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Love eggs? Then get eggcited! (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). I’ve pulled together some eggcellent (again, sorry) ways to use up the extra eggs you have lying around – finally, a time when it’s OK to “overegg the pudding” All too often we overestimate the number of eggs we need, or we accidentally buy too many. You might even have some very productive chickens at home and you can’t keep up with their laying power.
This article focuses on cakes that use a lot of eggs but I’ve also mentioned a few savory dishes at the end of this article if you want to mix it up. A chocolate cake that uses a lot of eggs, an egg sponge and a dreamy pavlova all made my mouthwatering list.
Keep reading to find out more!
How Does The Number of Eggs Affect a Cake?
Eggs are a really common ingredient in most cakes and desserts. Their role is to provide stability, binding, richness, aeration, or a rise. These are often the qualities that are lacking in vegan desserts, which is why they can be flat and crumbly.
Egg yolks provide fat and emulsification properties while the whites give rise and air bubbles when whipped up really well. If working with whole eggs, the more you add, the thinker and denser your cake will become. Too few, and your cake will be dry, flat, and crumbly.
Cakes That Use a Lot of Eggs
If you have an abundance of eggs lying around, try these options below and transform them into something delicious!
Chocolate Genoise Sponge
If you want to make a chocolate cake with lots of eggs, a genoise might be what you are looking for. A genoise (jen-o-ease) sponge is a dense sponge that is traditionally made without using a leavening agent. The method for making a genoise differs slightly from a traditional sponge cake in that a flour and butter mixture is folded gently into whipped eggs. Due to the lack of a chemical raising agent, the air in the eggs provides the rise that the cake needs. Therefore, the mixture needs to be folded together really gently so you don’t knock the air out of it.
Genoise sponges are great for a stacked or shaped cake, due to their density and stability. What’s more, they make for a decadent chocolate cake, ideally coated in a chocolate ganache. A plain genoise sponge goes equally well with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Due to its dense nature and neutral flavor, a genoise is often soaked in a flavored syrup to combat the potential dryness of the sponge.
When making a genoise sponge, expect to use around 6 to 8 eggs. That’s a lot of eggs!
Chiffon Sponge
A chiffon sponge is a light, delicate, melt-in-the-mouth sponge cake that is a hybrid of a traditional sponge and a genoise. Similarly to a genoise, a chiffon sponge is made by adding fat and flour to a large amount of whipped and foamy eggs. Like a traditional sponge, a raising agent is used to help bring height and air into the chiffon.
Due to their light yet moist texture, a chiffon sponge is best served with a dusting of icing sugar and some fresh fruit. That said, they are equally delicious when flavored with citrus, chocolate, or coffee.
For a chiffon cake, you’ll use around 6 or 7 eggs.
Savoy Sponge Cake
A savoy cake (or Gâteau de Savoie in French) is a fatless sponge that is most likely baked in a bundt or shaped tin. It is a sturdy cake that is great for spreading with jam or a topping of your choice. Its origins are thought to go as far back as 1358, when a French pastry chef was instructed to make a cake as light as a feather for a visiting Charles IV of Luxembourg.
It is an unusual sponge made using flour, corn starch, potato starch and separated eggs. The whites and yolks are whipped separately and incorporated into the mixture to create a super light texture. This is a great recipe to add to your repertoire as it’s sure to impress your guests with its uniqueness.
A savoy sponge cake uses around 6 eggs.
Pavlova
Pavlova is one of those desserts that looks incredibly fancy and impressive but is in fact, very easy to make. A crunchy meringue shell, a soft and chewy center all covered in whipped cream and fresh fruit. Pavlova originated in Australia, and they really are absolutely bonza, as the Aussies would say.
The meringue base is made by whipping egg whites and then adding sugar slowly to create silky stiff peaks (I dare you to hold the bowl upside down above your head!). This mixture is then spooned onto a lined baking sheet and baked low and slow. The trick to stopping your pavlova from cracking is to leave it in the oven when the timer has gone. Open the door a smidge and let it chill out there for at least an hour. Cracking often happens when the hot pavlova is exposed suddenly to cold air. Leaving it in a cooling oven should help prevent that.
Once fully cooled, slather in cream and top with seasonal fruits. Go one step further and shave some chocolate over the top, or drizzle with a chocolate sauce. You can even add grated or shaved chocolate into the meringue mixture to give it extra pizazz.
You’ll use around 4 eggs for a pavlova, but if you want a bigger pavlova the more eggs you’ll add.
Crème Brûlée
So you probably have a whole load of egg yolks left over from your pavlova and you’re wondering what to make with them. Did you really think I’d leave you hanging like that? Absolutely not!
How does a velvety soft custard topped with caramelized sugar sound? Yum? I thought so. A crème brûlée is just that, a baked custard topped with hardened sugar that gives an oh-so-satisfying crack when tapped. With a custard base, it’s perfect for using up extra egg yolks you have from another bake.
There is much debate about the origins of this simple egg dessert. The first written version came from France in 1691. A similar recipe called burnt cream can be traced back to Cambridge in England, while the Catalonians claim that the crema Catalana is the dish that started it all in the 18th century. Whatever the origins, I’m just thankful that the recipe is still around today!
If you want to make a crème brûlée, you’ll need to use around 5 egg yolks, depending on the recipe.
Eclairs
Bear with me, I know this isn’t exactly a cake but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to include éclairs in one of my articles. They are one of those desserts that have it all; light pastry, a creamy filling and chocolate. What’s more, they take a little bit of skill to make, so you’ll get to practice, practice, practice – which means more éclairs!
According to Collins English Dictionary, an éclair is a “long thin cake made of very light pastry, which is filled with cream and usually has chocolate on top”. The name roughly translates as a “flash of lightning”, referring to the speed at which they are often eaten – I think we can all relate.
Traditional recipes call for a double whammy of eggs, usually 4 for the choux pastry and another 2 egg yolks for the custard filling. A whipped cream filling is also common, so take this option if the custard isn’t your thing. A chocolate ganache or icing goes beautifully atop a filled éclair but you can pick any flavor you like to adorn them.
Which Delicious Treat Will You Make?
From a dense chocolate genoise to a light and fluffy pavlova, eggcess (no longer sorry) eggs will no longer be a problem. There is literally something for every palette, so you won’t be long searching for the one you like best.
If you want a bit more eggy inspiration, check out a french silk pie, old-fashioned milk cake or the crowd-pleasing bundt cake. These recipes all use plenty of eggs in the recipe and are truly delicious. Fancy something savory? A quiche, devilled eggs, flamiche or a frittata will satiate you and are all excellent quick, easy, and yummy meal options.
