Passover begins tomorrow evening at sunset. Celebrated in commemoration of the Exodus of Egypt it is one of the world’s oldest continually observed Jewish festivals still retaining its ancient charm even in today’s world.
Today, despite the spread of Jews throughout the world, the eight-day festival maintains its family character and begins with the traditional Seder meal.
At the Seder (which means order) the story of the Jewish people’s flight from Egypt and their deliverance from Pharaoh’s oppressive rule is retold through a special prayer book, the Haggadah.
The central object of the table is the Seder plate which is arranged with symbolic foods. Those sitting at the table are reminded, both by narration and by the foods to be eaten, of the rich heritage of thousands of years and the suffering that was endured.
Matzo is called the bread of affliction. Similar to a very large cracker in appearance, it is flat and unleavened by yeast fermentation because the Jews in their haste to flee Egypt did not have time to wait for the dough to rise.
As a result no products made from regular flour or leavening agents are to be eaten at Passover. This has proven to be a challenge for many home cooks, especially when it comes to preparing desserts for Passover.
In my family every Passover my mother would bake her famous sponge cake. Throughout the year sponge cake can be made with flour, at Passover it cannot. My mother always made hers with potato starch (instead of flour), and she used extra large or even jumbo eggs to provide the leavening.
This is not an easy task, but somehow my mother’s cakes always stood tall and neither my sister or I can remember her ever having one that deflated, a situation that has happened to most of us at one time or another.
Whereas some recipes for Passover sponge cakes call for matzo cake meal as well as potato starch, I prefer the amazingly light texture that results from a cake made with potato starch only.
The trick to making a good sponge cake is to beat as much air as possible into the separated eggs, folding them gently into the batter without overworking them and causing the whites to deflate.
Following in my mom’s footsteps I make this delicious Passover Lemon Sponge Cake every year. Some years it is higher than others, but it is always a sweet lemony and light finish to our Seder meal.
Note: This recipe also qualifies as a gluten free cake since there is no flour in it.
Passover Lemon Sponge Cake
(adapted from the recipe from Manischewitz Potato Starch)
8 extra large or jumbo eggs
1 and ½ cups extra fine sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 and ½ tablespoon lemon juice
¾ cup Manischewitz Potato Starch, sifted
dash of salt
Separate 7 of the eggs. Beat the 7 yolks and the one whole egg until frothy with an electric mixer.
Gradually add the sifted sugar,lemon juice, and lemon rind, beating constantly and thoroughly. then gradually add the sifted potato starch stirring constantly to ensure thorough blending.
Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Fold gently but thoroughly into the egg yolk mixture.
Place in an ungreased 10 -inch tube pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 55 minutes or until cake springs back when touched gently with fingers. Invert pan and cool thoroughly before removing cake carefully.