Why does the sponge crumble or make a hill?

There is no good cake without a properly baked sponge cake, this is certainly one of the important rules of pastry. But what is a sponge cake anyway? A sponge cake is a light and airy pastry made with eggs, sugar, flour and often baking powder. The biscuit texture is achieved by whisking the eggs and sugar together. Powdered sugar is usually used as it gives a light and fluffy texture. Once the sugar and egg mixture has a fluffy texture, gradually add the sifted flour, using a spatula. The flour should be sifted through a sieve beforehand, as this helps to give it an airy texture.

The sponge cake can be enriched with vanilla flavour or refreshed with citrus peel or other extracts. The sponge cakes can be of different shapes or sizes, which can then be used to make cakes of different shapes. The sponge cake batter can also be enriched with different flavours, which are then combined with the flavour of the cake to be made. If you are making a vanilla cake, you can flavour the sponge cake with vanilla, and if you are making a chocolate cake, you can flavour the sponge cake with cocoa.

"But it doesn''t matter how the sponge is baked, it''s the cream that affects the taste of the cake and the decoration that affects the look."

No, it''s not quite like that. It is important that the sponge cake batter is baked correctly, as it has a huge impact on the taste of the whole cake or other dessert based on sponge cake batter. If it is under-baked, it will be compacted and as such will not keep its shape. If it is over-baked, it will be dry and hard and as such spoil the taste of the whole dessert. But how to make a properly baked sponge cake? Here are some tips to help you reach your pastry goal - a biscuit dough baked just right.

1. Why does sponge cake "fall down"?

Anyone who has baked sponge cake at least once knows that there are several different factors that influence the proper baking of sponge cake. If the sponge cake is under-baked, it will not set properly and will collapse, or as we say at home, "fall down". It is important to take into account the baking time and temperature indicated in the recipe.

Another factor that influences the correct baking is the oven door. As much as we want to monitor the baking process, we should not open the oven door during the baking process. If it is opened too quickly, cold air is released into the oven, cooling it and preventing the sponge from rising and baking as it should.

Stirring the dough too quickly or too much can squeeze too much air out of the mixture itself, which will make the biscuit dense and not hold its shape.

The leavening agent can also affect the baking . Although it may seem almost impossible, it is not. If too much leavening agent is added, the sponge may rise too quickly and fall as it cools.

Last but not least, the size of the baking tray can also be a factor. If the baking tray is too small, the biscuit dough may rise too much and also fall during cooling. We also need to make sure that we fill the baking tray with just the right amount of mixture, as the sponge mixture can run through the tray and spill out onto the bottom of the oven. There''s another reason why we don''t want that to happen. :)

2. Why isn''t my sponge cake baking as it should?

The correct choice and use of ingredients also influences the correct baking of the dough. If you whisk the eggs too much, for example, the sponge will serve a thick and heavy batter. It is important to whisk the eggs just long enough to reach the correct consistency. At the same time, care must be taken not to whisk the eggs for too long. If we are in a hurry and want to finish whisking too quickly, the sponge may not rise properly. Normally, the eggs and sugar are whisked for 15 minutes, as this is when they reach a pale and fluffy texture.

If baking soda or baking powder that has expired or leavening agents that have not been stored properly are added to the sponge mixture, the sponge dough will not rise properly. If you are not sure whether the expiry date is still valid, it is quite easy to check at home.

Flour. Very light and airy flour is suitable for sponge cake dough. Today, we can already find real and special flour for biscuits on the shelves, but if we can''t find it, we can use all-purpose flour. Using a flour that is ''heavier'' may result in a biscuit that is too compact and dense.

The most important tip: always follow the quantities of ingredients and the written steps of the recipe you have chosen.