How do I add butter to a sponge cake?
I made a Genoise following James Peterson's recipe in Baking, but without the optional butter. I used an electric hand mixer. The cake came out fine, as in the picture. The second time I decided to add the butter and the whole thing deflated. What did I do wrong? How do I add the butter to the batter?
Peterson's recipe calls for beating eggs and sugar for 20 minutes with a handheld to ribbon stage, folding in the flour with a spatula, and tempering the melted butter with 1/5 of the batter before mixing it to the rest.
Best Answer
In examining sponge cake recipes, I've noticed that some call for adding the melted butter with the flour. Some call for adding it afterwards.
The important thing is to fold in that butter in a way that preserves the network of bubbles that was created while whipping your eggs (unsure if your recipe called for whipping whole eggs with sugar or yolks with sugar and egg whites separately, but both will be creating a bubble structure integral to letting your cake rise). Ratio mentions that folding in flour helps to preserve that network (as long as you don't overhandle).
If you over handle while folding - and you may have tipped it over the line when adding butter - you will destroy that bubble network and your cake won't rise as you'd like. It's also possible to under-handle, which will result in only a thin layer of sponge on top with a thick buttery cake underneath.
Pictures about "How do I add butter to a sponge cake?"
Can I add butter to sponge cake?
After adding the egg yolks, add in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder), melted butter, and vanilla. Mix well using a rubber or a wooden one spatula, any spatula that is available or easy for you to use can be used.How do you incorporate butter into cake batter?
Add the butter in thirds, whisking continuously. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and whisk the batter once more, forcefully, so all is combined. Finally, gently stir the batter several times in a folding motion, as a last assurance that all is mixed together. However, the recipe calls for butter at room temperature.Is butter or oil better for sponge cake?
Vegetable oil contributes moistness far more reliably, a result of the fact that oil remains liquid at room temperature while butter solidifies. Liquid contributes to the sensation of moistness, and therefore cakes made with oil often present as moister than their butter-based counterparts.What to add to cake to make it more moist?
I promise you SOFT & MOIST cakes!More answers regarding how do I add butter to a sponge cake?
Answer 2
Here's one way to overcome this problem. Beat the eggs and sugar, etc.
In the final stage, melt the butter, and then take 1 cup of the egg-sugar-flour batter and fold it into the butter. Then gently pour the butter mixture into the main batter and again, fold gently. This will turn out beautiful!
Answer 3
The secret is in bubbles. You can create bubbles with egg whites (egg foam), with egg yolks+sugar and with butter+flour (like in béchamel sauce).
Prepare each separately, then put together yolks+sugar and butter+ flour, finally add cautiously egg foam.
Answer 4
Im not familiar with the recipe you are referring to but in most sponge cakes (e.g. Victoria Sponge) the butter must be mixed with the sugar very well as the first step. The easiest way I find is to melt/soften it in the microwave for a few seconds and then mix in the sugar using a wooden spoon. From there you then add eggs, flour and anything additional like coca.
Answer 5
A Genoise/Genovese Cake can be made in various ways, you could try a more common french method:
Whisking Egg Yolks with Sugar until "Ribbon Stage",
Folding Meringue (Whisked Egg Whites and a little sugar to stiff peaks),
Adding cool melted Butter and any other flavourings,
Folding in sieved flour.
An Angel food cake may have a similar method, but the butter and flour are mixed in stages before the meringue. Leaving the meringue to be folded at the final stage maximises the air in the cake batter.
Answer 6
Butter and sugar are the first two ingredients in almost all my cakes. To get the best texture mix together and beat until almost white (if the sugar is white and very pale otherwise). This incorperates the maximum amount of air. I find the highest setting on my food mixer is perfect for this.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Lukas, Mikhail Nilov, Tim Douglas, Charlotte May