Name: Génoise Sponge Cake Gioconda
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 125 g powdered sugar; 100 g almond flour; 3 duck eggs; 25 g cocoa powder 100%; 20 g all-purpose flour; 20 g melted butter; 2 egg whites; salt

Génoise Sponge Cake Gioconda

The Gioconda Sponge Cake is a soft and fluffy sponge with a subtle almond flavor, thanks to the use of powdered sugar and almond flour mixed with whole eggs.

Ingredients

Servings:

Ingredients

125 gpowdered sugar
100 galmond flour
3 duck eggs
25 gcocoa powder 100%
20 gall-purpose flour
20 gmelted butter
2 egg whites
salt

Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories

474 kcal

Protein

21 g

Fat

19 g

Carbohydrates

59 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Preparation

Whisk the whole eggs, icing sugar, and almond flour with the electric mixer’s beaters (adding all ingredients at once) until they double in volume. This may take about 5-7 minutes on high speed.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the bowl and continue stirring with the mixer’s beaters on low speed until well integrated, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Pour the batter into another bowl and add the melted butter. Stir gently with a spatula until the butter is completely integrated.
Wash and thoroughly dry the mixer bowl to ensure it is free of grease.
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, which may take between 3 and 5 minutes at medium speed.
Gradually fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate bowl, gently stirring with a spatula using sweeping motions from the inside out to maintain maximum volume.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on the tray where we will make the layer (preferably a flat tray with low edges), grease the bottom and sides with a little butter, and lightly dust with flour.
To spread the batter, first pipe a border along the edges of the tray creating a perimeter of batter. Then, fill the tray by zigzagging diagonally, starting from one corner to the opposite corner. The diagonal lines should be quite close together. Gently shake the tray to help cover the entire surface. If necessary, finish filling by smoothing the batter with a long, wide knife.
Bake at 160ºC for 12-14 minutes, until the batter is firm to the touch but not dry.
Allow the batter to cool on a wire rack to ensure it remains crispy.
Once cooled, you can score and cut the bases for the cake or use it as a sheet for rolled pastries.

Recommendations & Tricks

When sifting the almond flour and the plain flour, make sure to do it together with the cocoa powder to achieve a homogeneous mixture and thus avoid lumps in the final batter.
Patiently beat the whole eggs with the icing sugar until you achieve a whitish and fluffy mixture. This will help obtain a lighter and airier sponge cake.
If you want to preserve the Gioconda Sponge Cake for a few days, wrap it well with plastic film and store it in a cool, dry place. You can also freeze it for short periods to keep it fresh for longer.