Chocolate sponge cake

The first recorded cakes leavened with egg white dates back to around the 1500s, during the renaissance.

This first recondense, particularly relating to biscuits, is said to have originated from Spain, yet who knows. They were most likely the first guys that wrote it down.

I am a huge fan of light, airated cakes, and this recipe from Larousse has not let me down.

13 eggs (12 separated, 1 whole)

500g caster sugar

75g plain flour

50g cocoa

125g corn flour

Pinch salt

Method

Set your oven to 160c.

Place the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar into a mixer with the whisk attachment and beat until the mixture gains a light color and ribbon consistency.

Place the sabayon from the mixing bowl into a separate bowl, give the mixing bowl a clean, then beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Gently add 1/2 of the beaten egg whites, salt, and half of the sifted dry ingredients to the sabayon, gently fold into each other. Be careful not to knock the air out of your whites.

Once the first addition is incorporated into your sabayon, add the rest of your dry ingredients, and whites, then mix them through.

line a 12/20cm slice tray with grease proof paper, and gently apply the cake batter, spreading out as evenly as possible over the baking dish.

Place you cake tray into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer can be pulled out clean, and warm.

Rest cake for ten minutes then turn onto a cooling rack.

Allow to cool completely before applying icing/topping.

Pickle pro-tip: Folding your ingredients to clumsily can turn your upcoming, aerated bliss into a flat clump of sugar, so be sure to take your time. Treat it kind of like the first date. Although you really want to just jump in and get on with it, it is always best to gently go through the motions to achieve the best outcomes.

Reference: Larousse Gastronomic