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March,
2000
Sugar-Crusted Sponge Cakes
Chef Gautier
uses little buckets-shaped molds inherited from his grandmother
for these individual sponge cakes, but I've found that small cans,
for example portion-sized soup cans, do fine. They should be about
3 1/4 in/8 cm in diameter and at least 1 1/2 cups/375 ml in
volume. The cakes are coated with a crunchy sugar crust and are
astonishingly light, thanks to the use of potato starch instead of
flour and to the classic biscuit method in which the egg whites
are whisked to a light meringue and then folded into the egg yolk
batter. The recipe makes six individual cakes, and I like to serve
them with fruit coulis or with berries and Wine Sauce.
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INGREDIENTS:
Serves 6 |
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3
to 4 tablespoons melted butter (for the molds)
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1
cup/200 g sugar, more for the molds |
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2/3
cup/80 g potato starch |
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large pinch of salt |
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5
eggs, separated |
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six
1 1/2-cup/375-ml cans
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Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Next line the
cans. (This takes longer than making the cake itself!)
Thoroughly wash and dry the cans. Cut rounds of wax or parchment
paper to fit their bases and strip to line the sides. Brush the
rounds and then the strips on both sides with melted butter and
press them into the cans so they adhere. Chill the cans for 2
minutes in the freezer and butter the paper again. Sprinkle very
generously with sugar, tipping to coat the sides and shaking out
the excess. Chill the cans in the refrigerator while you make
the cakes. The aim here is a thick sugar crust on the finished
cakes.
Sift the potato starch with the salt. Set
aside 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sugar for the egg whites. Put
the egg yolks with the remaining sugar in the bowl of an
electric mixer. Sift the potato starch with the salt into the
yolks. First stir until mixed, then beat with the mixer until
the batter is light and forms a thick ribbon trail when the
whisk is lifted, 3 to 5 minutes. Stiffly whisk the egg whites,
add the reserved sugar, and continue beating until the whites
form a very long peak when the whisk is lifted, in effect a
light meringue. Fold about one third of this meringue into the
egg yolk mixture, with about one third of the sifted potato
starch. Add the remaining meringue and potato starch in two
batches, folding together as lightly as possible.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cans,
filling them about one half full. Bake them until risen, lightly
browned, and just beginning to pull away from the sides of the
cans, 20 to 25 minutes. Let them cool in the cans before
unmolding them. They keep surprisingly well but are still best
the day of baking.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne
Willan From My Château Kitchen (Clarkson Potter/Publishers.
April 2000)
www.randomhouse.com
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