Hi,

I started baking sponge cake recently using whipped egg foam method, whipping egg yolk and egg white separately and without baking powder and baking soda added.  I have no problem on whipping egg yolk but encountered problem on whipping egg white.

Recipe: (egg white)
5 medium egg white
80g sugar
1 tsp lemon juice/acetic acid as foam stabiliser

Whipping time >5 min

Out of 5 times I only succeeded once to form peak.  The whipping method is the same using whisking from slow -> high speed (turbo speed).  Increasing whipping time didn’t solve the problem, without peak formed.  I can’t understand why I only succeed one time.

I recall I use Nihon white egg once but have no recollection whether it was the successful case.  The rest cases I used brown eggs.

Please help.

B.R.
satimis

Somehow some grease or egg yolk got into it.  Even the smallest or most microscopic trace will do total damage to you egg whites.  Brown eggs should not matter.  So sorry to hear about your egg white ordeal.  Don’t be discourged..

With me,  b4 I start whipping egg whites,  I wash my bowl (metal) and whisk with boiling water and soap..

If there is any fat whatsoever - a tiny piece of yolk, or the bowl and beaters have any residue on them; the whites won’t whip.  This might explain the different results you got….  Another possibility is the technique - I first start whipping the whites and when they get foamy, add the acid (usually cream of tartar, but I don’t often use any acid at all); and then when they start holding the traces of the whip in the whites, add the sugar slowly.

The color of the egg shells does not matter.
Whisking egg whites should be a reliable process. I don’t think I have ever had it fail. The usual recommendations are…
Fresh eggs.
Eggs at room temperature.
Clean dry bowl and beater. (oils/fat are bad for the foam)
Start slowly lift the egg whites against the side of the bowl and pull air through the mass.
Wait until the eggs becomes slightly foamy before adding ingredients and increasing speed.

I would look first at the age of the eggs you are buying. It can be very difficult to know.
If you are using the whisk attachment on your hand blender I recommend that you switch to a hand whisk.
The acid and sugar are extra and is not necessary in many recipe. You can whisk the eggs to stiff peak without them.

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice.  Egg white beating is successful forming peak.

Photo:    egg_white_aft_beating_IMG_0301.JPG
  http://ubuntuone.com/34C7ssW1hk6NFDebYsu041

The bowl and whisk must be very clean and dry, free from grease and water.  No trace of egg yolk is allowed.  Beating the egg white alone to form a peak first, then adding acetic acid and followed by sugar.

Ingredients
All purpose flour   61g
Corn starch     38g
5 medium eggs (at room temperature for 30min)
salt         1/2 tsp
Vanila extract     1/2 tsp
sugar 130g divided into 60g and 70g portions
orange juice     2 tbsp
acetic acid (distilled)  1 tsp

Preheat to 300 deg F

Flour mixture
All purpose flour, corn starch and salt sifted 5 times

Egg yolk beating
orange juice, vanila extract and 70g sugar added
then folding with the flour mixture

Egg white beating
acetic acid and 60g sugar added

Baking time 50min.

At about 30min a nice dome was formed on the top of the sponge cake.  But it collapsed (sunk) finally.

Photo:
sponge_cake_w_sunk_top_IMG_0302.JPG
http://ubuntuone.com/6aqRWJQKAvH4QCt58M3T8I

sponge_cake_slices_01_IMG_0303.JPG
http://ubuntuone.com/6Jxi5EJD7DoOxkxf0erT21
sponge_cake_slices_02_IMG_0304.JPG
http://ubuntuone.com/4gZ9qb7tCop8wwRUCneuf3

Would it be over baked?  The sponge cake is quite soft.

satimis

My guess about the sunken texture is that there isn’t enough flour/starch to stabilize the egg foam.  Either that or your oven is too cool.

Julie - 19 April 2012 07:20 PM

My guess about the sunken texture is that there isn’t enough flour/starch to stabilize the egg foam.  Either that or your oven is too cool.

The original recipe calls for 1 cup cake flour.  I don’t have cake flour available.  I calculated it equivalent to 61g all-purpose-flour plus 39g cornstarch.  I saw via the see-through window the cake forming a very nice dome at about 30 minute baking.  The color was NOT brown, pale yellow.  Then it sunk afterwards.  The temperature was about 300deg F since preheating.  I have a thermometer monitoring the baking chamber.

