People have been asking me to share this delicious recipe for some time, with all my simple tips I am delighted to bring you this light fluffy Easy Sponge Cake Recipe
I am certain this is not MY sponge cake recipe. It has been in my handwritten recipe book for years so it will definitely originate somewhere else but I have enjoyed perfecting it over the years and gathering my tips to share with you below. There are many variations on sponge cakes, this is just the one I like to make. There are many that do not include butter, often considered the traditional sponge, some with cornflour, and of course everyone thinks THEY make the best sponge.
Apparently my Grandmother would drop her sponge & tin on the kitchen floor as soon as it comes out of the oven to ensure it doesn’t collapse, which seems like the total opposite to this method where you want to be more careful so that it stays light! Either way, this one is good, the other recipes are good too. Maybe I should just test them all!
I know sometimes these blog posts can appear long winded and full of chatter but I try to share more information throughout these posts rather than chat about my day so I hope you find this useful to read through before you embark on your sponge cake today! If this is your first time making a sponge take a minute to read what comes next.
Sponge Cakes are a delicious light cake, sometimes called a Genoise because of the added butter in this version, but they are a Sponge rather than a Cake because of all the added air and so little fat. The air is created due to the extended beating of the eggs, and the overall lightness of the ingredients and technique. I hope to give you a great method for creating this recipe yourself so you will be able to store this one away and enjoy making them forever.
If you are already a super sponge maker then feel free to add any of your own tips in the comments down below. I know there are lots of versions and lots of experts out there! I am not but its nice to share what I know for those still learning. There are many ways to serve sponge cake, our favourite is with lashings of cream, strawberries and jam. You can leave this plain, or even use as a base for Lamingtons!
The key to a lovely light sponge is to create air. This begins with the 10 minute beating of the eggs and sugar. This allows a lot of air to incorporate into the mixture, you can do this with either hand held electric beaters or the whisk attachment on a food processor. Next is sifting your dry ingredients 3 times to ensure once added they are as aerated and light as they can be, and finally very gentle combining of the ingredients. Some use their hands, I prefer to use a large metal spoon.
There is a bunch of equipment I like to have on hand, it might seem excessive but it works for me to recreate a gorgeously light and fluffy sponge. But you can do whatever works for you.
They are
Food Mixer or Hand Held Mixer, with glass or metal bowl only
2 Cake Tins of the Same Size
2 Medium Bowls
Sieve
Metal Spoon
Scales
The two bowls and sieve is to make the triple sieve easy for the dry ingredients, I simply pour from one bowl to the other through the sieve. I have included a video showing all of my steps for how I make my sponges. The scales are for measuring the batter in each cake tin to ensure they are the same size, you can of course just do this by how it looks.
Just A Mum’s Top Tips for The Best Easy Sponge Cake Recipe
Cake Tin Prep– I use two 20 cm round cake tins (8 inches). The first tip, you do not want to line sponge cake tins, it is important that it can form a crust against the sides of the tin. This is due to the cake having so little fat content. If you line the tin the sponges will be soggy. The Cake Tin Prep is simply a matter of greasing the tin with butter thoroughly, then adding flour and wriggling that around the tin until both the base and sides are covered in a thin but complete layer of flour.
Room Temperature – Ensure your eggs are at room temperature before you begin. If you forget this step you can bring them to room temperature more quickly by breaking them into a bowl which allows the air to warm them, or by steeping the eggs in their shells in luke warm water.
10 Minute Beating – On a medium speed you want to whisk the eggs and caster sugar for 8-10 minutes. This incorporates a lot of air into the mixture. You know the mixture is ready when you can drizzle the batter back onto itself and it sits on top of the mixture for a bit before dissolving. I check at 8 minutes, but always need the extra two minutes.
Triple Sift – I always triple sift my flour and baking powder, using two bowls, I simply tip the dry ingredients between two bowls to sift three times, this ensures it is light and airy. Also be sure when you are measuring your flour initially you fluff up the flour before scooping, level off your flour with a knife and do not tap it to settle. This ensures the correct measurement.
Folding – You can either use your hand or I use a large metal spoon to incorporate my flour mixture and then the butter. A gently cutting and folding movement ensures you do not lose that precious air you created with the 10 minute beating
Weighing – Ensuring all the ingredients are measured correctly is important, but also it is nice to have even sized cakes. So in order to achieve the even cakes, I measure them as I pour in the batter. Using my scales and ensuring that first my cake tins weigh the same, I pour approximately half the batter in the first pan while it sits on the scales, usually just under half. Then I pour half into the next pan on the scales. Then I alternate and top them up until they weigh the same. Then gently turn the pans to cover the base evenly of each pan
Baking– When placing the cakes in the oven be careful not to knock them or you will remove the air, then it is important to not open the oven for the first 15 minutes at least or they will collapse. They take between 15 & 18 minutes depending on your oven. You can usually fit both cakes on the one shelf for even cooking so you can use the basic Bake function. Do not pierce with a skewer to test if done, again this will collapse the cake. Instead it will bounce back to the touch once cooked.
