Decorating my Basic French Sponge Cake

After I’ve baked my Basic French Sponge Cake, I could choose to cover it or layer it with various frostings, fillings and glazes.

A glaze is usually a thin coating applied hot to the outside of a cake, while a frosting is thicker and richer and is spread in between the layers and sometimes also on the outside.

Most of us are in the habit of using only one filling for our cakes, but a cake can be made more dramatic by using two or more.

For the Basic French Sponge Cake (Genoise), bakers usually brush each layer generously with flavoured simple syrup, making the cake very moist, even wet, because genoise is often somewhat dry.

I’ve decided to try my hand at buttercream fillings. I’ve cut the two layers genoise into 4 layers and put a Professional-style Buttercream and Italian Meringue Buttercream between the layers.

Buttercream Fillings

Making professional-style buttercream and Italian meringue buttercream are almost identical. The professional-style buttercream is based on egg yolks and the Italian meringue buttercream based on egg white, whisked with hot sugar syrup, cooked to the softball stage, continually beating the mixture, until cool and then beat in the cold butter.

Tip!

A stand mixer works best to beat the egg yolk and egg whites, because it require a lot of beating to get them to quadruple in volume and to stabilize them before adding the syrup. A handheld mixer will also work, but you’ll need to at least double the beating time.

Since a hot sugar syrup is added to the egg yolk or egg whites, the eggs should be slightly warmed, so the syrup don’t cool to quickly, when the beaten eggs are added and cause it to harden into little pellets.

Cooking Sugar Syrup to the Soft Ball Stage

When sugar (we used Xylitol but want to try with Palm sugar –Juggeri, too) and water are boiled together, the sugar becomes more concentrated. Stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar.

Bring the syrup to a simmer and brush down the sides, using a brush dipped in cold water, to prevent crystals from forming. As the bubbles in the simmer syrup get larger, start testing for the soft ball stage. Use a spoon to put a small amount of the hot syrup into some ice water, then pinch the syrup between your thumb and forefinger.

You will notice the syrup going through stages, when put in ice water:

First stage: the sugar will dissolve in the water – so continue boiling.

Second stage: it will form a thread between your two fingers, continue boiling and test again.

Third stage: it become thick enough to roll into a soft ball with the consistency of chewed gum.

Fourth stage: the sugar hardens completely when you stick it in the water, you’ve cooked the syrup too much – it has reached hard crack stage. In that case, add a few tablespoons of water to the hot syrup and start testing again.

Professional-Style Buttercream

1 cup Xylitol (We used Xylitol, because we did not have enough Palm Sugar.)

4 egg yolks, slightly warmed

280g cold butter cut in cubs
2 tablespoons Flavouring (I’ve used chocolate liqueur)

Put the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

While the syrup is cooking, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks on high speed for about 5 minutes or until they have quadruple in volume and are very pale.

While the egg yolks are beating, check the syrup for the soft ball stage. If the syrup is ready before the egg yolks, add 1 tablespoon of water to the syrup and keep simmering.

When the syrup and yolks are ready, turn the mixer to high speed and pour the syrup into the yolks between the whisk and the sides of the bowl. It is important to keep the syrup from touching the whisk or the bowl because it will harden into little globules, which will break off into the buttercream. (Don’t worry, a few are unavoidable!)

Continue beating the egg yolk-sugar mixture until it is just slightly warmer than room temperature.

Turn down the mixer speed to medium and add the butter cubes, a small handful at a time. Wait until each batch is absorbed before adding more. Beat for about 5 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.

I’ve beaten in chocolate liqueur flavouring.

Put the buttercream aside and make the Italian Meringue Buttercream.

Italian Meringe Buttercream

200 ml xylitol

¼ cup water or more as needed

4 egg whites slightly warmed

Pinch of cream of tartar, unless using a copper bowl

280g butter, cubed or sliced

2 tablespoons Flavouring, if your want to (I’ve used coffee liqueur)

Put 150 ml of the xylitol and the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar (if using) with a stand mixer on medium speed or a handheld mixer on high speed for 1 minute. Switch to high speed and beat with a stand mixer for about 4 minutes or with a handheld mixer for about 10 minutes, or until the egg whites reach stiff peaks.

Add the remaining 50 ml xylitol and beat for 1 minute more.

Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar (if using) with a stand mixer on medium speed or a handheld mixer on high speed for 1 minute. Switch to high speed and beat with a stand mixer for about 4 minutes or with a handheld mixer for about 10 minutes, or until the egg whites reach stiff peaks.

Add the remaining 50 ml xylitol and beat for 1 minute more.

Test the sugar syrup for the soft ball stage. It the syrup is ready before the egg whites are stiff, again add a tablespoon of water, then start testing again. If the egg whites are stiff before the syrup is ready, turn the mixer to low speed – don’t stop beating.

With the mixer on high speed, pour the syrup in a steady stream between the whisk and the bowl. Beat the egg whites for about 7 minutes or until very stiff.

Simply add the butter, a handful at a time, to the meringue and beat on medium to high speed until the butter disappears. Wait until each batch of butter is worked in before adding more.

I’ve flavoured the Italian meringue buttercream with coffee liqueur.

Cut the cake into 4 layers

I first put on the professional-Style Buttercream then the Italian Meringue Buttercream.

Then I put on another layer of Professional-Style Buttercream and for the toping a layer of Italian Meringue Buttercream

For the finishing touches I grated lint chocolate over the top.

Bon apatite!