Sponge Cake Recipe

Having a Sponge Cake slice will make you feel like you’re getting a taste of heaven!

Sponge Cake is a traditional cake flavor known for its light and airy quality. Its delicate flavor is due to its subtle, sweet taste. You can also expect it to have a rich and buttery savor.

Undoubtedly, the Sponge Cake will be an all-time favorite for your celebrations and relaxing days at home. It’s the perfect cake flavor, especially if this is your first time baking.

Once you taste it, you’ll realize how much there is to love about the Sponge Cake. From flavor to texture, it will give you a comforting feeling and warmth. Have a good day!

How to Make Sponge Cake

Sponge Cake is one of the easiest cake recipes to bake at home. With a little mixing, whisking, and baking, you can make a cake that’s absolutely perfect from the inside out.

It’s finally time to unleash the inner baker in you!

Ingredients

These are all that you need to make Sponge Cake:

Plain flour

In every cake recipe, you will need plain flour.

It’s important to give the cake the best structure and texture. The cake’s gluten content allows the batter to expand, making it round, fluffy, and airy inside.

You can use other kinds of flour like cake flour, self-rising flour, and all-purpose flour. It will surely give the dish a soft quality similar to Coconut Puff Puff, Donuts, and Pound Cake! 

Caster sugar

Give the Sponge Cake the best flavor with caster sugar. It dissolves and mixes better into the cake batter than regular sugar because of its fine texture. It is popularly used in England to make meringues and sponge cakes. 

You can also use it to make cookies, sauces, and whipped cream. It’s okay to use other sugars like powdered sugar and brown sugar. I also use this to make Chocolate Cake and Carrot Cake for better flavor!

Eggs

Making your cakes with eggs can make a huge difference in the dish. Eggs add a rich flavor and texture to the cake. These react with flour and baking powder to make the cake firm yet fluffy inside.

In fact, eggs help give the cake a golden brown color.  The moisture from eggs also makes the cake tender and crumbly. Use more of the eggs to make Banana Bread, No-Oven Bread, and Almond Loaf Cake!

Butter

Did you know that Sponge Cake needs fat? The best fat for cakes is butter. It adds a good moisture level to the cake for a tender texture. Butter also gives the cake a pleasant buttery flavor that complements the sugar.

Just like flour and eggs, butter also has leavening effects to help the batter rise. The fat from butter helps retain the moisture for quite some time. You can also use butter for Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Bread, and Almond Chocolate Cupcakes?

Milk

Adding milk to the batter plays an essential part in the flavor and texture of the cake. It adds moisture to make the cake tender, crumbly, and soft. The subtle sweet flavor of the milk also makes it taste better.

When you mix the milk with eggs, you can trust that the cake will have the best shape and form. It will hold itself well, and it won’t fall apart when you slice it to serve it.

Baking powder

When you add baking powder, your Sponge Cake will have an even better flavor. It’s a powerful leavening agent that causes the batter to rise as it bakes. Baking powder also adds air to the batter for an additional lift.

The baking powder will stabilize the Sponge Cake even as you take it out of the oven. It can even out the texture of the cake from the inside out, too. You can also use it for Plantain Bread and Orange Cake for the best results.

Seasoning

Don’t forget to season the batter before you bake it. Seasoning your Sponge Cake can be as simple as adding salt and vanilla extract. The salt helps with the taste and texture of the cake, while the vanilla adds extra flavor and aroma to the cake. 

Can you believe these are all you need for this Sponge Cake recipe? I assure you that with these ingredients, you will get airy, tender, and delicious Sponge Cake every time! 

Directions

Unleash your inner baker in this Super Soft Sponge Cake recipe! 

Egg mixture

1. Boil water in a pot over medium heat.
2. Place a bowl over the pot. 
3. Beat the eggs and caster sugar in the bowl with a whisk for three minutes. 
4. Then, remove the egg mixture from the heat.
5. Whip it on high speed with a hand mixer for about five minutes or until you reach the ribbon stage.

Milk mixture

1. Warm whole milk in the microwave. 
2. Mix the warm milk and butter in a measuring jug until the butter melts. 
3. Then, add vanilla extract. 
4. Set the mixture aside. 

Cake batter

1. Mix the plain flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl with a spatula. 
2. Add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture. 
3. Fold the batter into the flour with a spatula.
4. Put a small portion of the batter in a separate small glass bowl.
5. Whisk the milk mixture into the batter portion in the small glass bowl. 
6. Add the mixture back into the batter and whisk. 

Bake the sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Line the cake tin with parchment paper. 
3. Transfer the batter to the cake tin. 
4. Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is ready.
5. Check if the cake is ready using your finger or a toothpick. 
6. The, set it aside to cool. 
7. Flip the cake onto a plate and serve!

How much do you love slicing into this cake and tasting its overall goodness? You will surely enjoy its delicious taste and fluffy texture. Serve this for parties, and everyone will thank you for it! 

Tips

Make the perfect sponge cake with these helpful tips:

Room temperature ingredients

Ensure your ingredients are at room temperature, especially the eggs, milk, and butter. It helps activate them when you mix and bake them together.

