Genoise Cake with Strawberry-Champagne Sauce

This fits easily into Champagne Saturday because of the tantalizing fruit sauce. What better way to celebrate Easter than with a simple yet elegant cake. A sparkling juice could be substituted for the sparkling wine, if a non-alcoholic version is wanted.
A Genoise (pronounced zen-wa~ z like ZaZa Gabor) cake originates from Italy and is considered to be a staple in both Italian and French cuisine.  It is a sponge cake but instead of only using egg whites, the whole egg is used.
The eggs and sugar were traditionally beaten and cooked over heat, to form a sort of fluffy custard.  This is a much easier version.  The eggs and sugar have to be beaten together for 15 minutes so unless you plan on standing in one place for 15 minutes with a hand mixer, you need a stand or another person. And when finished, the egg-sugar batter takes on an almost white appearance.

6 Eggs
Granulated sugar for dusting
Flour for dusting
3/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup of Light colored Oil
1/4 teaspoon of Vanilla
1 1/4 cup of Cake Flour*
Powdered Sugar for dusting
1 cup of Strawberries
1/3 cup of Sparkling Wine
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
Fresh Strawberries and Mint for Garnish

Before cracking the eggs, bring to room temperature by letting stand out of the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan.  Then place the parchment paper on the bottom of the greased pan and grease the parchment paper.  Dust the pan first with sugar and then with flour.  Set aside. Measure oil and add vanilla flavoring to it and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and 3/4 cup of granulated sugar.  Beat for 15 minutes.  Continue to beat egg-sugar mixture and drizzle in oil, in a stream, very slowly. This will take 1 to 2 minutes. Once the oil has been added.  Turn off the mixer.  Sift flour into the batter a small portion at at time, folding after each addition. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top of the cake. Place on a wire rack to cool. 
Once the cake has completely cooled.  Run a spatula or knife around the top edges of the pan to release the cake. Remove the cake from the pan.  Remove parchment paper.  Slice into 12 wedges and place on cake plates. Dust the plate and cake with powdered sugar.  Serve with Strawberry-Champagne sauce and garnish with fresh strawberries and mint.

*To make cake flour: For every cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 Tablespoons and replace with 2 Tablespoons of Corn Starch.  Then sift the flour and corn starch 3 times.  Measure and sift into the cake, as directed.

Enjoy!

Deloris