The sponge cake is a light and fluffy cake that serves as the foundation for many wonderful recipes. It’s based on beaten eggs, sugar and flour. This is a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, and they call it Fool Proof Sponge Cake. Not only does it turn out perfectly every time, but it also tastes great too, with a small addition of butter, milk and vanilla.
Yields: 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cakes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
10 Tablespoons sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk the flours, baking powder and salt in a small bowl to combine and set aside.
In a liquid measuring cup or mug place heat the milk and butter in the microwave until the butter is completely melted. Add vanilla, cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, using a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or using a medium bowl and and hand mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, adding 5 Tablespoons of sugar gradually. Set aside.
Repeat with the egg yolks and the remaining 5 Tablespoons of sugar, until pale yellow and thick.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, being careful not to deflate the batter as much as possible.
Sift the flour mixture over the folded eggs and gently fold in the flour also.
When there are still some remaining streaks of flour, pour in the warm milk and butter by the side of the bowl.
Continue gently folding until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter in half, pouring into the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. The parchment paper should peel right off.
Use in many wonderful recipes. My two favorites are Cannoli Cake and Italian Rum and Peaches Cake.
DO you have the recipe for cannoli cake? I really want to try to make it. It looks awesome!
Hi Tayessa! Yep, I have a recipe for Cannoli cake. You can find it in the recipe index.
Think this one would be really perfect for Rainbow Cake
Hi Paramitha,
I’ve never made Rainbow Cake. What is it made with?
I use this cake for a lot of different recipes. It’s such a great texture, and always comes out perfectly fluffy.
Sorry for late reply, just seen notification. Rainbow cake made from sponge cake like this one you’ve made (your sponge cake recipe is awesome!). Only we put rainbow food color to each layer. There are 6layers: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. And spread evenly each layer and the side of cake with any frosting you like. I found link for you to see the idea http://www.meganscookin.com/rainbow-cake
I like your blog! Like all the sweets you’ve made
Wow, Paramith! That is a very colorful cake! I bet kids especially love it:)
Olga – just made this sponge cake ( its still hot) look everything like yours, but ya ispolzyvala bolwoye dechko (because i am going to make sladkaya kartowka) rewula vse vulut v odno dechko. My ?, this sponge cake on vurastaet nemnowko or not, because my I think not….thanks
Hi Natalka,
I’m having a hard time understanding your question. Are you asking if this cake rises? This sponge cake is very fluffy and soft and does rise as much as a sponge cake needs to rise. Every time I make it, i never have any issues with it. The important thing is to beat the eggs long enough and fold it very carefully not to deflate it as much as possible.
Olga, I don’t have cake flour do you think it will be okey if I substitute it with all purpose?
Hi Dina,
For this recipe, you will need cake flour, otherwise the cake won’t rise as much and might be flatter and denser.
I add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch to the flour. It works great. I found the idea for this substation online and use it every time. i have made the cake before with regular flour and it was not as tender and light.
Yep, the cornstarch will make the cake much lighter in texture.
Hi Olga, for the egg whites, is there such a thing as over mixing them to a real high stiffness? Should I stop just when peaks start to form?
Can I use brown sugar instead? I know with the egg yolks it should be ok, how about with the egg whites?
Alina,
If you substitute brown sugar, the cake may not be as light as when using white sugar. The cake may turn out denser and flatter. The flavor of the cake will be affected also.
Hi Olga,
So I was very careful when folding in the flour and egg whites but in the end, I still had spots of egg whites and I didn’t have very much batter to end with..it looks like the one recipe would have been good for cone cake pan. But I still went along with the directions and made two, but both did not rise even a quarter of the way. What do you think I did wrong?
Hi Oksana,
Here’s a post I wrote with 8 Cake Baking Tips. Hope it helps.
Yes thank you! I used my kitchen aid for the whites and hand mixer for the yolks, and definitely did not beat the egg yolks long enough . that’s the problem for sure. Thanks for the tips
I’m so glad you figured it out, Oksana! Hope it works out better next time.