Eggs
5 pieces (large)
After about 5 minutes of whipping, the egg whites will have very distinct fine lines, and the mixture will feel heavy to whisk. The peaks will be short and straight, indicating that stiff peaks have been achieved. Egg whites at this stage are less prone to cracking when placed in a round mold.
Using the mixer on low speed, beat the egg yolk mixture until smooth. (At this point, preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.) Sift in the cake flour and mix evenly with a hand whisk until no lumps remain. The finished egg yolk batter should be very smooth and have a flowing consistency. Take 1/3 of the meringue and fold it into the egg yolk batter until combined. Then, pour the mixture back into the remaining 2/3 of the meringue and fold until evenly incorporated. This step is crucial: ensure the meringue and egg yolk batter are thoroughly folded together. The final mixture should be smooth, silky, and visually appealing. The folding time should be roughly the same as the time it took to whip the egg whites. (As long as the egg whites are properly whipped, there is no need to worry about deflation.) Pour the cake batter into the mold, then tap the mold firmly against the counter a few times to release large air bubbles.Preheat the oven to 150°C and bake at low temperature for 30 minutes. At this stage, the surface of the cake remains very pale.
Switch to 170°C and bake at high temperature for another 30 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven, gently tap the pan on the countertop from top to bottom, and immediately invert the cake for 30 minutes to cool. After cooling, gently loosen the edges of the cake from the mold with a spatula, and remove the cake from the base using an offset spatula. Slice the cake to reveal a fine, tender, and springy texture.
