In the next 3 lessons we tackled the separated egg sponge cake method, in which you whip the egg yolks with ½ the sugar and separately whisk the whites with the other ½ of the sugar. After both have thickened, fold the yolk mixture into the whites, being careful not to flatten the whites, add in the flour and pour into pans.

This method led us to making pan di spagna, a typical Italian sponge cake, tiramisu, biscuit joconde, symphonie and grenoblois.

These were fun classes because we were getting to make some classics that we recognized.  We all loved making the tiramisu, which was full of coffee and wine flavor and the symphonie, a seven layer cake full of hazelnut cream, ganache, buttercream, and biscuit! We also learned a new trick to help cakes not stick to the cardboard that they’re placed on. If you form a pate a glacer (90% couveture and 10% vegetable oil) and melt it, you can spread it very thinly on the bottom of the first layer of cake and it will prevent the cake from sticking itself to the cardboard.

Next up we leave the traditional world and enter the contemporary with the chocolate ribbon cake!