Cooling– Once you remove from the oven you want to immediately turn the cake out onto cooling racks. To do this I have the racks ready, and turn the cake out onto my hand then invert onto a wire rack as per my video. This way the base goes on the rack ensures that the wire marks are on the middle. If you want no wire marks then simply place a few tea towels on the wire rack first. Ensure the sponges are away from a draft as this can also cause them to sink.
How your serve your Sponge Cake is completely up to you. We like ours with Jam, Cream and Strawberries if they are in season. Because this mixture makes two separate cakes there is no need to slice it in half which makes it nice and tidy to serve! It is hard to believe such a small amount of ingredients can make two lovely halves of a sponge. Sponges are best served fresh so if you are not eating it straight away I recommend wrapping the cakes in plastic wrap until ready to use, then assemble just before serving.
I then like to dust the sponge cake with a lovely dusting of icing sugar to finish. You can serve this straight away, I think sponge is best served just before eating as it is light and fluffy. Alternatively if you do need to store a cream filled sponge store it in the fridge which can make it go a little hard, so bring up to more of a room temperature slightly before serving if you chill it.
Are you still with me or have you simply scrolled on by to get to the recipe? I hope all these tips are helpful for first time sponge makers. I am no expert and I know people have been making sponge cakes for hundreds of years, it does not need to be complicated but it does have those few tips to make your sponge a winner each time.
Check out this post for my Easy Whipped Cream Recipe here
Onto the recipe, I cannot wait to see photos and messages to hear how your sponge cakes worked.
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes
Delicious light and airy, this is a lovely Easy Sponge Cake Recipe, lots of tips and hints to get the perfect sponge every time.
Ingredients
- 3 Size 7 Medium Eggs, room temperature
- ¾ Cup Caster Sugar, 158grams
- 1 Cup Plain White Flour * (less 2 Tablespoons, see below instructions), 117grams total
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 50 grams Butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons Boiling Water
Instructions
- Before you make this recipe, if this is the first time you have made a sponge read my tips above for the perfect sponge every time
- Preheat the oven to 180C Bake
- Prepare the tins, you will need 2 20cm (8in) round cake tins
- Prepare the tins by greasing the base and sides of the tin with butter, then add a few tablespoons of flour, tip and rotate the pan until the sides and base are covered with flour
- Set aside the tins
- In a large glass or metal food mixer bowl add the room temperature eggs and caster sugar
- Set the mixer on medium and whip for 8 minutes. At this point check to see if the mixer leaves a trail that stays on top of the batter, if not whisk for a further two minutes.
- While the eggs and sugar are mixing prepare the flour and baking powder. From the cup of flour return 2 Tablespoons back to the flour bag. Using two bowls and a sieve, pour the flour and baking powder back and forward between the two bowls through the sieve. This ensures the flour is light and airy. I sift 3 times.
- Melt the butter and boil the kettle
- Once the egg and sugar mixture has finished whisking together, carefully add the sifted flour and baking powder. Using a large metal spoon or your hands, lightly cut and fold the mixture through. Taking care not to loose any of the air you just created. Continue until no flour remains visible
- Combine the melted butter and hot water and carefully pour this into the mix
- Repeat with the metal spoon cutting and folding until all of the butter has been incorporated
- Split the batter between the two prepared pans. I like to do this using scales to ensure both pans contain the same amount of batter
- Gently and lightly smooth out the batter
- Carefully place in the oven, careful not to bang the pans to loose air.
- Bake for 15 minutes without opening the oven door, at 15 minutes, open quickly to check if sponges are done, sponges are done once they spring back to a light touch, do not use a skewer.
- You may need to bake for up to 18 minutes or more for them to spring back to a light touch.
- Once baked immediately remove from the oven, carefully placing them on the bench.
- You want to remove the cakes from the pans immediately.
- Run a knife carefully around the edge of the sponge pan to release any cake from the pan.
- Carefully invert the sponge onto wire racks. You can do this by placing your hand gently on the sponge and turning the pan and your hand over so that you are holding the sponge, then place the wire rack on top of the sponge and invert this back the right way up. This way the top of the sponge is up and the base is on the wire rack.
- Allow the sponge to completely cool away from any drafts.
- Sponge Cakes are best served fresh, so if you wish to assemble it later you can wrap the cooled sponges carefully in plastic wrap, separately so they do not stick to each other.
- Prepare the cream using my Easy Whipped Cream Recipe, and use strawberry jam and strawberries.
- If made with cream and not eating straight away store covered in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Please see ALL of my notes in the main copy of my blog, lots of great tips to know before you begin to bake.
For the Easy Whipped Cream recipe please visit here
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Happy Baking!
