Perfect Genoise

By norsegal8

The genoise is to the French baker what the sponge cake is to the American baker; a vital, basic cake and a building block for fanciful confections. Sturdy, firm, adaptable and amenable to almost any flavoring, the genoise is the first cake a French patisserier learns to make, and the he'll make most often in his career. It is drier than most American cakes and, for this reason, not every American's favorite, but its dryness is considered an asset by the French, who soak their genoises with sugar and liqueur syrups of every concievable savor.
For those who don't know the cake, the process of making a genoise can seem intimidating. It shouldn't. It may look as if a disaster will strike at every turn, but it rarely does because, at heart, the genoise is a very well-behaved cake. Follow the directions and it will do just what it's supposed to do - even when you think it won't.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Pour the melted butter into a 1-quart bowl; reserve.

Return the sifted flour to the sifter and add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the salt; sift onto a piece of waxed paper and set aside.

Put the eggs and the remaining sugar into the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Holding the whisk attachment from the mixer in your hand, beat the mixer to blend the ingredients. With the bowl and whisk attachment in place, whip the mixture on medium speed until it is airy, pale and tripled in volume like softly whipped cream, 4 to 5 minutes. You'll know that the eggs are properly whipped when you lift the whisk and the mixture falls back into the bowl in a ribbon that rests on the surface for about 10 seconds. If the ribbon immediately sinks into the mixture, continue whipping for a few more minutes. Pour in the vanilla extract during the last few moments of whipping.

Detach the bowl from the mixer. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the sifted flour mixture over the batter. Fold in the flour with a rubber spatula, stopping as soon as the flour is incorporated. Fold in the rest of the flour in two additions.

Gently spoon about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl with the melted butter and fold the butter in with the rubber spatula. Fold this mixture into the batter into the mixer bowl. (This is the point where the batter is at its most fragile, so fold gingerly.)

The batter should be poured into a prepared pan and baked immediately.