Whatever the fashion for cakes, a high magnificent sponge cake remains timeless. All housewives dream of it: what two hundred years ago, when instead of a mixer squirrels were whipped with a fork, what is now, when we have the most cutting-edge orbital food processors at our service. Decoration can be anything: it’s mastic, and heavy butter cream, and air mousse, and glossy mirror glaze, but the heart of the cake - delicate air cakes - should be captivated from the first piece. How to cook a high sponge cake for a cake and not waste food, strength and nerves?
Twice baked and always fresh
The history of biscuit dates back nearly 500 years. And initially it was not conceived for the royal court or even for a peasant dinner. It was the usual food of sailors during long sea voyages.
The whole secret is that baked and dried biscuit practically does not spoil. This is primarily achieved due to the absence of oil in the composition. Time passed, and sea rusks gradually began to conquer the land. The biscuits were especially popular during the time of Queen Victoria: it was then that they became an integral part of the five-hour tea tradition, which the British love so much. In those years, dessert spread almost all over the planet, and hundreds of variations appeared in various parts of the world.
For several centuries, the recipe for a high biscuit for a cake has practically not changed. A lot of well beaten eggs, a minimum of flour, a sparing temperature - these are the three whales on which the confectionery world rests. What other tricks do the best confectioners of the world keep secret?
The classic biscuit that everyone gets
The correct cakes are airy, soft and, like a sponge, well absorbing syrups and creams. How to make a biscuit that will not fall?
The classic recipe uses 6 eggs, 130 g flour and 210 g sugar. For flavor, you can add a little vanillin or zest of 1 lemon.
Even before starting to prepare a future cake, the oven should be heated to 180 degrees: the biscuit dough does not like to wait, and therefore it must be sent for baking immediately after cooking.
Separate the squirrels from the yolks and cool. At this time, mix the yolks with 100 grams of sugar and rub thoroughly. The mass should turn white and increase in size by 2-3 times. In this case, the sugar grains should completely dissolve.
Sift flour twice. This is done in order to saturate it with air. Remove the squirrels from the refrigerator and transfer to a container. Make sure that it is clean, without the slightest trace of fat or yolk, otherwise the mass will not beat to the desired state, and in the oven the biscuit will simply settle.
Start whisking at low speed and gradually move to a higher until you reach maximum. Pour the remaining sugar in a thin stream and continue whisking until solid peaks are obtained. Be careful: over-beaten proteins have too small air bubbles and therefore are not suitable for making a delicious dessert.
Add flour to the yolk mass and mix thoroughly. After that, begin to carefully introduce the proteins, kneading the dough with a wooden spatula after each serving. To get a high biscuit for the cake, it’s crucial not to break the technology.
Cover the bottom and edges of the mold with baking paper or cover with a “French shirt”. When preparing a biscuit, it is extremely important not to lubricate the sides solely with oil: this type of dough grows gradually, as if "clinging" to a rough surface, so it simply cannot rise along a slippery edge.
Baking takes about 25-30 minutes. The finished dessert is soft, elastic and well springy when pressed.
Why is the vent window to blame?
And now a few secrets of a high biscuit cake. Delicate dough does not tolerate drafts and shaking. Handle it as carefully as with a baby. When baking, do not open the oven for at least 20 minutes - otherwise the stream of air will cool the top of the future cake and it will settle before it rises.
Ideally, the first time you can "peep" for a biscuit in 25 minutes. Then, the first test should be done with a wooden toothpick: low products in broad forms have enough time for baking.
Correct volume
Today, hundreds of different, most incredible forms can be found on the confectionery appliance market. However, not all of them are ideal for baking biscuit. The best option is a detachable design with a height of about 10 centimeters, which will allow you to remove the finished cake without damaging it.
When baking a biscuit, it is important to remember that the dough should fill the form for 2/3 of the volume. If there is more of it, then there is a great possibility that it will "run away", if it is less, then most likely it will not rise.
Keep your balance and look for the right shape for a high cake: in most cases, the reason for the failure lies in it.
Upside down
If your biscuit, despite all the efforts, still falls, try the following: immediately after baking, turn the form with the future cake and place it with the edges on two bowls or two glasses so that the finished cake does not touch them. Leave to cool completely, and then carefully separate it from the walls with a knife.
This method is used by professionals in the preparation of heavy biscuits with butter. The force of gravity will not allow your work of art to fall, and it will remain airy and soft.
Do not add - replace
When you make a tall cake according to the recipe, it may seem that the resulting dough is too liquid and then there is a great temptation to add a few more tablespoons of flour. Couch experts may advise adding a little cocoa to get a rich chocolate flavor. Should not be doing that!
The proportions for the biscuit test were verified by the confectioners for more than one generation, and therefore any unauthorized amendments will lead to a deplorable result. If you want to get chocolate cakes in the end, replace some of the flour with alkalized cocoa. However, never change the amount of dry ingredients.
middle line
In order for the biscuit to bake evenly, it must be exactly in the middle of the oven. Set too high, it is likely to quickly darken and burst from above, and set too low will burn, but will not have time to bake.
