Tuesday with Dorie
I have eaten sponge cakes over the years, but I have never eaten a French one before, so I wasn't sure what the look and texture was supposed to be like for this week's recipe. And even though I carefully followed the directions in the recipe, my cake didn't rise. I thought about trying to make it again, but it was Father's Day and I didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen. My daughter came in the kitchen and said that it looked beautiful and smelled wonderful, so I decided to go with it.
A few notes about this: it took me double the amount of time the recipe said to whip the eggs until they tripled in volume. After 7 minutes of mixing on medium and the batter looking the same as when I started, I turned the mixer up to medium-high and mixed for another 10 minutes. It got lighter in color and finally tripled in volume.
The technique for this cake was so interesting and when I added some of the batter to the melted butter as the recipe directed and then folded the mixture back into the batter my batter started bubbling. I didn't expect this reaction at all and nothing was mentioned in the recipe. It just bubbled away and I could see bits of flour still not incorporated, but I just gently folded before pouring into the prepared 8-inch cake pan.
The whipped cream was easy to make and really tasty. I loved the addition of sour cream and vanilla. I cut the vanilla to about 3/4 of a teaspoon because I didn't want an overwhelming vanilla taste. When I served the cake after our grilling on Sunday everyone thought it tasted wonderful. Some of them thought the cake was a bit odd in texture, but still tasted good. I will probably give this another try to see if I can really make a perfect génoise. Thank you to this week's hosts Sophie of Sophia's Sweets and Allison of Sleep Love Think Dine. You can see their beautiful cakes and get the recipe on their blogs.
I was thinking about the French touch ;-), in Germany we do this as a Torte and eat it with some coffee at Coffee-Time ;-)
ReplyDeleteUlrike @Küchenlatein
How very French with your blueberries and colors! Great post!
ReplyDeleteVery patriotic looking, Elaine! :)
ReplyDeleteElaine, Your cake came out lovely…I think everyone had trouble with this cake rising and other issues! I baked mine twice and then after all was said and done I baked another one…just because I wanted to see if I could get it right! Love the red, white and blue…very pretty!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty with the blueberries added to the top!
ReplyDeleteElaine,
ReplyDeleteNice addition of blueberries!
~ Carmen
http://bakingismyzen.wordpress.com/
Your cake looks beautiful - especially with those berries on top :-)
ReplyDeleteBWJ is definitely stretching my baking skills...
Oh...that looks so good! I have been dying for strawberry short cake and I think that would satisfy!
ReplyDeleteLove the blueberries!! Your cake would be great for the 4th!
ReplyDeleteThose darn bubbles! Someone who commented on my page said to use a whisk for the folding so I guess I will try that wen I attempt this again although to me whisk = whisking and spatula = folding. Your cake looks beautiful nonetheless and I love the blueberries on top!
ReplyDeleteVery nice job. Looks delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad everybody enjoyed it, it looks great with the blueberries too!!!
ReplyDeleteElaine, your cake looks sooo pretty on that beautiful white cake platter! Very nice photo! And I do like the addition of blueberries, they are not really in season around here yet but when they are, I do love to add them to all kinds of cakes that "involve" whipped cream! Lovely Post!
ReplyDeleteYour cake looks gorgeous, Elaine! Mine rose even less than yours did, but it tasted good. I want to try again, some time before the strawberries are over.
ReplyDeleteLove the Red White and Blueberry effect Elaine! I agree- the eggs took longer, but in videos I've seen Julia always whip them on high... maybe that's the key? At any rate - it was a great cake, that's what counts - and what a wonderful Flather's Day dessert!!! Looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYour cake looks so pretty - I was too lazy to decorate mine properly, as no-one else but me and my work colleagues (who wouldn't have noticed anyway) would see it. And that lovely California sunshine in your photos - wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWho knows why sometimes a recipe works, and other times it doesn't? I think you made the right call to enjoy Father's Day. Your cake looks lovely anyhow!
ReplyDeleteInteresting tip about the time it took for the eggs to triple. That may have been one of my problems. Your cake rose much more than mine did! It looks great.
ReplyDeleteIt is strange that it bubbled...I have not seen that before and it is a different method definitely. I am curious now. If I can find it in the library, I will check out the book and try it. It looks great.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it seems this one gave trouble to lots of bloggers, but yours came out beautifully despite the rising difficulties. I love how you garnished with both blueberries and strawberries :)
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to make it again, Elaine, why not do it on the 4th of July and go with the R-W-and B look again. Your cake looks delicious. I didn't bake in June and will try to catch up in July and August. But everyone had trouble with this cake and what I read between the lines was "frustration". Was the recipe just difficult or what? I have made génoise before but don't recall having trouble. I still am going to try it.
ReplyDeleteI love your cake plate! =) I'm finally getting to this one today--the genoise is in the oven, and I have my fingers crossed. Glad to hear that everyone enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteElaine your strawberry cake looks scrumptious! It sounds like a labor of love;-)
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