A falling sponge cake is the most common frustration for home confectioners. The dough rises beautifully in the oven, and after a few minutes after being taken out, it loses volume and collapses in the middle. Contrary to appearances, it is not a matter of a “bad recipe”, but of incorrect technique.
One of the main causes is an underbaked center. The sponge cake must not only stand out, but also consolidate its structure. If you remove it from the oven too early, the water vapor trapped in the dough will not have time to stabilize and when the temperature drops, the volume will begin to collapse.
Too sudden a change in temperature is equally important. Opening the oven while baking, drafts in the kitchen or exposing a hot sponge cake to a cold countertop cause thermal shock. The delicate structure cannot withstand this.
It is also an often overlooked problem popping air bubbles during mixing. The sponge cake rises thanks to the air pressed into the egg white foam. Combining ingredients too intensively destroys this structure before baking.
A clot is a more insidious problem because it often appears despite the dough rising properly. From the outside, the sponge cake looks fine, but when cut into it, you can see a heavy, moist layer at the bottom.
The most common cause is too much moisture in the mass. May result from not whipping the foam thoroughly, adding sugar too quickly or using eggs straight from the fridge. Cold ingredients combine less well and do not form a stable emulsion.
Zakalec also occurs when the flour will not be incorporated properly. Adding it all and mixing intensively causes the gluten to work and the mass to lose its lightness. As a result, the lower part of the sponge cake “sits” under its own weight.
It is also important baking temperature. Too high means that the top will set quickly and the center will not have a chance to bake evenly. Water vapor gets trapped and forms a characteristic rubbery band.
We now know what not to do. Now I will tell you what to do to make the sponge cake turn out perfectly. Here is a time-tested recipe for a fluffy cake.
Ingredients (22 cm cake tin):
- 5 eggs at room temperature,
- 150 g of fine baking sugar,
- 90 g of wheat cake flour,
- 30 g of potato flour.
Preparation
- Start by carefully preparing the position. Line the cake tin with paper only at the bottom, do not grease the sides – the sponge cake must “climb” the walls of the tin. Preheat the oven to 170°C, top-bottom, without convection.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks very carefully. Beat them at medium speed until thick, shiny foam is formed. Only then start adding sugar – gradually, spoon by spoon. The foam should be stable, but not dry.
- Add the yolks one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition. At this stage, the mass will become creamier and more uniform.
- Sift both flours together at least once. Add them to the mass in batches, mixing gently with a spatula in movements from the bottom up. Take your time – the goal is to retain as much air as possible.
- Pour the mixture into the form, gently smooth the top and immediately put it in the oven. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until the stick is dry. Do not open the door for the first 25 minutes.
- After baking, remove the sponge cake and drop the form from a height of about 30-40 cm onto a countertop or floor protected with a cloth. This allows excess water vapor to be released. Then leave the cake in the oven ajar to cool completely.
This recipe is based on classic proportions that have been used in confectionery for years. The lack of baking powder means that the entire structure of the cake is created naturally, thanks to well-aerated foam. The addition of potato flour loosens the structure and makes the sponge cake elastic, but not dry. Good luck.
Sources: Terazgotuje.pl
