Praline sponge cake

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake:
4 eggs
120g sugar
120g sifted flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 pinch salt

For the praline cream:
200g praline (see homemade praline recipe above)
200g softened butter
150g full-fat liquid cream
50g icing sugar
For the syrup (optional, to soak the sponge cake):
100ml water
50g sugar
1 tablespoon liqueur (optional)

Decoration:
Pramine powder or caramelized hazelnut/almond pieces
Chocolate shavings (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preparing the sponge cake:

Beat the eggs and sugar:
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cake tin with baking paper.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar in a bain-marie (over a pan of hot water) until the mixture doubles in volume, becomes pale and foamy. Remove from the bain-marie and continue to whisk until cooled.

Add the flour:
Sift the flour and gently incorporate it into the egg mixture using a spatula or rubber spatula, being careful not to break the foam.
Pour the batter into the mold and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sponge is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the sponge cool on a rack, then cut it in half horizontally.

2. Preparation of the praline cream:

Beat the butter and the praline:
In a bowl, beat the softened butter with the praline until creamy and homogeneous.

Add the cream and icing sugar:
Incorporate the liquid cream and icing sugar into the mixture, then continue to whisk until smooth.

3. Prepare the syrup (optional):
In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the liqueur if desired. Let cool.

4. Assemble the cake:

Soak the sponge cake (optional):
If you are using the syrup, lightly soak the two halves of the sponge cake with the syrup using a brush to add softness.

Garnish with praline cream:
Spread a generous layer of praline cream on the first half of the sponge cake.
Place the second half of the sponge cake on top and spread the remaining praline cream on the top and sides of the cake.

5. Decoration:

Add praline and sprinkles:
Sprinkle the cake with praline powder or caramelized hazelnut/almond sprinkles to add crunch.

Optional:
Decorate with chocolate shavings or a drizzle of melted chocolate.

6. Refrigeration:

Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour before serving to allow the praline cream to firm up.

History of Praline sponge cake:

Genoise is a soft and spongy dough, very commonly used in baking to make designer cakes.

"We should say a sponge cake or a sponge cake made from sponge cake dough. At the end of the 1830s, Auguste Julien, chef at Chiboust, on a trip to Bordeaux to see the pastry chef Lorsa, saw an Italian worker from Genoa beating the biscuit over a low heat. Upon his return, he carried out numerous experiments and, in homage to the worker, he named the dough "Génoise".

Then he had the idea of ​​incorporating butter into it, which would give, after his departure from Chiboust, the "régent" in which he also included almonds. Finally, in 1844, Auguste Julien opened a pastry shop with Arthur, his older brother, on the corner of 27 rue Vivienne and rue des Filles-Saint-Thomas, and when, in 1852, the youngest brother, Narcisse, joined them, they created together with this sponge cake, the "Three Brothers", a pastry which would be the most famous until the end of the 19th century".