Classic Sponge Cake

h2Chef’s Note/h2
pThis is a great base for strawberry short cake, trifles, and all sorts. I grew up with the sponge cake my grandmother baked. Her recipe was “a glass sugar, a glass flour.” She did not use butter or spices in her cake. She always complained about it falling but said: “but it was good in taste.” This cake rises better than most, but will not brown much. I usually turn it bottom side up after it is completely cool. I suggest lining the pan with either waxed paper or parchment paper. I like to make it in a springform pan for easy removal. /p
h2Ingredients/h2
ul
li5 eggs, separated/li
li1 cup granulated sugar substitute (your choice)/li
li 1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract/li
li3 tbsp lemon juice, divided/li
li1 tbsp sour cream/li
li½ tsp baking soda/li
li1/2 cup toasted almonds (or walnuts)/li
li2/3 cup A/P flour/li
li1 – tsp. baking powder/li
li1/2 tsp baking soda/li
li¼ tsp ground cinnamon or ginger/li
lithe grated zest of 1 medium lemon/li
li5 egg whites/li
li¼ tsp cream of tartar/li
lia pinch of salt/li
/ul
h2Preparation/h2
ol
liPreheat oven to 350°/li
liBeat egg yolks and granulated sugar substitute until fluffy and light yellow./li
liAdd the vanilla extract and beat 30 seconds more. Add in 2 tbsp. of the lemon juice, beat until combined./li
liIn a food processor, pulverize the almonds with the flour, baking powder and ½ tsp of the baking soda./li
liStir the nut/flour mixture into the egg. Stir in the lemon zest./li
liCombine the sour cream, 1 TBSP. lemon juice, and remaining baking soda./li
liAllow to double in volume. Stir into the batter./li
liBeat egg whites until they get frothy. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form./li
liSpoon ¼ of the egg whites into the batter and fold it in to lighten the batter./li
liFold in the remaining egg whites. (I do two batches.)/li
liPour into an 8 to 9 inch springform pan that has been lined with waxed paper./li
liBake at 350 for 20-25 minutes checking after 20 minutes./li
liLet cool for 15 minutes on a rack before removing the spring form./li
/ol
pServing suggestion: Top with fresh berries lightly sweetened and a dollop of lightly sweetened sour cream or vanilla Greek yogurt./p
piSource: a href="http://www.thedecadentdiabetic.com/"Ward Alper, the Decadent Diabetic./a/i/p