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Gâteau de Savoie
Savoie's tall, airy sponge cake (biscuit de Savoie)
Legend says a cook at the court of the Counts of Savoy, in Chambéry, invented this sponge in the fourteenth century to impress a visiting emperor, and Savoyard families still bake it in a tall fluted mould for birthdays and Sunday tea. It has no butter and very little flour, using potato starch for a crumb so light it almost dissolves, and it is eaten plain with a dusting of icing sugar, or with jam, fruit compote or a cup of hot chocolate. Chef's tip: fold the whites in three goes with a large metal spoon, cutting down through the middle; you are keeping in the air that makes it rise.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Brush a 22 cm fluted or round cake tin with 1 tsp sunflower oil and dust with a little flour.
Step 2: Whisk the yolks from 5 eggs with 5 ½ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp vanilla extract for 5 minutes, until pale, thick and doubled in volume; the mixture should fall in a ribbon that sits on the surface.
5 minStep 3: Sift 2 ⅛ oz plain flour and 2 ⅛ oz potato starch over the yolks and fold in gently.
Step 4: In a clean bowl, whisk the whites with 1 pinch salt to firm peaks that stand up when you lift the whisk.
4 minStep 5: Fold the whites into the yolk mixture in three goes, until no white streaks remain. Common mistake: stirring hard, which knocks out the air and gives a flat, dense cake.
3 minStep 6: Pour into the tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, until well risen, golden and springy; a skewer should come out clean. Don't open the oven in the first 25 minutes.
40 minStep 7: Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar once cool.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 175 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gâteau de Savoie take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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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