B.R.
satimis

Typically,  Sponge cakes shrinks a little bit after it is baked,  BUT not to the point that it will have a “crater” in the middle:..  this one does not look bad.. To me if the texture and taste is good,  don;t worry about it.  YOu can cover that shrunken part w/ fruits or whipped cream..  as long as it is not rubbery,  that should be fine..

Actually the principle behind in making sponge cake is similar to manufacturing foam rubber.  Flour is suspending on egg foam setting before the bubbles burst to form a cake cushion.

I’m thinking using aerated drink to make sponge cake, mixing the flour with it.  However the problem is the carbon dioxide in the drink evaporating very quick before the flour set especially at high temperature.  Baking the cake in the pressure cooker?

Sponge cake is an healthy cake only egg and sugar without chemical added.

satimis

Most sponge recipes have more flour/starch than your 100g for 5 eggs.  That is the amount of for 4 eggs.  So consider using more, perhaps another 20g or so.

Your oven is also too cool, 300F would mean that most cakes fall as they don’t set quickly enough.  Try 350F.

Julie - 20 April 2012 01:35 PM

Most sponge recipes have more flour/starch than your 100g for 5 eggs.  That is the amount of for 4 eggs.  So consider using more, perhaps another 20g or so.

Your oven is also too cool, 300F would mean that most cakes fall as they don’t set quickly enough.  Try 350F.

Hi,

Thanks for your advice.

Have another round.

Ingredients:
bread white flour   74g
Corn starch   46g
5 medium eggs (at room temperature for 30min)
salt       pinch
Vanila extract   1 tsp
sugar 120g divided into 50g and 70g portions
Lemon juice   1.5 tbsp

Topping:
Blueberry yoghurt   2 tbsp
Confectioners’ sugar   1 tsp
mixed manually

Preheat to 300 deg F (Can’t increase temperature further.  This is a bread machine.  It seems the temperature locked)

Flour mixture
Bread white flour and corn starch sifted 5 times (running out all-purpose-flour.  Using bread white flour instead)

Egg yolk beating
Lemon juice, vanila extract and 70g sugar added.  Then folding with the flour mixture

Egg white beating
A pinch of salt and 50g sugar added

Baking time 40min.

A wonderful sponge cake with nice texture baked.  The top formed a nice dome first but fell flat later.

sponge_cake_IMG_0306.JPG
http://ubuntuone.com/2azLtW3azdmlvoGF1EsvPp

sponge_cake_slice_01_IMG_0307.JPG
http://ubuntuone.com/6iiwaH68jcNzsMn5FV27IP

sponge_cake_slice_02_IMG_0308.JPG
http://ubuntuone.com/1o8VgyC5eG2whTsZqRkKB5

sponge_cake_w_topping_IMG_0309.JPG
http://ubuntuone.com/3XbTYRgrLmHsJHxh1LOsiL

B.R.
satimis

A flat top is the goal- good job.  It is normal for cakes to dome a little and then flatten as they cool.

In addition to more flour, you may have benefitted from the stronger protein content of your bread flour- was the cake tender, or more chewy?

Julie - 25 April 2012 08:23 PM

- snip -
In addition to more flour, you may have benefitted from the stronger protein content of your bread flour- was the cake tender, or more chewy?

The cake was more tender.

All-purpose-flour - more chewy.

I prefer more tender.  Whether adding some gluten will help?  TIA

satimis

I don’t think adding more gluten would do the trick.  The goal with cakes is to get just enough structure to support itself, but no more because more structure means a tough or chewy texture.  If your bread flour is providing the right amount of structure, stick with it.  I’d also check your folding technique, over-folding by even one or two passes of the whisk can deflate a sponge cake and make it seem dense and rubbery.

Julie - 26 April 2012 08:37 AM

- snip-
I’d also check your folding technique, over-folding by even one or two passes of the whisk can deflate a sponge cake and make it seem dense and rubbery.

I used spatula to fold until all flour disappeared.

satimis