Orange Sponge Cake

By LyndaLee

From McCall's Cooking School recipe (Shirl). Light sweet dessert, delicate orange sponge cake. Stiffly beaten eggs, first the whites, then the yokes are the secret of it's light, airy texture.

Ingredients

• 6 Egg whites (3/4 cup)
• 6 Egg yokes
• 1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose Flour (sift before measuring)
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated Sugar
• 6 tablespoons fresh Orange juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
• Confectioner's sugar

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

In large bowl of electric mixer, let egg whites warm to room temperature - about 1 hour. Measure flour; sift about 2 cups flour once on a sheet of waxed paper; bill cups lightly to overflowing; with spatula cut off excess to make 1 3/4 level cups. Sift flour with salt and set aside.

With electric mixer at medium speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until stiff peaks form when beaters are slowly raised. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small bowl of electric mixer, with the same beaters at high speed, beat egg yolks until very thick and lemon-coloured - about 3 minutes. Do not under beat. Gradually beat in remaining 1 cup granulated sugar; continue beating until mixture is smooth.

At low speed, blend flour mixture and orange juice alternately into egg yolk mixture, beginning and ending with flour and guiding batter into beaters with scraper. Add orange peel. With a whisk or rubber spatula, using under and over motion, fold yolk mixture gently into whites.

Pour batter into an ungreased (or you may use oil spray) 10 by 4/12 inch tube pan without a removable bottom. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cake springs back when pressed with a finger.

See notes below.

Using an up and down motion, run spatula around edge of cake and tube. Invert cake and shake to release; place on serving plate. Sift confectioners' sugar over top of cake. To cut cake, use knife with serrated edge. Cut gently, going back and forth with sawing motion.

NOTE 1: If desired, spray pan with nonstick baking spray before filling with batter and baking. To cool, do not invert on bottle. Instead, place pan on wire rack to cool 30 minutes. Turn cake out onto wire rack and cool completely.

NOTE 2: If you are using a pan with a nonstick finish, do not invert over neck of bottle. Instead, put pan on a wire rack to cool normally. The cake with fall slightly but the results are still delectable.