39. With the ingredients and utensils gathered and prepared, the mixing
of the cake may be begun at once. The method of mixing depends entirely
on the kind of cake that is being made, sponge cake involving a
different procedure from butter cake. These methods should be thoroughly
mastered, so that there will be no danger of confusing them and so that
the recipe will not need to be referred to constantly during the mixing
of the cake. When an ingredient that is not usually included in the
ordinary butter or sponge cake is found in the recipe, the way in which
this ingredient is added to the mixture should be carefully noted, so
that no mistake will be made.
40. NATURE OF SPONGE CAKE.--A true sponge cake contains nothing besides
eggs, sugar, flour, and flavoring material. The eggs, sugar, and flour
are used in equal amounts, the eggs and sugar being about the same by
weight or measure and the flour half as much by weight. For instance, a
successful sponge cake can be made with a cupful each of eggs, sugar,
and flour. To these ingredients the juice of 1/2 lemon is usually added,
and sometimes the grated rind of the lemon is used also. The simple
variation in sponge-cake mixtures is the addition of liquid, which is
usually water, sometimes cold and sometimes hot. In the true sponge
cake, eggs supply all the leavening, but it is possible to economize in
the number of eggs by using leavening of some other kind, such as soda
and cream of tartar or baking powder. The texture of a sponge cake in
which leavening other than eggs is used is not so good as that of the
true sponge cake, but if this leavening is used discreetly, it is
possible to decrease the number of eggs somewhat without sacrificing too
much in texture. However, it is useless to try to make a good sponge
cake with fewer than three eggs, for the other ingredients--flour,
sugar, leavening, and liquid--are not sufficient to produce a
delicious cake.
[Illustration: FIG. 3]
41. COMBINING THE INGREDIENTS.--The ingredients required for a true
sponge cake and the utensils used in making such a cake are shown in
Fig. 3. As will be observed, both the utensils and the materials are so
placed on the table in front of the one who is to make the cake that the
work may be performed with the least amount of effort.
[Illustration: FIG. 4, Using the rotary egg beater.]
If the whole eggs are to be used, break them into the mixing bowl and
beat them with a rotary egg beater, as shown in Fig. 4, until they are
thick and lemon-colored. In case only the whites are to be used, beat
them with an egg whip on a flat dish or in a large bowl until they are
stiff. To the beaten egg, add the sugar a little at a time, as shown in
Fig. 5, beating it into the egg with the rotary beater.
[Illustration: FIG. 5, Beating in the sugar.]
Either granulated or pulverized sugar may be used, but pulverized is the
better of the two, because it is lighter. When the sugar is added at
this time, sift the flour several times, and, as in Fig. 6, add it last,
folding it into the mixture with a wire egg whip. However, if it is
desired to do so, the sugar and flour may be sifted together and added
at the same time, or both the sugar and flour may be sifted separately
and then added to the eggs alternately. Then add the flavoring and, if
liquid is to be used, put it in at this time. In case leavening is
supplied, sift it in with the flour. The mixture is then ready for the
pan. Place the ungreased pan conveniently on the table and then, as
shown in Fig. 7, pour the mixture from the bowl into it. Scrape the
sides of the bowl well, so that there will be no more waste than is
necessary.
[Illustration: FIG. 6]
42. BAKING SPONGE CAKE.--As soon as the mixture has been poured into the
pan, set it in a moderate oven to bake. The temperature should be about
300 degrees Fahrenheit when the cake is put into the oven, but it may be
gradually increased to 350 or 400 degrees. If the temperature cannot be
determined, the paper test may be applied. This consists in placing a
piece of white paper in the oven. To be right for sponge cake, the heat
should turn this paper a moderate brown in 4 minutes. The time for
baking depends, of course, on the size of the cake, but usually more
time is required than for butter cake.
[Illustration: FIG. 7]
In putting the cake into the oven, set it on the lower rack, as here the
mixture will be in a position to come up with the heat of the oven,
which, as is known, has a general tendency to rise. If it is placed on
the top rack where the heated air is necessarily passing down toward the
outside walls because of the circulation that is established, there will
be a certain amount of pressure on top of the cake which will prevent it
from rising. Allow the cake to remain on the lower rack until it has
risen to its fullest extent, and then, if necessary, remove it to the
top rack for browning.
[Illustration: FIG. 8]
43. Several tests to determine whether sponge cake is ready to remove
from the oven can be applied. One of these consists in observing the
cake in the pan. After it has risen as much as it will rise, a small
amount of shrinkage will, as shown in Fig. 8, loosen the cake from the
sides of the pan. Another test, which is known as the finger test,
consists in making a depression in the center of the cake. If the cake
is baked sufficiently, it will spring back to fill the depression, but
if it is not done, the depression will remain.
[Illustration: FIG. 9]
44. REMOVING SPONGE CAKE FROM PAN.--When sponge cake is taken from the
oven, it requires different treatment from that of butter cake. Instead
of removing it from the pan immediately, turn it upside down on a cooler
to sweat, as shown in Fig. 9. Allow it to remain in this way until it
has shrunken sufficiently from the pan, and then lift off the pan. If
necessary, the cake may become completely cold before the pan is taken
from it. Close adherence to these directions will prevent any trouble
that may arise in removing sponge cake from the pan.