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Génoise (Genoa sponge)

A Génoise (or Genoa sponge) is a very light and delicate cake. It is good on its own, but is more often used as the base for many different French-style gâteaux, with layers of mousse or cream between 2 (or more) layers of sponge. It is a tricky recipe to get right, rather technical, but here's a simple and very effective method.

158,853 54.5/5 for 15 ratings

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Last modified on: March 10^th 2019

For 1 Génoise (Genoa sponge), you will need:

1 4 eggs
2 50 g Noisette butter
3 110 g caster sugar
4 15 g Vanilla sugar
5 125 g flour
6 30 g flaked almonds (optional)
Total weight: 530 grams

Change those ingredients for: 1 Génoise (Genoa sponge) 2 Génoises (Genoa sponge) 3 Génoises (Genoa sponge)

Change measures: Metric

Metric weight Metric volumes

How long does it take?

Time required for this recipe:

Preparation	Resting	Cooking	Start to finish
33 min.	15 min.	25 min.	1 hour 13 min.

Keeping: A few days in an air-tight tin.

At what time?

When will I finish if I start the recipe at a certain time?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at a certain time?

Work this out...

Step by step recipe

Stage 1 - 10 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #1

Put 4 eggs in a pan of hot water from the tap and leave for 10 minutes to warm, just to warm eggs not to cook them.

If your eggs have been in the fridge, leave them for 20 minutes, renewing the hot water halfway through.

Stage 2 - 5 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #2

Also fill the food-processor bowl with very hot water and leave to warm up.

This is so that the eggs can be beaten in the warm, which improves their texture. In most Genoa sponge recipes, the eggs are beaten in a bain-marie, which is more difficult.

Stage 3 - 5 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #3

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).

Empty and dry the food-processor bowl, break the eggs into it and add 110 g caster sugar and 15 g Vanilla sugar.

Stage 4 - 10 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #4

Beat immediately at high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy...

Stage 5

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #5

...and sticks to the beater slightly.

Stage 6 - 5 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #6

Reduce the speed and add 50 g Noisette butter, pouring in a thin stream (through a sieve to remove all the small impurities left after heating).

Stage 7 - 5 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #7

Stop the machine and sieve 125 g flour into the mixture.

Stage 8 - 1 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #8

Incorporate the flour into the mixture quickly using a hand whisk.

Important: this is the tricky part. You have incorporated lots of air into the mixture be beating the eggs and sugar together and it is this air in the form of tiny bubbles that will make the mixture foamy and give you a light sponge. You need to incorporate the flour as quickly as possible (within 30 seconds if possible) so that the mixture doesn't "fall".

Stage 9 - 5 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #9

Prepare a mould or tin by lining the bottom with a sheet of cooking parchment, as Genoa sponge sticks terribly and turning it out can be difficult.

You can also scatter a few flaked almonds in the bottom.

Stage 10 - 2 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #10

Pour the batter into the mould and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Stage 11 - 25 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge) : Photo of step #11

Turn out while hot onto a wire rack.

Remarks

For a chocolate Genoa sponge, reduce the flour by 50g and add 20g of powdered chocolate or cocoa powder.

Nutritional information

Whole recipe
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
1,666 Kcal or 6,975 Kj	42 gr	223 gr	81 gr
83 %	16 %	21 %	12 %

Per 100 g
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
314 Kcal or 1,315 Kj	8 gr	42 gr	15 gr
16 %	3 %	4 %	2 %

% are calculated relative to a Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI of 2000 k-calories or 8400 k-joules by day for a woman (change to a man).

How much will it cost?

For 1 Génoise (Genoa sponge) : 2.00 €

Note : These prices are only approximate

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Source

After Hervé This, who states that this Michel Bras's method.

More recipes?

This recipe uses (among others)

	Flour: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Buckwheat almond biscuits, Grandma Solange's biscuits, Special small breads, Milk rolls, Nonettes, ... All
	Caster sugar: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Brioche dough, Hazelnut and orange cake, Flaky chocolate brioche, New tiramisu, Yeast-based flaky dough (for croissants), ... All
	Noisette butter: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Grapefruit moelleux, Financiers, Lemon and lime cakes, Chocolate madeleines, Pancake batter, ... All
	Vanilla sugar: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Diamond biscuits, Liège waffles, Rolled chestnut and apple brioche, Gâteau Nantais, Strawberries with mint and cream, ... All

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Your 5 comments or questions on this recipe

I'm sure you can't imagine how many genoise I've missed, before having a good and nice one (like on the photos).
Keep courage!
Posted by jh april 12^th 2013 at 15:16 (n° 5)
@ jh Thank you for your reply. I will give attention to this point on future occasions. It may be that I was paying too much attention to the instructions that I have only thirty seconds to get the flour into the batter? I did use a balloon whisk to do the mixing of the flour, and the eggs and sugar were whisked by high-speed whisking in a Kenwood machine. When I have spent time whisking in the flour, I seem to have knocked too much air out of the batter, hence my haste to get the flour in and the batter into the tin
Posted by Biggles april 12^th 2013 at 12:07 (n° 4)
@Kristin: You're right, hand beaten genoa sponge is a sign of courage...

@biggles: It could be a problem of not enoughly mixed flour to the egg+sugar mixture.
Posted by jh april 12^th 2013 at 10:28 (n° 3)
My sponge turns out uneven, far too often. (i.e, one side higher than the other) I don't know if it is the fan that is disturbing the rather light batter. Anyone else having the same trouble please?
Posted by Biggles april 11^th 2013 at 20:27 (n° 2)
Thank you for the recipe and clear instructions. I halved the recipe since I am cooking for two and it still came out beautiful. But beating the eggs and sugar mixture with the hand mixer took a very long time! :)

Thanks,
Kristin
www.erisbeauty.com
Posted by Anonymous april 11^th 2013 at 17:07 (n° 1)

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