fat free sponge....help please

[Ratty2E]

I recently made one using a recipe I found on the net but the result was a bit disapointing. It was lovely and light and well risen but the texture was slightly chewy. I'd never made one before but I have eaten a few so I'm not sure what might have gone wrong. Anyone have any tips or fail safe recipes?

[sallybb]

make a swiss roll. No fat involved, cook on parchment paper. Fill with jam or chopped fresh fruit.

[woofgang]

chewey sounds like you might have started developing the gluten in the flour. fold the flour in as lightly as poss and get it into the hot oven as quickly as you can

[Ratty2E]

I do a lot of baking but never made this particular recipe before. I don't think it's the gluten Woofgang, I was very careful to gently fold in the flour.
I was wondering if there was maybe too much sugar? I want to try it again this afternoon so hopefully this one will turn out better.

[B00]

forgive the possible thick question- but how can it be fat free if there's sugar in it?

[rowanwitch]

Because sugar is not fat...sugar is a carbohydrate...Mind you fat free cake is a pretty dumb idea

[vodkancoke]

If it was chewy, the flour has definitely been over-worked/over-folded.

[Ratty2E]

Thanks all for your input. I was quite suspicious of the recipe to start with and now I've compared the recipe to a swiss roll recipe as suggested by Sallybb and it seems there maybe a couple of typos i.e. not enough flour and too much sugar. I've made loads of cakes over the years so I knew it wasn't caused by overworking. Boo, it's called a fat free because it has no butter in it although it's not strictly fat free as it has egg yolk which does contain fat, I don't think I'd fancy a sugar free one though. Being that it has no butter it is very light and makes you feel less guilty when you fill it full of whipped cream :o)

[Brinjal]

Too much sugar

[Brinjal]

3 eggs, 1/2 cup castor sugar, 1/2cup cornflour, 1 tsp plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch salt. Separate eggs until stiff then gradually add sugar beat until stiff and ugar has dissolved. Add egg yolks one by one best until well blended. Sift cornflour , flour,baking powder and salt and fold into mixture. Pour into 20cm tin. Bake at 190 C for 15/20 minutes or until cake springs bake when lightly touched. Cool in tin for 10 min. Before turning out onto wire rack.

[Ratty2E]

Thank you brinjal, I shall give that one a try.

[B00]

Thank you Rowan and Ratty, for explaining, gotta admit, the words "fat free" and cake" don't really go together do they?

[Ratty2E]

Every little helps Boo, especially when you have a cake addiction problem ;o)

[whiskeryron]

Fat free,Dairy free,Egg free Cake.
1 cup O/J, 1cup S/R Flour, 1tsp Baking Powder, 500gm Mixed Fruit,
1to2 tsp Mixed Spice. Soak Fruit in O/J for 24 hrs, mix with flour, put into 800gm loaf tin middle oven 140c 1-1/2 to 2 hrs ( cover after 1 hr to make sure middle is cooked well).

W Ron

[whiskeryron]

Also Sugar Free

[woofgang]

not sugar free if it has dried fruit in it.

[woofgang]

edit: and OJ, mucho sugar

[mccfluff]

fat free, sugar free, cream free, might as well as eat air :-)