step by step for the preparation of the sponge cake without yeast
- Heat the oven at least 20 minutes before. At 190 ºC up and down and without fan.
- Separate the whites from the yolks.
- Add half the sugar to the yolks and cook at maximum power for about 3 minutes.
- In another bowl, whip the whites vigorously. It can take between 3 and 8 minutes depending on the strength and type of machine used. The exact point is achieved when the bowl is turned and the whites do not fall.
- When you see the marks on the rods, add the rest of the sugar. Beat for 1 more minute and stop.
- Join the yolks with the whites with gentle movements, slowly and from top to bottom with a spatula. A uniform mass of one color must remain.
- Sift the flour and mix in the same way as before until no flour particles are visible. The enveloping movements allow you to maintain the volume.
- Pour into the pan buttered and floured or sprayed with the non-stick spray . Greasing only the base allows that once the dough rises, it cannot go down again. Smooth the surface.
- Put in the oven. The cooking time is between 30 and 40 minutes depending on each appliance. After 25 minutes, click with a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean it can be removed. Otherwise, leave a few more minutes.
- Outside the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes and unmold. You can run a thin knife around the edges to make it easier to remove. Place upside down to avoid deformed.
Variations in the basic recipe of the sponge cake without chemical yeast
The basic preparation of this type of cake allows some variations, as it is a very versatile recipe. In this way, elaborations with a distinctive touch are achieved. Some of the possibilities are as follows:
- Flavor the cake batter with spices, such as cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, lemon or orange.
- Sometimes the dough is made with a little butter.
- Bathe the cake with syrup to make a filled cake. This prevents the dough from being dry.
- Use other types of molds. For example, if it is baked in the form of a plate, it can be used to roll it later. Its flavor combines very well with cream and pastry cream.
Last details to take into account when preparing the sponge cake without yeast
The key to the smoothness and volume of this yeast-free sponge cake is in the batter. For this reason it is important to beat 1 minute more once the sugar has been added to the whites.
In addition, it is also interesting to use a light flour to prepare it. The use of varieties of force (more suitable for baking bread and other types of dough) causes it to not grow as it should.
It can be made at any time, but it is advisable to use all the ingredients at room temperature. This is how the eggs and butter (if you want to add) are prepared one hour before starting.
This cake is much tastier if it is left to rest for a few hours before eating it. Ideally, overnight. It keeps well out of the mold and covered with transparent film . Never cut hot, as it crumbles easily and is split unevenly.
Mastering the technique of preparing a Genoese cake or sponge cake without chemical yeast opens the doors to a large number of subsequent elaborations with this dough as a starting point. So get to work and enjoy!