If possible, use a wire rack, not a baking sheet: it provides more uniform heating.
Better sooner than later
Often we think about how to make a tall cake right on the eve of the holiday. This is fundamentally wrong: if you want to get a really good result, start preparing at least a day before the upcoming feast.
Freshly baked biscuit cuts poorly and absorbs moisture, and therefore experts strongly advise to withstand it for at least a day before proceeding with the assembly of the cake.
Keep track of the temperature
Sponge cake is a rather capricious confectionery product. It is extremely important for him that all the ingredients are at the same temperature, this, by the way, also applies to dishes in which the dough is prepared.
And since warm proteins practically do not beat, this means that absolutely all the components of the biscuit must be kept in the refrigerator before proceeding with cooking.
A thread or a string?
It is not enough to bake a good biscuit - it still needs to be correctly cut into cakes. In the photo, the high cakes always look very even. All their layers are the same in height and look neat and tidy. But not every housewife manages to do this with a knife the first time. What is the secret of professionals?
Before dividing the biscuit into cakes, it should be allowed to cool in shape for at least 5 hours. Optimal day. Only after 24 hours it will acquire the necessary elasticity and will crumble less.
First, measure the height of the biscuit and divide it by the required number of cakes. The average height of one part should be at least 1 centimeter, ideally 1.5 cm.
Carefully make a few notches with a knife around the entire circumference and insert nylon or nylon thread into them. In the absence of such, you can use a new floss. Gently cross the ends and begin to pull them in different directions.
If cakes are your element, and therefore you bake a lot and often, then you should think about purchasing a confectionery string - a special device for cutting a biscuit.
Good impregnation is half the success
The right biscuit can absorb up to 2 liters of syrup. Depending on the desired humidity, you can use a little more or a little more impregnation, but you should not completely abandon it, otherwise the finished cake will be dry and tasteless.
The liquid you soak the cakes can be completely different: these are various syrups, and alcohol, and berry broths, and even ordinary sugar water.
Do you still remember that we prepare the cake much in advance? Keep in mind that before soaking the prepared cakes should be at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. And after - at least 6 hours to wait for the arrival of guests. If you add time to the decor here, it turns out that starting the biscuit oven costs about two days before serving.
Queen Victoria's biscuit
And finally, a recipe for a high cake with a photo that conquered the whole of Great Britain in the 1900s. This is a chiffon sponge cake with a delicate filling of strawberries and whipped cream. You can use jam and cream cheese.
Chiffon is a special kind of biscuit that is cooked with butter. It is wetter and heavier. But unlike the classic one, it can be used without impregnation and cream.
Structure:
- 250 g of softened butter.
- 250 g of sugar.
- 250 g of flour.
- 8 g of baking powder.
- 4 medium sized eggs.
- 300 g of strawberries.
- 200 ml of cream at least 30% fat.
Whip butter and sugar in a bowl. It will take at least 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly until smooth after each. Keep whisking until you get a stable, uniform mass.
In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Add it in parts to the egg-oil mixture. The result should be a dough that resembles a rustic sour cream in consistency.
Put it in a mold and smooth it with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes at 190 degrees. Readiness check wooden skewer.
Biscuit cool in the form, turning it upside down. After 5-6 hours, carefully separate it from the walls, wrap in cling film and put in the refrigerator.
Cut into cakes and soak in sugar syrup. Layer the future cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. A delicious, fragrant dessert for five-hour tea is ready!
Tender than tender: Japanese sponge cake conquering the Internet
Recently, a recipe for cotton biscuit straight from Japan has appeared on the expanses of the World Wide Web. He is much higher than his brothers in name, has a very delicate structure and practically does not need to be fed.
When warm, it is very reminiscent of a sweet omelet, so it is recommended to keep it in a cool place for at least 8 hours.
Ingredients:
- curd cheese - 300 g,
- milk - 180 ml
- butter - 75 g,
- sugar - 150 g
- eggs - 6 pcs.,
- flour - 50 g
- corn starch - 30 g,
- vanillin - on the tip of a knife.
Mix curd cheese with milk until smooth. Add melted butter to the resulting mass and mix well again.
Separate the proteins from the yolks, add 75 g of sugar to each part and beat with a mixer. The yolk mass should increase by 2-3 times, and the proteins should take the form of hard peaks.
Mix the yolks with the curd base and add the whipped protein foam to it. Mix gently with a wooden spatula. Dry ingredients are the last to be sent to the dough.
Put the baking dish on paper and place in a baking sheet, 1 cm filled with water. Transfer the dough into a prepared container and bake at 200 degrees for at least 25 minutes. Readiness is checked with a wooden skewer. Cool and serve the biscuit well.
A high cake is the best decoration of the festive table and a tasty treat for children and adults.