The delicate (and gluten-free!) French spongecake called “[biscuit](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-base-biscuit/preview#transcription)” is the foundation of Chef Dominique Ansel’s whimsical [chocolate cake recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-best-chocolate-cake-recipe), which incorporates thin layers of  silky [smooth chocolate mousse](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-filling-mousse/preview#transcription), all enrobed in a [slate-black chocolate mirror glaze](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-recipe-for-dark-chocolate-mirror-glaze). This cake is full of different textures; it’s intricate and very delicate. It’s just the type of cake that Chef Dominique grew up with and now wants to share with you.

Chef Dominique Ansel’s Biscuit Recipe (Spongecake or Italian Genoise)

Biscuit (pronounced “bis-KWEE”) is the French word for “cake.” It is easier to prepare than American cakes, as it uses fewer ingredients, and is baked in a sheet pan in one large layer, as opposed to two or three separate round pans. And because of this large canvas, the cake can then be cut into virtually any shape for building your cakes. Biscuit has other names, including spongecake and Italian genoise.
- The egg whites must be beaten in a well-cleaned and well-dried bowl to prevent any grease or water from impeding the white’s ability to incorporate air and become light and fluffy. This is very important since the egg whites will be the sole ingredient to provide lift to the batter and, thus, lightness to the cake. 
- This cake is a French style that eschews chemical leaveners like baking powder and soda for the mechanical lift of air trapped in the protein of the beaten egg whites. When you add sugar to these beaten egg whites, the proteins in the whites become stabilized—and sweetened, of course—forming a smooth ingredient that can be efficiently folded into batter.
- This cake is known as a biscuit, which is a cake that’s thin and a bit dry in texture, so you’ll have to add moisture by either soaking it with a rum syrup soak and/or layering it with mousse to make Chef Dominique Ansel’s chocolate layered cake.
- Once the cake is cooled and unmolded, make sure to cut the cake from the inside of the ring mold, so that the cake will fit evenly inside it once you’re ready to assemble the finished dessert. 
- Don’t forget to save the scraps! You can toast them in the oven and crumble them over ice cream.
Never just rely on a timer, as every oven is different; there are three ways to know if the cake is done:

1. Jiggle it: the cake should still be a little bouncy in the middle.
2. Nudge it: press the top gently; it should bounce back. 
3. Stick it: stick a cake tester (or toothpick or paring knife) into the center, and if it comes out clean, you’re done!

People often burn chocolate cakes because it’s harder to tell if it’s cooked through with the dark color of the batter. So be extra careful and check even before the suggested bake time.	
Best enjoyed fresh the day-of. The cake can also be made in advance. 

- In the fridge: cover in plastic wrap and keep chilled for up to 3 days. 
- In the freezer: cover in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for no more than 2 to 3 weeks. 
- To defrost, keep it in the plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours until it is moist and soft again. Always defrost in the fridge to keep bacteria from developing, and keep it wrapped so that condensation forms outside the plastic wrap.

The delicate (and gluten-free!) French spongecake called “[biscuit](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-base-biscuit/preview#transcription)” is the foundation of Chef Dominique Ansel’s whimsical [chocolate cake recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-best-chocolate-cake-recipe), which incorporates thin layers of  silky [smooth chocolate mousse](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-filling-mousse/preview#transcription), all enrobed in a [slate-black chocolate mirror glaze](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-recipe-for-dark-chocolate-mirror-glaze). This cake is full of different textures; it’s intricate and very delicate. It’s just the type of cake that Chef Dominique grew up with and now wants to share with you.

Biscuit (pronounced “bis-KWEE”) is the French word for “cake.” It is easier to prepare than American cakes, as it uses fewer ingredients, and is baked in a sheet pan in one large layer, as opposed to two or three separate round pans. And because of this large canvas, the cake can then be cut into virtually any shape for building your cakes. Biscuit has other names, including spongecake and Italian genoise.

What Is Biscuit?

