Basic Genoise Sponge Cake

This super simple basic sponge cake can be made plain as it is or as a birthday cake. In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of milk and 30 grams of butter then set them aside. In a mixing bowl, break in 3 eggs, to that add caster sugar and lightly whisk them to break the eggs. Prepare a hot water bath by heating a pot of water to about 70°C then place the bowl with egg mixture over the hot water bath and stir continuously until the temperature drops to about 40°C.

Remove the egg mixture bowl from the water bath and place the small bowl with butter to melt. With an electric mixer, beat the egg mixture on high speed until it is whitish, foamy and triples in size. Sift 90 grams of cake flour into the mixture and switch to a spatula, fold from the bottom up until the dry ingredients are moistened and there are no lumps in the batter.

Remove the melted butter and milk over the water bath then take some batter and add in the milk mixture and stir well then pour back into the batter and fold gently until well mixed. You will need a 6-inch round cake tin for this cake, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper then pour the batter and tap the pan a few times on the counter to remove any trapped air in the batter.

Bake the cake in a 340 degrees Fahrenheit oven (170°C) for 35 minutes. Once baked and out of the oven, remove the cake immediately from the pan and allow it to cool. Serve this cake plain, dusted with powdered sugar or you can slice and make it into a layer cake filled with whipped cream or jam. Enjoy.