How is a choux pastry biscuit different texturally from sponge cake/cake?

[BAPyessir6]

I've never seen this before, but I discovered a "choux pastry biscuit" (a Google redirect from a person talking about an almond choux pastry biscuit (biscuit pâte à choux aux amandes) which looks to me a choux dough lightened up with whipped egg white.

(Link to the choux pastry biscuit recipe) https://www.meilleurduchef.com/fr/recette/biscuit-pate-a-choux.html

My question is, has anyone made this, and if so, does anyone know how is it texturally different from a sponge cake/normal cake? Is it bread-ier as it has choux pastry in it, or would it be potentially more hollow due to how choux pastry puffs up in the oven? I've neither eaten nor made this creation, and now I'm intrigued!

 

[Meryl]

I've never seen this before, but I discovered a "choux pastry biscuit" (a Google redirect from a person talking about an almond choux pastry biscuit (biscuit pâte à choux aux amandes) which looks to me a choux dough lightened up with whipped egg white.

(Link to the choux pastry biscuit recipe) https://www.meilleurduchef.com/fr/recette/biscuit-pate-a-choux.html

My question is, has anyone made this, and if so, does anyone know how is it texturally different from a sponge cake/normal cake? Is it bread-ier as it has choux pastry in it, or would it be potentially more hollow due to how choux pastry puffs up in the oven? I've neither eaten nor made this creation, and now I'm intrigued!

I had never heard of choux pastry biscuit!
I've made choux pastry and different types of sponge cakes though.

I had a look at your link, luckily I remember my French, some of it anyway.....
This recipe looks very interesting, adding whisked egg whites and milk. Mmmm, I may try it one day.

 

[jennyema]

I speak enough French to read the recipe and I think it’s a translation thing. Whatever it is … it’s nothing like an American biscuit. Europeans call cookies “biscuits,” I think, but this would not have the texture of a cookie.

 

[dragnlaw]

to me it just looks, and reads, like a Swiss Roll cake recipe. From all the comments and questions below (and he is very good at answering them) I'm under the impression that it is just a sheet pan cake, or maybe even for Petit Fours. He says you definitely can make a Swiss Roll with it but it is too soft to hold up for a multi-layer cake with a pastry filling.

 

[dragnlaw]

This recipe is/was created for the type of cake shown in the recipe. The actual pan is...
A Flexipan entremet is a non-stick, flexible baking mat with raised edges designed to help spread, mold, and bake even layers of preparations like fruit jellies, ganaches, and biscuits, as well as ensuring constant thickness and easy release from the mold.
(above compliments of AI)

A sponge cake would be more crumbly whereas I "think" this cake would be more stretchy and chewy.

 

[BAPyessir6]

to me it just looks, and reads, like a Swiss Roll cake recipe. From all the comments and questions below (and he is very good at answering them) I'm under the impression that it is just a sheet pan cake, or maybe even for Petit Fours. He says you definitely can make a Swiss Roll with it but it is too soft to hold up for a multi-layer cake with a pastry filling.

When he says (when made into a Swiss roll) that it must be rolled "immediately," is that because of the cake cracking if it's cooled down too much? (As I've made plenty of cracked Swiss rolls in my kitchen endeavors.).

 

[dragnlaw]

I honestly have not made enough Swiss Rolls to give a defiinitive answer. But I don't think of it cooling insomuch as drying out. Although both probably play a factor.

 

[BAPyessir6]

I honestly have not made enough Swiss Rolls to give a defiinitive answer. But I don't think of it cooling insomuch as drying out. Although both probably play a factor.

Hmmm! This makes sense to me, as I assume as it cools, it releases steam, then when that steam is gone, it dries out.