Genoise Cake with Berries
A light, airy French sponge cake made with whipped eggs and flour, topped with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar. Ready in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 210
- Protein
- 4g
Ingredients
- 4 whole eggs, large
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
Set oven to 350°F and wait for the indicator light or beep to confirm it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Brush the inside of a 9-inch round cake pan with melted butter, coating the bottom and all sides evenly.
- 3
Sift the flour into a small bowl by pouring it through a fine-mesh strainer, tapping the side gently so the flour passes through and becomes aerated.
- 4
Place the 4 eggs in a medium bowl and add the sugar, then set the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should touch the water but not sit in it).
- 5
Whisk the eggs and sugar constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick, and reaches 120°F on an instant-read thermometer (it should feel warm to the touch, like bathwater).
- 6
Remove the bowl from the heat and use an electric mixer on high speed to whip the warm mixture for 5 minutes, until it is pale, fluffy, and has roughly tripled in volume.
- 7
Gently pour the sifted flour onto the whipped eggs in two additions, folding each batch with a rubber spatula by lifting batter from the bottom and folding it over the flour, rotating the bowl a quarter turn each time, until no flour streaks remain.
- 8
Drizzle the 3 tablespoons of melted butter around the edge of the batter, then fold it in the same way (folding in the butter last prevents the air from deflating too much).
- 9
Pour the batter into the buttered cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula to even it out.
- 10
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, until the top is pale golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- 11
Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack or clean cutting board to cool completely, about 8 minutes.
- 12
Arrange the berries on top of the cooled cake in a single layer, mounding them slightly in the center.
- 13
Sift the powdered sugar evenly over the berries and cake using a fine-mesh strainer, tapping gently to create an even dusting.
Tools you’ll need
- 9-inch round cake pan
- medium mixing bowl
- small bowl
- fine-mesh strainer
- pot for simmering water
- instant-read thermometer
- electric mixer
- rubber spatula
- wooden spoon
- oven
- wire rack or cutting board
- toothpick
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