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Bizcochuelo
Plain whisked sponge cake
Argentina's plain whisked sponge, base for every layer cake
Nearly every Argentine birthday torta starts life as a bizcochuelo: a tall, plain sponge of eggs, sugar, flour and cornflour, with no butter and no baking powder, lifted only by long whisking. Grandmothers bake it on Sunday to split into three and fill with dulce de leche and whipped cream, or eat it plain in the afternoon with mate. The crumb is fine, dry-ish and airy, made to soak up syrup. Opening the oven in the first 20 minutes is the classic way to flatten it, so leave the door shut. Chef's tip: whisk until the mixture reaches 'punto letra', thick enough that a ribbon drawn on the surface holds its shape for a few seconds; that takes a good 8–10 minutes with an electric mixer, and warm eggs get there faster.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 6 eggsat room temperature
- 6 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz plain flour
- 2 ⅛ oz cornflour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vegetable oilfor the tin
- 1 lemon (optional)finely grated zest
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush a 24 cm round tin with 1 tsp vegetable oil and line the base with baking paper; leave the sides only lightly greased so the sponge can climb.
Step 2: Whisk 6 eggs and 6 ½ oz caster sugar with an electric mixer on high for 8–10 minutes, until tripled in volume, pale and thick enough that a trail of batter holds its shape on the surface.
10 minStep 3: Whisk in 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 lemon if using, for a few seconds.
Step 4: Sift 4 oz plain flour, 2 ⅛ oz cornflour and 1 pinch salt together twice.
Step 5: Sift a third of the flour over the eggs and fold in gently with a large spatula, cutting down through the middle and turning the bowl. Repeat twice more, stopping as soon as no dry flour shows.
Step 6: Pour into the tin and bake for 30–35 minutes without opening the door, until golden, the top springs back when lightly pressed and the sides pull away from the tin.
33 minStep 7: Turn the tin upside down on a rack and leave to cool completely in the tin, so the sponge doesn't sink.
30 minStep 8: Run a knife round the edge to release it. Eat plain, or split into layers for filling.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bizcochuelo take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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