There are some basic principles in making a Passover cake. You need a high speed mixer and the baking pan of your choice. All of these cakes involve separating eggs, and folding – so getting the techniques mastered is essential to a good cake.
The first four ingredients stay the same – eggs, sugar, cake meal, and potato starch. Basically you separate the eggs. Whip the whites, then slowly add the sugar until it is shiny and firm when you lift the beater. Pour this into a very large bowl. Then you whip up your yolks until think and lemon colored. Add what the recipe calls for, sometimes a little more sugar, and pour this into the whites. Finally, you will then take your cake meal and potato starch and fold it all together.
Almost all Passover cakes follow these same steps with some variations – the number of eggs, and the additives, such as vanilla or other flavoring. Some add nuts to the cake mixture, some chocolate, some lemon and orange rind. The basic recipe can be made in a tube pan, a rectangular pan, or two round pans. Always line your pan with parchment paper and cooking spray for easy removal.
If using two round pans, then you can be creative about a filling in between the two layers for a nice high cake. You can mix whipped cream with your favorite preserves for a refreshing layer cake.
If baking your cake in a tube or Bundt pan, you can also do layers. Pour half the batter in the pan, then put a layer of cut up apples, nuts, sugar and cinnamon mixture in the middle. Then top with the other half of the batter and a topping of nuts, sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in a sheet pan if you want to make a roulade type cake (the kind where you put in a filling, roll it up and slice it).
Passover is the time to assess your baking supplies. It’s true you only use these for one week a year, but the fact is, a kosher cook will use these items over and over for years to come. So invest in a decent egg separator and rubber scrapers. Make sure you the right baking pans, measuring cups and spoons.
As someone who bakes a lot at Passover, I can assure you that investing in good or moderately prices supplies is worth it.
