Génoise au Chocolat

Génoise cakes are the bane of my existence. I haven’t made too many attempts at this type of cake as my results have been hit and miss. Fortunately this one, using this recipe for the first time, was a hit.

I’ve learned from experience (and the few successful cakes of this type that I’ve made) that weighing the ingredients and keeping them warm are critical to a successful outcome. And though I’m not usually one to play with my food, using your fingers (immersed in the batter) is the best way to locate and dissolve those pesky flour clumps without over mixing the batter.

The cake has a very nice but not too assertive chocolate flavour and a light and delicate texture. It doesn’t contain much fat so must be syruped to stay moist. I used a syrup flavoured with orange liqueur; a chocolate syrup would intensify the chocolate flavour. This is the base cake for the Strawberry Maria.