Measure the ingredients

Measure the wet and dry ingredients with measuring cups and spoons. How important is measuring? Too much of something can easily affect the taste and texture of the cake.

Mix properly and sufficiently

Do not overmix or undermix the batter. If you whisk too much, then it can cause the cake to deflate. On the other hand, a lack of whisking or mixing can cause changes in the quality of the cake.

Prepare the cake tin

Prevent the cake from sticking to the cake tin by lining it with parchment paper or greasing it with butter. It also helps retain the shape of the cake after you take it out of the pan.

Let it bake in the oven

You may be tempted to open the oven to check the cake, but this can cause it to deflate or sink. Baking time depends on the oven, but you can check the cake once it has risen.  

Preheat the oven

As you prepare the batter, remember to preheat the oven. A hot oven will help the cake rise well. 

Don’t eat the cake right away

Let the cake rest and cool before removing it from the cake tin. Don’t remove it immediately, as this can cause the cake to become soggy. 

Sponge Cake Variations

Since Sponge Cake is a base flavor, there are plenty of other kinds all over the world!

There’s a recipe called the Victoria Sponge Cake with a raspberry jam and whipped cream filling between layers. On the other hand, you can make the Genoise version with only eggs, sugar, and flour.

You may also opt for the classic Chiffon Cake, which uses egg yolks instead of whole eggs. There’s also a version called Angel Food Cake, which uses egg whites, sugar, and flour for a fat-free cake.

Note that using alternative ingredients can potentially affect the cake. For instance, you can use cake flour or self-rising flour instead of plain flour. In addition to whole milk, you can also use almond milk, coconut milk, or other plant-based milk. 

Meanwhile, you can make it home if you don’t have caster sugar. Put the sugar in a food processor, blender, or miller until it becomes finer. You can also use egg substitutes best suited for cakes.

You can infuse the batter with chocolate, coconuts, orange zest, and even lemons to add flavor to the cake. Sometimes, I cook it in coffee, almond, and other fruity flavors, too!!

More Cake Recipes

• Orange Cake – give your cake a fruity and sweet flavor with oranges.
• Almond Loaf Cake – experience the sweet and nutty almonds in a cake.
• Chocolate Cake – enjoy the bittersweet goodness of chocolates.
• Coconut Cake – get ready to taste how yummy a cake is with coconut.
• Vanilla Cake – all you need is a vanilla extract to make it taste great.
• Pound Cake – like Sponge Cake, it’s a classic cake flavor you can try.
• Carrot Cake – make it a healthy cake with carrots in the batter.

Recommended Tools

• Oven: Bake the Sponge Cake recipe in the oven.
• Hand mixer: Whip the mixtures and batters with a hand mixer.
• Bowls: Make the batter in a mixing bowl.
• Whisk: Mix the ingredients using a whisk.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Use the right ingredient amounts with measuring cups and spoons.
• Measuring jug: Prepare the milk mixture in a jug.
• Spatula: Fold the batter using a spatula.
• Cake tin: Pour the batter into a cake tin for proper shape.
• Parchment paper: Line the cake tin with parchment paper.
• Cooling rack: Let the cake cool on a cooling rack.
• Pot: Heat the egg mixture in a pot.
• Wooden spoon: Stir the ingredients using a wooden spoon.

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How to Serve Sponge Cake

You’ll never run out of ways to serve Sponge Cake!

On its own, it’s already so delicious and heavenly. Every bite gives me a sense of satisfaction and warmth whenever I eat it. I especially love to serve with fresh fruits for an extra sweet flavor.

Like other cakes, you can coat or layer the Sponge Cake with whipped cream, frosting, or icing. It’s also one of the best options for making trifles, where you layer the cake with whipped cream, custard, and fruits.

You can have it for breakfast, brunch, desserts, or snacks. It’s perfect for the entire family for celebrations and occasions. In fact, you can also use different cake toppings like ganache, ice cream, glazes, and more! 

Here are more recipes to take your Sponge Cake to the next level:

• Banana Ice Cream – Enjoy your cake with ice cream on the side.
• Cashew Butter – spread some butter on your cake slices.
• Dark Chocolate – include dark chocolate in your cake batter.
• Strawberry Jam – you can use strawberry jam to fill your cake.
• Fruit Salad – dine with cake and fruits for the perfect pair.

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: Keep the Sponge Cake in a cake container and store it at room temperature for up to two.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ingredients of sponge cake?

The ingredients of sponge cake are plain flour, baking powder, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, salt, and caster sugar. The exact amounts vary depending on the recipe.

What makes a cake a sponge?

A Sponge Cake is known for its moist, tender, and soft texture. On the inside, it has an airy quality that feels like you’re slicing through air. It also has air pockets from the leavening agents, eggs, and butter.

Why is it called a sponge cake?

It is called a Sponge Cake because its texture is like a sponge – soft, airy, and fluffy. The cake is also said to resemble a sea sponge because of its composition. It’s also because you must incorporate air into the batter and cake.

What’s the difference between sponge cake and regular?

Regular cakes usually need more eggs and milk compared to sponge cakes. Sponge cakes are also lighter and fluffier than regular cakes, which are slightly dense. Moreover, sponge cakes are not flavored like regular cakes.