posted by Joy 02-21-100 11:11 PM
I Can’t Believe This is a Passover Cake – Yellow Cake
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
8 large eggs, warmed
1/3 cup matzoh cake meal
1/3 cup potato starch, not packed
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Passover vanilla sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest, finely minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons melted, unsalted Passover margarine or oil
Extra potato starch for Dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 10- inch springform pan or a 9 by 13- inch rectangular pan. Dust with potato starch and line bottom with parchment paper, cut to fit.
Warm eggs (still in shells - do not open) by placing in a bowl and covering with very hot water for 1-2 minutes (water should be hot but not so hot as to crack eggs open and cook them but hot enough to warm them up. Do not leave eggs in water longer than 1-2 minutes). This is the most important step. Do not omit it. Heat mixing bowl by filling with very hot water and then dry completely.
Meanwhile, sift together cake meal and potato starch. Place lemon juice and melted margarine in a small bowl together. Set these ingredients aside.
Break warmed eggs into mixing bowl of an electric mixer along with sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and citrus zest. Using whip attachment, beat on low speed just very briefly just to combine ingredients. Then increase to high speed for 12 minutes. Batter will be extremely voluminous. Pour batter into a very large mixing bowl.
In a smaller bowl, stir together the potato starch/matzoh cake meal mixture, combining
well. Then fold this mixture into egg batter, folding gently to combine but taking care not to deflate the mixture unduly (some deflation is impossible to avoid). Gently drizzle and fold in lemon juice and melted margarine or oil.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes until cake is set in centre or until cake seems just firm when lightly touched.
Cool well before removing.
Note: This is not a high cake (anywhere from 1- 1/2 inches to 2- 1/2 inches high) but it is very flavorful
and moist.
Notes: Technically, this recipe is a cross between a true sponge cake, a classic genoise and a chiffon cake. I like it because I do not have to separate the egg whites and yet I get a well- textured cake. It is an exceedingly moist cake that keep well and is a good foundation for fresh fruit, pareve, Passover mousse, or a chocolate ganache topping.
Although the eggs are not separated you must treat them with care.
Another must is a good, stationary, electric stationary mixer (e.g. such as a Kitchenaid, Rival or
Sunbeam) with a whisk or whip attachment that will properly mount the warmed, whole eggs. "Are you sure this is a Passover cake" is the reaction most people have on their first bite of this flavorful cake. For people who loathe dry cakes and think Passover cakes are suspect at best, this is a must. A good cake to have if someone in your family has a birthday during Passover.