Expert: Elyse Grau - 11/4/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi, My problem is the sponges I make are always very course in texture and seem to have large air bubbles can you tell me how to make the texture more finer. The recipe says to beat egg white until stiff and then add sugar and beat until egg white is glossy.Is there a right way?
Thanks Wendy

ANSWER: Wendy:
There's a language problem here. Since you're talking egg WHITES, I'm assuming you mean meringues - to me a sponge cake or cookie uses only yolk. So I'm not sure if you are talking about cakes, with flour, or cookies (like macaroons) or just the plain meringue. Can you tell me what it is exactly that you're trying to make?

Elyse

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Elyse,
The recipe uses both egg whites and the yolk in a sponge cake.it says to add egg yolks after you have beaten the egg whites to stiff and glossy. thanks wendy

Answer
Thanks for clarifying. Beat the egg whites on low until they're foamy, then gradually increase to high(assuming you are using an electric mixer). When they look thick and have doubled in volume, stop the mixer and lift the beaters. If the eggs stand up in peaks, they are stiff. If the peaks fall over, that is the soft-peak stage. If they don't form peaks at all, they are not ready yet.

When you add the sugar, do so slowly,and reduce the speed to medium. It works best with superfine sugar, but you can use ordinary granulated sugar. You might also have better luck if you start adding the sugar sooner, like at the soft-peak stage. Usually the meringue is folded into the finished batter, but if your recipe actually calls for adding the egg yolks to the whites, I'd beat very gently and only enough to blend. Also, I think that beating the whites until glossy might be a little too long, but I don't really know what kind of cake you're making, so I could be wrong. But that is something else to try if it still doesn't come out to your liking. I would add the sugar at the soft-peak stage and beat only till stiff peaks form.

Elyse