Perfectly Moist and Voluminous Chocolate Genoise Sponge
Perfectly Moist and Voluminous Chocolate Genoise Sponge
How to Make Chocolate Genoise: The Ultimate Chocolate Cake Sheet Recipe
Discover how to bake a delightful chocolate genoise sponge cake right in your own kitchen! While genoise can be frozen for up to a month, I personally prefer baking it fresh each time I make a cake, as I find frozen and thawed sponges can lose some of their original moisture. Many believe it’s challenging to achieve good volume with chocolate genoise due to the cocoa powder, but with this recipe, by minimizing the mixing time after adding the dry ingredients, you can create a beautifully risen and impressive chocolate cake sponge. Perfect for any special occasion!
Ingredients for a 1-Tier High Pan Chocolate Genoise- 160g Eggs (room temperature)
- 85g Granulated Sugar
- 60g Cake Flour
- 10g Cocoa Powder
- 25g Unsalted Butter
- 25g Milk
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare your baking pan by cutting parchment paper to fit the bottom and sides of a 1-tier high pan. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and butter, then gently heat them over a double boiler (bain-marie) until warm, maintaining a temperature of about 60°C (140°F). Stir until the butter is completely melted.
Step 2
Crack the room-temperature eggs into a large mixing bowl. Lightly whisk them to break up the yolks. Add all the sugar and place the bowl over the double boiler. Begin mixing on the lowest speed (speed 1) of your hand mixer. (If you don’t have a hand mixer, you can use a whisk to slowly stir the mixture while it warms up, ensuring the sugar dissolves.)
Step 3
Once the bottom of the bowl feels comfortably warm to the touch (around 41-43°C or 105-109°F), remove it from the double boiler. Now, increase the mixing speed significantly. Using a Luxell hand mixer, whip on speed 10 until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and significantly increased in volume.
Step 4
As the batter turns an ivory color and its volume has increased substantially, reduce the mixer speed to 5. Continue mixing for a short period to stabilize the batter’s structure.
Step 5
Test the batter by lifting the whisk; it should fall in a ribbon-like pattern that briefly holds its shape on the surface without immediately sinking. If this stage is reached, reduce the mixer speed to the lowest setting (speed 1) and mix for about 2 minutes. This crucial step helps to remove large air bubbles, leading to a smoother cake texture.
Step 6
Sift the cake flour and cocoa powder together, ideally through a fine-mesh sieve 2-3 times, directly over the batter. Sieving helps prevent lumps and ensures the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
Step 7
Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the batter using a spatula. Start by cutting through the center of the batter and then scooping from the bottom and folding over the top. Avoid vigorous stirring.
Step 8
Continue folding until no streaks of flour are visible. Aim for approximately 20-30 folding motions. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop gluten and result in a tough cake.
Step 9
Take about one-third of the batter and add it to the bowl containing the warmed butter and milk mixture. Use a whisk to quickly combine these until smooth – this is your ‘sacrificial batter.’ Pour this mixture back into the main batter bowl. Now, use your spatula to gently fold everything together until the batter is smooth and homogenous. This technique helps to incorporate the butter-milk mixture without deflating the batter too much.
Step 10
Important Note: Be very careful not to overmix after adding the butter and milk! Because of the cocoa powder, the batter can deflate easily if mixed for too long, reducing the cake’s volume. Stop mixing as soon as the batter looks smooth and glossy.
Step 11
Carefully pour the finished batter into your prepared cake pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter 2-3 times to release any large air bubbles trapped within the batter.
Step 12
Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for approximately 30-35 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a skewer into the center; it should come out clean. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and give it a firm tap on the counter to release trapped steam. Immediately invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
