Chocolate Genoise
- 8 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 cup (7 ounces, 200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 (1.7 ounces, 50 grams) tablespoons honey
- 2 cups (8.8 ounces, 250 grams) unbleached, unbromated pastry flour, sifted
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (if making chocolate genoise)
- 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.
eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey, unbleached, cocoa
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chocolate-genoise-recipe0.html (may not work)