Genoise Chocolate

By mariannefeldman

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

From Baking Illustrated.
Makes one 9-inch cake.
When transferring the batter from the bowl to the prepared pan, hold the bowl as close to the bottom of the pan as possible and use a rubber spatula to gently push the butter into the pan. To avoid deflating the voluminous batter, do not dump or pour the batter from a heigh of several inches or more above the pan.

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and set aside. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together onto a large piece of parchment paper; set aside.
3. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer until combined. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, and heat the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until warm to the touch, about 110 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and beat at medium-high speed until the eggs are pale, cream-colored, voluminous, and form a thick ribbon of tiny billowy bubbles that falls from the whisk and rests on top of the batter for several seconds when the whisk is held about 4 inches above the egg mixture (this should take 6 to 8 minutes). Beat in the vanilla. Turn off the mixer, transfer 1 cup of the egg mixture to a medium bowl, and stir in the melted butter until combined; set aside. Grab the two ends of the sheet of parchment paper holding the flour mixture and, with the mixer running at the lowest speed, slowly sprinkle the flour mixture into the batter until just barely incorporated, following the illustration on page 365. Add the melted butter mixture back to the batter in the standing mixer bowl and, with the mixer still running at the lowest speed, fold gently to incorporate, being careful not to deflate the batter.
4.Immediately push the batter from the bowl into the prepared springform pan with a rubber spatula, holding the bowl close to the bottom of the pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake until the cake is deep golden brown and springs back lightly when pressed with a finger, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely. When the cake is cool, run the blade of a thin metal spatula around the inside circumference of the springform pan to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and remove. Invert the cake onto a plate or baking sheet, remove the pan bottom and parchment paper, and reinvert the cake onto the rack.
TECHNIQUE
Adding Flour to a Standing Mixer


We use a parchment "funnel" to add dry ingredients to the bowl of a standing mixer. Measure the ingredients directly onto the parchment, then fold it in half and pour the ingredients into the bowl.