Sponge Cake Help

[JacqueOH]

Hi there!

This is my first post. I've been lurking for a while and have been thoroughly impressed by all of you egulleters. Entertainment and learning all in one place!

I'm hoping you can help me understand what went wrong with my first attempt at sponge cake. I made it as part of my first Tres Leches cake. The recipe is here.

I used a 9" spring-form pan, as directed. I greased the pan using CK's "Pan Grease" (a flour/shortening/oil mixture) but I only greased about half way up the sides . Later, I reread the directions and saw that I should have only greased and floured the bottom of the pan. Duh!

During baking, the cake rose above the top of the pan, but then as it cooled it started sinking in the middle. When I noticed this I removed the pan sides (the top of the cake was stuck to the rim of the pan so I had to use a knife to remove it first) and was not too happy to see that the cake had an hour-glass shape viewed from the side. As it cooled, it shrank too.

Any ideas where I messed up? Was it because I greased half way up the sides of the pan?

I've included a picture after it was cooled and soaked with the milk syrup (I'm hoping this image will link correctly... fingers crossed).

Thanks in advance

edited for - being clueless on my first post

Edited January 17, 2005 by JacqueOH (log)

[chiantiglace]

Well first off welcome to egullet soceity as i guess sinclair would say.

First i find it odd that the recipe calls for 3/4 of the sugar to go into the egg yolks, and 1/4 in the egg whites. It is usually the complete opposite. Though the sponge seems to be a balanced low ratio enriched cake so it sould have baked fine if prepared right.

The greased and floured sides should not affect it in this way so i think your in the clear on that, atleast i've never had that problem and can't think why i would.

The best idea I have is you extracted the sponge from the pan far too soon and it feel almost like a souffle would.

I say try it again with a 10" pan and let it cool until stable to remove.

I just don't understand why it would fall in the middle....

only 2 things come to mind

-it had too much leavening ability (baking powdered) and rose over the flours support.

-the pan wasn't high enough and the sponge had nothing to grab onto as it was rising.

[Wendy DeBord]

O.k.........so I'm predictable. Oh well. Still- very happy to have you here JacqueOH!

I haven't baked a thing since the Dec. 31 and man do I feel rusty. Just looking at the recipe you linked...........I don't recall baking a sponge cake like that with baking soda or powder added. It's got 1 1/2 tsp. to 1 c. flour...........yeks........I don't particularly like that recipe at all. I'd pitch it and use another one all together. The cake must have exploded then colapsed.

Sometimes it's not what we've done wrong, sometimes the recipe is flawed. The sponge cake I use for tres leche cake has no additional leavener just the whipped eggs whites.

So next attempt, use another recipe and don't grease any part of your pan. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom and let the sponge cling to the sides of your pan for support. Let it cool to room temp. in the pan before unmolding it. For tres leches, you want to make a dry sponge. That means you can over bake it a bit, plus I leave mine uncovered over night to let it stale. Then when you add your milks it isn't too fragile.

So try, try again. It's all part of the experience.........

[Swisskaese]

Most of the Tres Leches recipes I have seen called for baking powder, but here is a recipe for Chocolate Tres Leches that only calls for eggs, sugar and flour.

[chiantiglace]

I agree with Sinclair because i also caught the baking powder odd but didnt want to say anything because I didn't feel like looking up the percentages. Two leaveners is fine but usually for a cake that has been creamed not one solely leavened by beaten eggs.

once again, try try again. It's and expensive time consuming way to learn but by far the best way because at the end you'll be able to explain what went wrong instead of just getting it right the first time.

[JacqueOH]

Thank you all so much. It's so nice to get a nudge in the right direction to help keep the experimenting to a minimum (my waist line can't handle very much experimentation right now ). I really didn't have any idea about the baking powder, but it makes sense.

Just out of curiousity, I checked for more recipes for Tres Leches on the internet and they ALL have lots of baking powder. One even had 2 teaspoons per cup of flour. Many of them call for a 9x13 inch pan, though. I wonder if that would make a difference, although I thought larger pans required less baking powder.

FYI, the cake sure did taste good, in spite of it's sad state.