"Cumberpach" > wrote:

>My first attempt at a sponge, the recipe :
>4 eggs, 4 oz sugar, pinch salt and 4 oz plain flour.
>The cook book suggests sponges are non-fat recipes (with the exception of
>Genoese). It also suddests no raising agent and uses whisked-in air to
>promote the rise.
>I used a Braun-type hand electric whisk on the eggs for about 30 seconds and
>then folded in the remaining ingredients.
>Greased and floured 2 x 8" sandwich tins and baked at 200C/400F for 20 mins.
>Total rise, less than half inch and very hard texture - they ended up in a
>trifle ! Any help please.TIA.

Did you use the whisk, or the chopping blade? Did you use whole eggs
or egg whites? If whole eggs, there's fat in the sponge.

Either way, you didn't whisk the eggs nearly enough. 30 seconds
*might* be enough to mix the eggs for an omelette, but doesn't get
nearly enough air into them for a sponge.

You really should use a hand whisk if you've got one, or a proper
whisk attachment for the mixer. Whisk whole eggs until they're lemon
colored and fluffy, whites until the form soft peaks (when you pull
the whisk out of the eggs, you get a soft peak following the whisk).
--
Jenn Ridley :