# genoise cake sinking after cooling



## mrs.h (Oct 30, 2006)

I have embarked on the task of understanding Genoise cakes. So I ambitiously tackle the chocolate genoise cake out of the Baking with Julia book. This is part of the chocolate ruffle cake. 
First attempt at the cake:
cake was tasty but it was only about 3/4 inch tall, no doubt that I totally deflated the eggs while folding the dry ingredients.
Second attempt at the cake:
Cake is now about 1 and 1/4 inches tall. So better than the first attempt but still deflating the eggs
Third attempt:
I tried to be much more gentle with folding the dry ingredients. This time around the wet batter itself filled up more than half way up the pan. I used a 8inch round and 2inches tall, as the recipe called. The cake rose very well, all the way up to the top and domed a bit. checked the cake at 30 minutes it sprang back (once again following the recipe). But once I took the cake out of the oven the center sank down quite a bit. 

Should I have baked it a little longer?

here is the recipe
3 tablespoons hot clarified unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional) 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus 
1 tablespoon sifted all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 
1 tablespoon sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed 
4 large eggs 
2/3 cup sugar 

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven or just below the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F Fit the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan, one at least 2 inches high, with parchment paper and set aside. 
Pour the clarified butter into a 1-quart bowl and stir in the vanilla extract, if you're using it. The butter must be hot when added to the batter, so either keep the bowl in a skillet of hot water or reheat at the last minute. 
Although the flour and cocoa were sifted before they were measured, they need to be triple-sifted together. Sift or sieve the flour and cocoa together 3 times, then set sifter on a plate or piece of waxed paper and return the dry ingredients to the sifter. Keep close at hand. 
Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Set the bowl over direct heat or in a pan of barely simmering water and heat the eggs, whisking constantly, until they are warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the heat and, working with a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a hand-held mixer), beat the eggs at high speed until they are cool, have tripled in volume, and hold a ribbon when the whisk is lifted. 
Sift one third of the dry ingredients over the eggs and, using a large rubber spatula, fold in gently but thoroughly. When the color of the batter is almost uniform, fold in the rest of the flour-cocoa mixture. 
Spoon about 1 cup of the batter into the hot clarified butter add fold together until well blended. Spoon this over the batter and, using the large rubber spatula, gently fold into the batter. 
Spoon the batter into the pan: there's no need to smooth the top or rap the pan on the counter, as is sometimes done with foam-based cakes. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until top of the cake springs back when pressed gently. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the cake cool in the pan. 
When the cake is completely cool, run a small knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake and unmold onto a rack; invert right side up onto a piece of parchment paper. (The cake can be made ahead to this point, wrapped well, and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature.).


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

Would you like to post the recipe.....

I always make genoise when I want sandwich cake or swiss roll, But there are several different recipes for it.....
I have used my recipe for about 40 years, maybe in that time I have boobooed twice, ))
qahtan


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

Genoise.

6 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
In a large bowl of your mixer place the sugar, then add the eggs, mix together, place bowl in to warm water, I put hot water from the tap into the sink and swish the mixture around a few times so that the egg does not stick to the sides of the bowl, make sure the mixture is quite warm and then whisk
until it looks like custard, thick and creamy, and leaves a trail when the whisk is drawn across the top.
Have ready your 1 cup sifted flour I use A P flour, and melt 1/2 cup salted butter,
add the flour alternately with the melted butter in about 3 goes.
If you have a very large whisk you could use that, that's what I use, DO NOT STIR, cut down the sides of the bowl and sort of turn the batter over so you are getting the butter and flour from the bottom, there is no rush just try down under up, until it is all mixed in, TRY TO DO THIS WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT TO THE BATTER. I hope you can understand what I mean ;-))),then you can make it as two sandwiches, or what ever you like, I don't have a picture of the sandwich one but the enclosed picture is the Swiss roll I make, baked in a 15 inch X10 inch pan that has been sprayed with PAM and the bottom lined with kitchen parchment,Bake 350 about 35 minutes.
If you are making it as Swiss roll, turn the sponge out of the pan onto a well sugared clean tea towel, remove the liner as quick as a whiz, and roll the tea towel and sponge into a roll. make sure you have enough sugar.. leave to cool on rack,, then carefully unroll remove tea towel, spread with what you would like roll back up and trim ends, place on long plate.
Genoise does not hump in the centre in fact it is a beautiful flat topped cake. 
qahtan


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## king10 (Apr 16, 2007)

sponge of any sort are tuff to make because of ther delicate structure there are only two faults i think i can spot.

1. the batter mix was over worked 
2. or the butter was beginning to set when u placed it in the baking tin 

butter has a tendence to break down the structure of sponge ...so i suggest to try heat the egg and sugar mix to 32 degrees celsus (90 degrees F) then add the flour and melted butter as described when done put straight in to baking tin and in the oven

hope this helps 

cheers willo


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## vapour (May 3, 2007)

I think that the genoise might not be fully baked. I know when the top springs back, the cake is ready. But I always give it an extra 3 mins or so, just to make sure any excess moisture in the centre of the cake is cooked off, or else when you take it out, the moisture can cause the cake to sink a little. Your batter might also be just a touch over mixed. When you make enough foam cakes, you can literally see the foam start to deflate just a slightest touch and get runnier. Even an extra fold or 2 will mean a deflated sponge compared to one that is nice and fluffy.

I know the recipe doesnt say to cool it upside down, but that's always a possibility, to set the structure before turning it right side up. Hope this helps.


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## jessiquina (Nov 4, 2005)

1. do not grease your pan
2. cook it longer.


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