Working with Egg Foams

When egg albumen is beaten vigorously, it foams and increases in volume six to eight times. Egg foams are essential to meringues as well as to certain types of cakes, such as pan di Spagna and savoiardi. Both preparations are leavened by egg foams alone; no chemical leavening agents, such as baking powder or soda, are used. The two preparations differ in that pan di Spagna is made with whole eggs, savoiardi with separated eggs. Products made with separated eggs are more malleable.