A fluffy, aromatic biscuit is the base for many cakes. You can simply cover it with whipped cream, garnish with fruit and serve right away, or you can bake a few biscuits, saturate them with sugar syrup with a drop of aromatic alcohol, and layer with cream to create a gorgeous, delicious cake.
How to bake a biscuit
The biscuit dough recipe is simple, but requires a certain precision in measuring the ingredients. They cannot be measured "by eye", but should be weighed using an accurate kitchen scale. You will need:
- 8 chicken eggs;
- 190 grams of fine granulated sugar;
- 95 grams of wheat flour;
- 55 grams of corn starch;
- 46 grams of melted butter;
- 5 ml of vanilla oil extract.
Take out the food in advance so that it has time to reach room temperature. Divide the eggs into yolk and white. This can be done using a special device or simply by passing the protein through your fingers so that the yolk remains in the palm of your hand.
The cornstarch will help the dough stay airy by absorbing excess liquid.
Whisk the yolks until they are white, then add 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat for a few more minutes until the mixture thickens. Add vanilla extract and beat until mixture doubles. Set the beaten egg yolks aside.
Take a clean, dry bowl and beat the egg whites in it until stiff peaks. Begin whisking at a slow speed, gradually increasing the speed. Add the yolk mixture to the whipped egg whites and mix gently with a rubber spatula. Sift wheat and corn flour into the mixture through a fine sieve. Stir the dough again with a spatula, then add the melted butter and gently stir again.
By sifting flour into a biscuit dough, you increase the amount of air in it, which will make the biscuit even lighter and taller.
Take a 25 cm round snap-off form for biscuits and line the bottom with baking parchment. Grease the parchment and sides of the mold with butter, sprinkle with flour. Pour in the biscuit dough. Gently tilt the pan so that the dough is evenly distributed, shake it slightly several times to distribute the air evenly, otherwise the formed air pockets may form bumps on the biscuit. Bake the sponge cake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Check the doneness by piercing the cake with a fork; if it comes out dry, the biscuit is ready. Take it out of the oven and refrigerate. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the mold and remove the sides. Flip the biscuit onto a serving platter.
For a tall cake, you may need a few biscuits.
Sponge cake cream and frosting
For a light, fragrant cream, you will need:
- 500 ml of cream with a fat content of 22%;
- 100 grams of powdered sugar;
- zest with 2 limes or 1 lemon.
Whisk cold heavy cream in a clean, chilled bowl, add powdered sugar and lime or lemon zest. If you're worried that your cream will fall off, use a thickener or 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
For dark chocolate glaze, take:
- 150 grams of dark chocolate;
- 150 ml of cream with a fat content of 10%.
Grate the chocolate on a coarse grater or break into pieces. Place in a pot set in a water bath. Pour in the cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the frosting is thick and smooth.
Cut the sponge cake in half lengthwise, brush with butter. You can pre-apply some delicious berry or fruit jam to the cake. Cover the cream with the second part of the biscuit and apply the frosting to the top and edges of the cake, gently smoothing it out with a special, long and flat silicone spatula.