<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">The egg whites must be beaten in a well-cleaned and well-dried bowl to prevent any grease or water from impeding the white’s ability to incorporate air and become light and fluffy. This is very important since the egg whites will be the sole ingredient to provide lift to the batter and, thus, lightness to the cake. </li><li class="">This cake is a French style that eschews chemical leaveners like baking powder and soda for the mechanical lift of air trapped in the protein of the beaten egg whites. When you add sugar to these beaten egg whites, the proteins in the whites become stabilized—and sweetened, of course—forming a smooth ingredient that can be efficiently folded into batter. </li><li class="">This cake is known as a biscuit, which is a cake that’s thin and a bit dry in texture, so you’ll have to add moisture by either soaking it with a rum syrup soak and/or layering it with mousse to make Chef Dominique Ansel’s chocolate layered cake. </li><li class="">Once the cake is cooled and unmolded, make sure to cut the cake from the inside of the ring mold, so that the cake will fit evenly inside it once you’re ready to assemble the finished dessert. </li><li class="">Don’t forget to save the scraps! You can toast them in the oven and crumble them over ice cream. </li></ul>

Chef Dominique Ansel’s Tips for Baking Biscuit 

Recipe: Chef Dominique Ansel’s Spongecake Recipe

Never just rely on a timer, as every oven is different; there are three ways to know if the cake is done:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Jiggle it: the cake should still be a little bouncy in the middle. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Nudge it: press the top gently; it should bounce back. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Stick it: stick a cake tester (or toothpick or paring knife) into the center, and if it comes out clean, you’re done! </li></ol>People often burn chocolate cakes because it’s harder to tell if it’s cooked through with the dark color of the batter. So be extra careful and check even before the suggested bake time.

How Do You Know When Spongecake Is Done Baking?

Best enjoyed fresh the day-of. The cake can also be made in advance. <ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">In the fridge: cover in plastic wrap and keep chilled for up to 3 days. </li><li class="">In the freezer: cover in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for no more than 2 to 3 weeks. </li><li class="">To defrost, keep it in the plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours until it is moist and soft again. Always defrost in the fridge to keep bacteria from developing, and keep it wrapped so that condensation forms outside the plastic wrap. </li></ul>

How to Store Spongecake

The delicate (and gluten-free!) French spongecake called “<a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-base-biscuit/preview#transcription' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-base-biscuit/preview#transcription","linkCopy":"biscuit","category":null}'>biscuit</a>” is the foundation of Chef Dominique Ansel’s whimsical <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-best-chocolate-cake-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-best-chocolate-cake-recipe","linkCopy":"chocolate cake recipe","category":null}'>chocolate cake recipe</a>, which incorporates thin layers of silky <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-filling-mousse/preview#transcription' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-filling-mousse/preview#transcription","linkCopy":"smooth chocolate mousse","category":null}'>smooth chocolate mousse</a>, all enrobed in a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-recipe-for-dark-chocolate-mirror-glaze' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-recipe-for-dark-chocolate-mirror-glaze","linkCopy":"slate-black chocolate mirror glaze","category":null}'>slate-black chocolate mirror glaze</a>. This cake is full of different textures; it’s intricate and very delicate. It’s just the type of cake that Chef Dominique grew up with and now wants to share with you.

The delicate (and gluten-free!) French spongecake called “biscuit (https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-base-biscuit/preview#transcription)” is the foundation of Chef Dominique Ansel’s whimsical chocolate cake recipe (https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-best-chocolate-cake-recipe), which incorporates thin layers of  silky smooth chocolate mousse (https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dominique-ansel-teaches-french-pastry-fundamentals/chapters/chocolate-cake-filling-mousse/preview#transcription), all enrobed in a slate-black chocolate mirror glaze (https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-dominique-ansels-recipe-for-dark-chocolate-mirror-glaze). This cake is full of different textures; it’s intricate and very delicate. It’s just the type of cake that Chef Dominique grew up with and now wants to share with you.
