If you’re a regular reader of this column, then you’ve noticed that I’ve published a lot of very practical recipes over the past three to four issues. Practical is good when it comes to home baking; recipes that you will use in quantities that actually make sense for the space and time allotted. But sometimes, it’s nice to be a little impractical and bake something for the joyful, silly, over-the-top fun of it.
Now, I’m not insinuating that cake is only for special occasions or is some overindulgence. Good cake is truly a godsend. It can make the worst of days all better, and its fun creation can be a fulfilling project, but sometimes baking a cake can just take on a life of its own. Between the cake batter, frosting and decorating, baking a cake tends to be messy, time-consuming, and stressful.
Enter the ever-delightful, light and accessible Gateau de Savoie, or the spongiest sponge cake you’ll ever make! I love this cake. Not only is it an accessible recipe for home bakers, it’s also a joy to dress and decorate using simple whipped cream or whipped creme fraiche, and fresh fruit or jam in the layers.
A few key pointers: Read through the recipe and make sure to have all your ingredients out and ready to go before you even turn the oven on. Second, ingredient choices matter here. The powdered sugar creates a much lighter consistency than granulated sugar while the cornstarch and all-purpose flour make sure we’re not making heavy gluten. Cake flour is an alternative here, but I like to use what I have on hand instead of buying a flour I’ll only use every six months or so. Finally, I highly recommend using good farm eggs. The flavor, beautiful color, and nutrition really will shine with better eggs.
In the end, have fun with this one. And LET THEM EAT CAKE!
Gateau de Savoie or Sponge Cake
Sarah Dodge is an Atlanta-based bread baker, pastry chef and baking instructor. She is the owner of Bread is Good, which offers bread subscriptions to the general public and wholesale baked goods to local markets and restaurants.
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