My sponge cake and related cakes always turn color grey!

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chueh

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
Messages
145
Every time i use WHOLE EGG whisking and egg separating whisking method, my cake always starts to turn the color from nice yellowish to some greyish color on top.

What is that? It doesn't taste moldy, nor it smell funky. Taste all the same
 
Could you, perhaps, give us a step by step, along with a recipe it most recently happened with?

What you're saying sounds really weird and I can't begin to think why it would happen.
 
recipe #1:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F

2. Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and heat until the butter has melted and the milk is just steaming

3. Sift the flour into a large bowl and pour over the hot milk and butter, mix until combined

4.Add the egg yolks and mix until smooth and well combined
In a large bowl add the egg whites and whisk until foamy

5.Add the sugar and beat on medium-low until the meringue reaches soft to medium peaks

6.Add ⅓ of the meringue to the yolk mixture and mix until well combined
Add the lightened yolk mixture to the remaining meringue and gently use a whisk to fold the mixture until just combined

7. Transfer the batter to the lined tin and place it in a larger baking tray filled with hot, but not boiling, water

8. Bake for 75 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched

recipe#2:
1.Preheat oven to 330 F (165 C). If your oven has top and bottom heat, you want to lower the temperature by 10-15 degrees. Put eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
2. Beat on medium speed (speed 4 on KA) for 1 minute using a whisk attachment and then increase to high speed (speed 8). Beat until the mixture is thick, creamy, and pale. When you lift the batter with the whisk, the batter that drops down will leave a trail that remains visible for about a minute before slowly disappearing. You have to beat it to this ribbon stage or the cake will not turn out right
3. Once it has reached the ribbon stage, turn off the mixer. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and very gently but work efficiently, fold the flour mixture into the batter using a rubber spatula using a swipe down and fold over method. Then add the next batch of flour and continue to fold.
4. Once you no longer see any loose flour in the batter, scoop out about 1/3 cup of the batter into a different bowl. Add oil and stir to combine thoroughly
5. Pour this mixture gently over the batter and use a spatula to fold again until combined. Make sure they are thoroughly combined into the batter or your cake will have separate layers later
6. Pour the well-combined batter into the prepared pan. Use a skewer and do a zig zag pattern on the batter to pop any large bubbles.
7. Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake tester inserted comes out clean. Do not open the oven door for the first 30 minutes
8. The cake will gradually rise and has a dome top during baking
9. Once the cake is done baking in the oven. Turn off the oven. DO NOT open the oven door yet. Let the cake cools down in the oven for 10 minutes.
10. Then remove from the oven and cool down in the pan on the counter for another 10 minutes
11. Loosen the edge with an offset spatula
12. Turn it upside down into a cooling rack and let the cake cool down completely upside down, this will help to flatten the top of the cake if it’s slightly dome or you can leave it to cool without turning upside down
 
Egg withes are best beaten in glass, or copper bowls. Egg whites are lkightly acidc, and will react with aluminum. That, I belive is why Andy asked.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I agree. It could be egg white reacting with an aluminium bowl or utensil.

Another question, what kind of flour are you using?
 
Color changes take place after 1-2 day after done baking. It gets darker when day goes by.

I don't recall I was using any aluminum tool or utensil, for I don't have any. Unless KitchenAid's Whisk is not what it says to be "stainless steel." I understand that the Whisk is stainless steel, yet the top part of the attachment is aluminum.
 
From what I've read, sponge cakes only last about 3 days, doesn't need to be refrigerated unless it has pastry cream, and should be kept in an air tight manner. (ie, wrapped then bagged).

Are they left open-air on the counter? open-air in the fridge?

I really don't see why they would turn "grey" under any circumstance. But those are the only ideas I can find - and they don't say they turn, just dry out!
 
ok thanks. Maybe the eggs I used not as fresh or something??

BUT i have to admit one thing: I just started learning to make cakes without baking power with whisking egg methods. My technique for these are terrible. All these times when I folded the egg white with yolk together, or whipped egg with flour, I did not mix them well at all. But I don't see why color would be changed because of that though.
 
don't think fresh eggs have anything to do with it. If the eggs aren't fresh - you will know - so will your neighbour - and so will their neighbours! :ROFLMAO:

I was very impatient and could never be bothered with separating the eggs, so... I've not had a lot of experience... I just use a cake mix :rolleyes:
So there you go... the truth is out!
 
Now I am wondering if it is the diet of the hens that laid those eggs. I can imagine that if there is a lot of sulphur in the food they eat that it could turn the yolk part of the eggs greenish. When you hard boil eggs, do they often get a greenish or greyish ring around the yolk?
 
Now I am wondering if it is the diet of the hens that laid those eggs. I can imagine that if there is a lot of sulphur in the food they eat that it could turn the yolk part of the eggs greenish. When you hard boil eggs, do they often get a greenish or greyish ring around the yolk?
I can't imagine that whipped eggs baked with other ingredients could have enough residual sulfur to cause a color change only to the top of the cake two days later.

I wonder if there's something in the environment going on. Maybe some kind of dust settling on it?
 
Every time i use WHOLE EGG whisking and egg separating whisking method, my cake always starts to turn the color from nice yellowish to some greyish color on top.

What is that? It doesn't taste moldy, nor it smell funky. Taste all the same

I think you've stumped us. That's a rare thing around here. I hope someone can give you a good answer. I personally have never had a sponge cake go off color.

Seeeeya; Chef Longwind of the North
 

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