This Pain de Genes is incredible. It's from our book, but it's soooo good I have to share.
This recipe uses a separated egg sponge method, and you'll need a mixer. And all the weights are in ounces. I have a scale I picked up at Target for about $20. Preheat the oven to 340. Prepare a pan (an 8" round or square) by brushing it with melted butter and pressing slivered almonds along the top and sides.
In your mixer, using a paddle, on low speed, soften about 3.75 oz of almond paste (just to break it up a little). Add in 2.5 oz of confectioner's sugar and continue to beat on low until the mixture resembles sand. You're trying to coat the almond paste (the fat) thoroughly with the sugar. No big lumps should be present. In a measuring cup (or a bowl), combine 2 oz egg yolk (each yolk from a large egg weighs on average .67 oz) with .8 oz whole egg (a little less than 1) and .25 tsp vanilla extract. Slowly add (in stages) to the almond paste/sugar mixture in the bowl. You don't want to add it all at once (it won't form an emulsion). Instead, add about a third, mix (on low) until it forms a paste, then add the next 1/3, form a paste and finish the same way.
Once it's all pasty, pour into a larger bowl, clean out your mixer, and whip 3 oz of egg whites to a foamy stage, then drizzle in 1.75 oz of granulated sugar and whip (using the whisk) until you've got "medium" peaks. The mix will still look shiny, and if you stop the mixer and lift the whip up, it will droop, but not fall off. You're not looking for a Dairy Queen cone if you hold the whisk straight up. Just a nice droop. You'll then fold this in to the almond paste mixture in three additions (be gentle! And don't wait until it's all mixed in before adding the next batch). Then fold in 2.25 oz of cake flour that's been sifted three times the same way (in three additions). Finally, drizzle just over 1 oz of melted butter (1.125 oz) into the mix and fold in gently.
Pour the whole thing into your prepared pan, sprinkle more sliced almonds on the top of the batter and bake for about 25 minutes (test after 20) until that skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about five minutes on a rack, then slide a knife or something around the edge and finish the cooling process on the rack. Store at room temperature, covered. It's fabulous served with fresh, organic strawberries. And it makes an excellent french toast.
