Sponge Cake, Gluten-Free

Share

sponge-cakeSponge cake, is often wheat-free for the Passover holiday and loaded with eggs. This cake is egg-free, light and lovely. It is kosher for Passover for the Sefardic Jews but not for Ashkenazi Jews because it contains soy and rice.

3/4 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice)
Zest from one lemon
Zest from one orange
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
8 teaspoons soy lecithin granules
7 Tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
6 Tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Have ready an ungreased two-piece 10 inch (25 cm) tube pan.
The mise en place (the set up) is very important in this recipe:

1. Rice flours tends to be coarse. To lighten it up, place flour in a spice mill or blender and pulse to make finer. Sift three times into a medium bowl.
2. Sift potato starch 3 times and add to rice flour.
3. Add baking powder to flour and starch and mix well. Set aside.
4. Place sugar in spice mill or blender and pulse into a fine powder. Sift 3 times into a medium bowl. Measure 1/3 cup and place in a small bowl. Set both bowls of sugar aside.
5. In another bowl, beat the soy lecithin and 1 Tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer in 6 Tablespoons water.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together 6 Tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer in 1 1/2 cups water

Once all the ingredients are prepped start making the cake:

7. In a stand mixer or large bowl with hand mixer using the whisk attachment, cream the soy lecithin mixture for about a minute. Add in the zest and juices and blend well. Take the larger bowl of sugar and add into the mixture. Beat soy lecithin and sugar together n high speed until mixture is light yellow smooth, thick and fluffy, about 5 – 10 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.
8. If using a stand mixer, pour the lecithin/sugar mixture into a large bowl, scraping down the sides to get all of the batter. Clean the bowl and whisk attachment to use in the next step. If using a hand mixer, set bowl aside and clean whisk attachment to use in next step.
9. If using the stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment pour the Ener-G Egg Replacer and water mixture int the stand mixer bowl. With a hand mixer, use the whisk attachment. Beat the Ener-G Egg Replacer mixture for about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add in remaining small bowl of sugar and continue beating until mixture is shiny and form stiff peaks.

Next, sift the flour mixture over the beaten soy lecithin and sugar mixture (about one third of the flour mixture at a time) and gently but quickly fold (with a wire whisk or rubber spatula) the flour into the batter. Then gently fold a little of the beaten Ener-G Egg Replacer mixture into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest, folding just until incorporated. (Do not over mix the batter or it will deflate.) Pour the batter into the tube pan.

Place cake pan in a room temperature oven. Turn heat to 325oF.
Bake in oven for 35 minutes and then cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper to keep the top from becoming too brown and drying out. Cook another 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately invert the pan (turn upside down) and let it stand on its cooling legs. Allow the cake to cool completely, about one hour. Run a flat metal spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pan and then remove the center core of the pan. Run the spatula along the bottom and center core of the pan. Invert the cake onto a cake plate. The cake can be served plain with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *