Passover Almond Sponge Cake Bert Greene Recipes

ALMOND SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let almonds cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place the cooled almonds and the cornstarch in bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
• Butter two 6-inch-round layer-cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper, and butter again. Flour pans, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together egg yolks and vanilla. With mixer on high speed, gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until pale, thick, and light, about 5 minutes. Transfer egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl; set aside. Wash and dry mixer bowl and attachment.
• Place egg whites and salt in the clean mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high, and gradually add the remaining sugar. Beat until stiff and glossy, about 4 minutes.
• Fold the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. In three additions, fold the reserved ground-almond mixture into this new mixture. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, and smooth the tops with an offset spatula.
• Bake cakes until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool, about 25 minutes. Turn out cakes, and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.

PASSOVER SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cut parchment paper to line the bottom of a 10 inch tube pan. Do not grease the pan.
• In a medium bowl, whip egg yolks until light. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and orange zest; continue whipping until thick and pale, about 7 minutes. Sift together the matzo cake meal and potato starch; set aside. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture alternately with the juice. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake springs back to the touch. Invert onto a wire rack to cool. Run a knife around the sides of the cake before removing from the pan.

SLIVERED ALMOND PASSOVER FUDGE CAKE

Steps:

• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Use an electric mixer on medium speed, fitted with the paddle attachment to beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, espresso powder and almond extract until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in chocolate, then eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop to scrape bowl and beater often.
• Beat in the cake meal, then almonds.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake 30 to 40 minutes, until it is fairly firm in the center, but still somewhat soft in general. Do not overbake or cake will be very dry. Cool the cake up on a rack.
• To finish the cake, run the blade of a small knife between the side of the pan and the cake all around to loosen it. Unbuckle the springform side and remove it, but leave the cake on the base.
• To make the whipped cream, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until the cream holds soft peaks. Spread the cream over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the slivered almonds. If you are preparing the cake early in the day, leave it covered at room temperature and whip the cream and refrigerate it. Rewhip the cream if it has separated, spread it on the cake and sprinkle with the almonds right before serving.

PASSOVER LEMON SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch angel food cake pan.
• Beat the egg yolks into a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add the sugar until completely incorporated. Beat in the orange juice, lemon zest, and orange zest. Sift the potato flour and matzo cake meal together in a bowl; gently stir into the egg yolk mixture.
• Beat the egg whites in a bowl with the salt using an electric mixer on high speed until stiff and shiny. Use a rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Gently run the spatula through the center of the mixture, then around the sides of the bowl, repeating until fully incorporated. Add the remaining egg whites, folding until just incorporated. Gently pour the batter into the prepared angel food cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is set and lightly browned, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, invert the pan, and let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.

PASSOVER SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat egg yolks with sugar, soda, and lemon juice on medium high for 3 minutes.
• Gradually add the potato starch and cake meal. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites until stiff.
• Fold yolk mixture into whites.
• Add lemon zest. Beat for 2 minutes.
• Pour into an ugreased large tube pan. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Invert until completely cool. Run a knife arond the cake and remove from pan.

PASSOVER ALMOND SPONGE CAKE (BERT GREENE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Then butter the paper and flour the pan.
• Beat egg whites in large bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Sprinkle with salt and beat until stiff. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Combine the ground almonds, sugar, and matzo meal. Gradually add this to the egg mixture. Add the brandy and 2 tablespoons of the amaretto.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until firm to the touch, about 1-1/4 hours. Cool completely in the pan.
• Remove sides of pan and sprinkle with remaining 4 tablespoons amaretto.