Chocolate Sponge Cake

Chocolate Sponge Cake
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 71.

The directions for this cake were so odd that I found myself doing a double-take and re-reading them over and over. Apparently though (unless there were typos in the book), they are correct - the long beating time for the eggs, using a wet pan, and adding the sugar only one tablespoon at a time - very odd. I am still not sure if I did it all correctly - the cake did not rise up in the pan as much as she said it would (almost to the rim) but the taste was wonderful. It is very light, as a sponge cake should be, and has a very mellow chocolate flavor. We ate it with strawberries. Delicious!

3/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. powdered instant coffee or expresso
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
6 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 325. Place a 10x4 inch angel-food tube pan (the kind with a loose rim) in the sink (for later).

Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, expresso (or coffee powder) and cocoa. Resift it six more times.

 

Beat the eggs with the vanilla at high speed until the eggs rise to the top of the bowl.

Transfer the eggs to a mixer bowl and whisk at high speed for about 12-15 minutes until the eggs have thickened.

Still whisking, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time (this will take about 3 minutes).

Lower the speed of the mixer and add the sifted cocoa mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Do not beat longer than necessary or you will deflate the eggs.

Run cold water into the cake pan, then pour it out, leaving the pan wet.

Pour in the batter.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

After the cake comes out of the oven, turn it upside down
on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Use a sharp knife to cut around
the edges of the pan to remove it.