Ever Have Too Many Egg Yolks?

A few years ago I was making an angel food cake and took note of the huge quantity of yolks leftover. I always used to toss them, what with all the buzz about cholesterol and whatnot, but these were from farm-fresh, high quality eggs! Not to mention that I'd paid a bit more for them than I would have from regular commercially produced eggs. Farm-fresh eggs have many things going for them, and I cannot stand to buy store bought eggs anymore, unless it's an "emergency."

The eggs I buy are fresher, more nutritious, and I'm supporting someone local. This is only the beginning of why I choose to seek these out; I could go on a serious rant about the more technical side of factory egg farms, but...I won't! I notice a difference in the way they perform, cooking or baking, and they taste better. I never used to eat the yolks before, but usually the farm-fresh eggs taste rich and delightful (and they're a more vibrant color).

Many commercial eggs have been rubbed with mineral oil to preserve them longer on the shelf. Egg shells are porous, and it's inevitable that a trace of oil may seep inside. I would bet that this is why I get more volume when I use eggs that aren't from the grocery store for meringues and cakes. The whites beat into a gigantic, fluffy cloud, which has produced superior results for me time and time again. But when you have such a good product, it kind of hurts to have to waste half of it! So I did a search and found a recipe that uses a lot of egg yolks. I have made it a few times now, and my sister recently made it successfully as well.

Even though I've posted a bunch of desserts as of late, my family has been a little cranky about not getting to eat them. My dad's birthday became the perfect excuse to bake again, and he asked for this Egg Yolk Sponge Cake. I revised the original recipe to use cake flour (for a finer crumb) and topped the finished cake with fresh organic strawberries, a dollop of leftover lemon curd, whipped cream, and a garnish of candied lemon peel. Delish!

Egg Yolk Sponge Cake

Sift together twice onto parchment:
2 scant cups cake flour (spoon lightly into cup to avoid packing it in too tightly)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Pour flour mixture back into sifter and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10" tube pan with parchment, if desired (not necessary, but a good way to reuse the parchment from sifting and have an easier clean up).

Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until thick and light yellow (lemon colored), about 5 min:
yolks from 12 eggs (3/4 cup)
1 whole egg

Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar, continually beating on high, at least another 5 minutes. Mixture should be very thick and meringue-like (only yellow in color).

Beat in:
1/2 tsp dried orange zest (or 1 1/2 tsp fresh)
3/4 tsp dried lemon zest (or 2 tsp fresh)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Turn off mixer. Sift dry ingredients over eggs. Fold lightly to incorporate (do not stir). Batter will be pretty stiff at this point, and a few wisps of flour can remain. Pour in 3/4 cup boiling water. Fold lightly until combined.

Pour batter into the ungreased pan. Bake 60-65 minutes, or until top springs back when toughed lightly. Quickly invert and cool completely on the neck of a bottle.

For cakes with a higher volume, do NOT tap or pound the filled pan. Use a very light touch or you may lose some of the air bubbles that have been formed and will provide the extra loft needed. I have had angel food cakes fall just from a child running heavily through the kitchen while it was baking. Walk softly! If you're worried about large bubbles in the cake (which have never been a problem for me), gently run a knife through the batter one time after pouring it into the pan.