Sponge Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

by Cat, May 2012 (Photo, right, from Tish Boyle’s blog (1); be sure to try her recipe for Lemon Pound Cake with Wild Blueberry Sauce (or with Montana Huckleberry Sauce) (1))

Includes: 1. Genoise: American-Style Sponge Cake

See also: 1. Aerating Eggs & Sugar, such as for egg-leavened cakes; 2. Cakes & Torte’s Menu

In general, I far prefer Gênoise, a French sponge cake, but when I’m in a hurry, this version is quite good.

Sponge Cake

This recipe, adapted from Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook (1970), is typical of American sponge-cake recipes, using both well-beaten eggs and baking powder to leaven the cake. This is different from my Gênoise recipe, which depends solely on the separated and well-beaten eggs for lift.

You will get the most volume with your eggs if you let them warm to room temperature. You can also warm them in a bain marie (see Intro, above) while whipping (see Aerating Eggs & Sugar, such as for egg-leavened cakes for bain marie method)

Ingredients & Equipment:

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ¼ tsp pure almond or ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar (or ⅔ cup sugar, ½ cup sweet dairy whey)
• ¾ cup unbleached white flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp Unrefined sea salt

Equipment

• 9” square baking pan (I like pyrex) or round springform pan
• small saucepan
• medium bowl
• hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with egg whip and later with paddle
• wooden spoon
• rubber or silicon spatula

Method for electric mixer:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Let eggs warm to room temperature before breaking shells. Butter and lightly flour bottom only of baking pan.
2. Melt butter in saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in milk & extract, then set aside.
3. Beat eggs slightly in bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating at high speed until thickened and ivory colored, about 2 minutes.
4. If using stand mixer, switch to paddle.
5. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, over the beaten eggs. Blend at low speed just until moistened – do not overmix.
6. Add butter mixture and blend at low speed, just until thoroughly mixed – do not overmix.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to edges. Bake in preheated oven, 25 – 30 minutes until top springs back when touched lightly in center.
8. Remove from oven and cool in pan, on rack.

References

1. Tish Boyle’s Blog, recipe for lemon pound cake with wild blueberry sauce (tishboyle.blogspot.com/2011/02/lemon-pound-cake-with-wild-blueberry.html
2. Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook (1970)