# Folding process in sponge cake :(



## kazeya (Jan 11, 2009)

hi all! i was wondering how do we actually fold during the process of making the sponge cake. do we fold it very lightly or fold until all the flour is fully incorporated? but whenever i fold it to fully incorporate it, the texture does not get too airy and the volume decreases. or do i fold it lightly to ensure maximum air volume but whenever i pour the batter into the mould, i see remnants of unincorporated flour. which is the correct way to do it anyone? do we actually just pour the whole batter including the remaining unincorporated flour into the mould and just allow it to bake? will this ruin the texture? 

btw..does anyone know why some recipes of sponge cakes require us to add in cornflour? cheers!


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

I learned folding from julia child (like i learned practically everything) and her method is quite effective. You put your spatula into the center of the bowl, at an angle, but so the bottom of the blade is at the center of the bottom of the bowl, but the handle points to the right (if you're right-handed, or to your left if left-handed). You draw it around the bottom towards you, scraping the bowl as you do it, and then turning the blade when it comes up so it sort of scoops what's underneath, depositing it on top. (How i wish i could do a drawing and send it)
Then ytou turn the bowl a bit (maybe a 1/6th or 1/8th) and do the same, always from the center bottom up around the bowl towards you and over the top. Keep doing this and turning. You do the least damage to the beaten eggs that way. It usually shows you the clumps of unfolded material so you know when you have to keep going.

For something like pancakes you can leave a few blops of flour in the batter, but it would ruin a sponge cake, because at some point you would cut or bite into a little dry puff of flour - pretty unpleasant and unaesthetic

Not sure how you do your spongecake. I usually beat the heck out of whole eggs and the sugar and then fold in the flour. If i want to really do it properly, I beat the egg yolks and the sugar (but i reserve a couple of tbsps out of the total quantity of sugar). Sugar seems to stabilize the beaten egg (i don;t know the chemistry, but it does). Then I beat the whites WITH THE RESERVED SUGAR so also those are more stable. Then i fold in 1/3 of the whites into the yolk part, as i do it, i sift 1/3 of the flour on top; then i fold in half of the whites remaining and half of the flour sifted on top (folding togetrher) and then the rest of both. This usually holds up pretty well. Don;t stir, just fold as i described. You should be fine. 
Some like to use their hands, which would let you feel where the flour globs are, but i don;t like that personally.


----------



## kazeya (Jan 11, 2009)

LOL! thanks siduri! hmm..i think i might wanna give out ur technique a shot..gotta revise up on my folding technique..trying to get my perfect sponge..gotta fold everything in without loosing as much air as possible ..when you fold, do you fold to incorporate all the flour into it completely and there are no traces of those unfolded flour? coz from what i notice..the unfolded flour gives the cake a very crumbly and rough texture..no?

yea ive seen that technique where u seperate the eggs and fold them together before the flour..but i think we can do the cake just as fine without needing to seperate them as long as our folding is fine rite? ! lOL gona try it tmrw! hehehe:bounce:


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

It seems to me that the unfolded flour doesn;t give any kind of texture, it only gives little lumps of white, dry flour. I'm not sure what you mean by crumbly rough texture. I fold only to not see the white flour - once you don;t see it, stop.


----------



## kazeya (Jan 11, 2009)

hmmm...i did fold till i din see any white flour but when i pour theres always those bits of unfolded flour at the bottom  is it ok?


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

It's as ok as it ok for you. If it bothers you in the final cake to see clumps of flour, then it;s not ok. If it doesn;t bother you it is ok! I don;t like to see them, but i don't make a big deal if i do, it doesn;t disgust me or anything. If you scrape well across the bottom as you fold you shouldn't have this problem. If you always do anyway, maybe you would want to try to pour into another bowl mid-folding, so what is on top goes on the bottom. 
Since if the egg isn't completely incorporated there is no problem, and it;ls just the flour, make sure you sift the flour on top of the egg stuff, and don;t put the egg stuff on top of the flour in the bowl.


----------



## chari gutierrez (Sep 17, 2016)

<I know it's been a while since your post> Thank you so much for this clear and detailed illustration of effectively folding flour. I will try it out on my next batch of ladyfingers. I've been painstakingly trying to perfect my sponge cakes but always end up with unsightly flour pellets in the bottom of my baked cakes. And yes it bothers me like a pest. I would fold for longer than I (think) should be folding, taking optimum care not to deflate the batter but also making sure I've squished those ugly bothersome clusters. I still don't know what is considered to be long enough or too long in folding time, I just base it on the look, when it's lump-free (for the most part). I really hope this technique will solve my frustrations. Thank you again!!


----------

