Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Joconde is the classic thin almond sponge used to line moulds and to layer under mousses and creams. Ground almonds and whole eggs give it a soft, slightly moist crumb with a gentle nutty flavour, while a separate meringue keeps it light and flexible enough to bend around a ring without cracking.
Baked in a thin sheet on a flat tray, it comes out of the oven in minutes and can be cut into strips for lining, or into discs and rectangles for layering. It is the base I reach for whenever an entremet or a patisserie slice needs a thin, tender sponge that will not overpower the filling.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
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Weight Per Unit: 882
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: 30 x 40 cm lining tray, about 5 mm high
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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250 |
5 Whole Eggs
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Whole Egg
Eggs are one of the most common ingredients in a typical cake. Egg yolks and whole eggs store significant amounts of protein and choline, and are widely used in baking. Usually an eggs role in a cake is to add moisture and richness, act as a raising agent as well as a glue to bind the ingredients together.
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room temperature |
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B
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175 |
6.2 ounces
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Almond Meal
Almond meal, almond flour or ground almond is made from ground sweet almonds. Almond flour is usually made with blanched almonds (no skin), whereas almond meal can be made both with whole or blanched almonds. The consistency is more like corn meal than wheat flour.
It is used in pastry and confectionery – in the manufacture of almond macarons and other sweet pastries, in cake and pie filling, such as Sachertorte and is one of the two main ingredients of marzipan and almond paste. In France, almond meal is an important ingredient in frangipane, the filling of traditional galette des Rois cake.
Almond meal has recently become important in baking items for those on low carbohydrate diets. It adds moistness and a rich nutty taste to baked goods. Items baked with almond meal tend to be calorie-dense.
finely ground
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sifted |
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C
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100 |
3.5 ounces
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Icing Sugar Mixture
Icing sugar mixture, also known as confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar, is pulverised granulated sugar crushed together with a small amount (about three percent) of cornflour. This icing sugar is great to use when making icing for kids' birthday cakes or dusting sweet treats.
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sifted |
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D
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50 |
1.8 ounces
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Cake Flour
Cake flour is a finely milled white flour made from soft wheat. It has very low protein content, between 8% and 10%, making it suitable for soft-textured cakes and cookies. The higher protein content of other flours would make the cakes tough. Highly sifted cake flours may require different volume amounts in recipes than all-purpose flour. Using the scoop and level method, well-sifted flour usually produces 125 g per cup. However, most American recipes are written with 140 g of flour per cup, so weighing and experimentation can be helpful in baking unfamiliar recipes. Small weight differences can greatly affect the texture. American Cake flour is bleached; in countries where bleached flour is prohibited, plain flour can be treated in a domestic microwave to improve the texture of the end product.
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sifted |
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E
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40 |
1.4 ounces
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Butter
Butter is a solid dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk, to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is generally used as a spread on plain or toasted bread products and a condiment on cooked vegetables, as well as in cooking, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying. Butter consists of butterfat, milk proteins and water.
unsalted
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melted and just warm |
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F
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165 |
5.5 Egg Whites
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Egg White
Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks. The primary natural purpose of egg white is to protect the yolk and provide additional nutrition for the growth of the embryo (when fertilized). Egg white consists primarily of about 90% water into which is dissolved 10% proteins (including albumins, mucoproteins, and globulins). Unlike the yolk, which is high in lipids (fats), egg white contains almost no fat, and carbohydrate content is less than 1%. Egg whites contain just over 50% of the protein in the egg. Egg white has many uses in food (e.g. mousse) and also many other uses (e.g. in the preparation of vaccines such as those for influenza).
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room temperature |
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G
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100 |
3.5 ounces
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Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
caster
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H
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2 |
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Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar, also known as potassium bitartrate or potassium hydrogen tartrate, is a byproduct of winemaking. It is known as cream of tartar in context with cooking. It is the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid (a carboxylic acid).
In food, cream of tartar is used for:
- Stabilizing egg whites, increasing their heat tolerance and volume
- Stabilizing whipped cream, maintaining its texture and volume
- Anti-caking and thickening
- Preventing sugar syrups from crystallizing
- Reducing discoloration of boiled vegetables
Additionally it is used as a component of:
- Baking powder, as an acid ingredient to activate baking soda
- Sodium-free salt substitutes, in combination with potassium chloride
A similar acid salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, can be confused with cream of tartar because of their common function as a component of baking powder.
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882
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Pre-heat |
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (430°F) and line a 30 x 40 cm flat tray with baking paper. |
Oven fully up to temperature before the batter is mixed |
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2 |
Melt |
Melt E (butter) and set it aside. |
Warm but not hot |
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3 |
Whip |
Whip A, B and C (whole egg, almond meal and icing sugar mixture) on high speed until pale and thick. |
Ribbon stage — the mixture falls back on itself in a slow trail |
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4 |
Whip |
In a clean, dry bowl whip F and H (egg white and cream of tartar) until frothy, then add G (caster sugar) in a steady stream and continue whipping. |
Soft, glossy peaks — do not take the meringue to stiff or dry |
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5 |
Fold |
Fold about one third of the meringue into the almond mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions. |
Light and airy, no streaks of white |
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6 |
Fold |
Sift D (cake flour) over the batter and fold through gently. |
No dry flour showing, volume still intact |
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7 |
Fold |
Stir a spoonful of the batter into the melted E (butter), then fold this back through the mixture. |
Butter fully incorporated with no heavy streaks at the bottom of the bowl |
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8 |
Spread |
Pour the batter onto the lined tray and spread it evenly with a palette knife to about 5 mm thick, right into the corners. |
Even thickness across the whole tray |
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9 |
Bake |
Bake at 220°C (430°F) for 6 to 8 minutes. |
Lightly golden and springs back when pressed; do not over-bake or the sheet becomes brittle |
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10 |
Cool |
Slide the sheet, still on its paper, onto a cool rack or bench. Leave the paper on until you are ready to use it. |
Cooled flat and still soft and flexible |
Important Notes
This batch makes about 882 g of batter, enough for one 30 x 40 cm lining tray of thin joconde. Spread it thin and evenly — a thick sheet will not bend around a ring. Once cool, cut into strips to line mousse rings, or into discs and rectangles for layering. The sheets keep well wrapped in plastic in the fridge for two to three days, or frozen flat for up to a month; separate stacked sheets with baking paper.
Tools & Arrangements
Electric mixer with whisk attachment, two large mixing bowls, sieve, rubber spatula, palette knife, 30 x 40 cm flat baking tray, baking paper, cooling rack, sharp knife or ruler and wheel cutter for trimming.
