joconde sponge cake

Instructions

1. To begin, preheat your oven to 425oF/230oC.
2. To avoid lumps, sift together your almond flour, first measurement of sugar, and flour.
3. The flour should then be blended with the 5 whole eggs until smooth.
4. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks in a separate bowl, then gradually add the second measurement of sugar. Continue whipping until the peaks are firm and moist. If they begin to crumble, your egg whites have been over-whipped and cannot be saved.
5. Then fold in your meringue until just combined. Make sure you don't overmix it or get too rough and break down all the air in your batter, or you'll end up with a very flat cake.
6. Whisk in the melted butter slowly.
7. Finally, spread the mixture in a jelly roll or shallow sheet pan (13"x18") with your prepared silicone mat or parchment paper and bake for 8 minutes. Make sure your cake isn't overbaked.
   
8. After your cake has cooled, sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar over the top and wrap it in plastic wrap. Allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight. As a result of the sugar dissolving into the cake, the cake will remain moist even when exposed to air. That's pretty cool, huh?
9. Tip for the chocolate version: or a chocolate version 35 grams of flour must be replaced with 25 grams of flour + 15 grams cocoa powder.