Gâteau de Savoie

Name: Gâteau de Savoie
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 7 large eggs, separated; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; 3/4 cup potato starch or cornstarch; 2/3 cup all-purpose flour or matzo cake meal; Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

December 9, 2011

Gâteau de Savoie is one of the earliest French cakes to use whipped egg whites as a leavener. Savoie is the mountainous area between Italy and France, long used as a travel route, and home to many Jews from the twelfth century on. The area was first integrated into France in 1792. The similarity between the gâteau de Savoie, pan d’España, and Italian ladyfingers (also known as savoiardi) leads me to believe that the recipe may have traveled throughout the Mediterranean with Sephardic Jews and other travelers. This sponge cake tends to dry out after only a day, but it can also absorb a large amount of liquid. Serving it with a homemade fruit syrup, or just fresh strawberries with a little sugar, will keep it moist.

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