A slice of fluffy, moist sponge cake is the best. It’s a classic and popular cake that melts in your mouth and has a delicate flavor. This sponge cake is great for entertaining, celebrations, and special afternoon teas.

These tips and tricks will make achieving that delicate, airy texture easy. Your sponges will turn out great every time with the help of these steps and the recipe below.

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C (fan-forced). Grease a round 22 cm diameter cake pan. Bake paper on the bottom and sides of the pan.

Use an electric mixer to place eggs in a large bowl. Use the whisk attachment to beat eggs for about 7-8 minutes at high speed, or until they are very pale and thick. Mix in 1 tbsp of sugar at a time. Beat between each addition. Beat in vanilla

Mix flour on a piece of baking paper twice. Then, sift the mixture over the egg mixture. Add 1 tbsp of boiling water. Fold gently to combine. Do not stir. Divide evenly between the prepared pans

Bake for 35 minutes or until the sponge is slightly shrinking from the pan sides. Place the sponge on a wire rack lined with greased baking paper. 

How to make a cake pan

To ensure that the cake rises properly and comes out of the pans easily, it is important to follow the instructions.

Measure the base of your cake pan on baking paper. Cut to size. To line the sides, measure a piece of baking paper.

Butter or cooking spray can be used to grease cake pans

Place paper in the cake pan.

Again grease, and then dust lightly with plain flour.

Prepare

Sponge cakes are best baked quickly because of the delicate batter. You can reduce the time it takes to make the batter and bake the cake.

How long should it take to beat eggs for sponge cakes?

Whipping the eggs is an important step in the process. Don’t forget to take your time. In order to get a fluffy and light sponge, you need to add as much air as possible into your eggs.

Set the timer for seven minutes, and then let the electric mixer do its work. The eggs should be three times as large and appear pale, thick, and shiny.

Is it really necessary to sift three times the flour mixture?

Yes! Yes! This adds more air to the batter and decreases the air that is pushed out of the eggs.

What’s the difference between stirring and folding?

Folding is a gentler way to combine ingredients. You’ll get a dense cake if you stir from side to side. Use a spatula to fold the ingredients. To incorporate the flour, scoop from the top of the bowl to the bottom. Continue this process for quarter turns. To reduce air loss, fold the flour into the eggs in two batches.

How to make even more cakes

A scale is the best way to ensure even cakes. It allows you to determine how much batter should be in each pan.

Before you start, weigh the empty bowl. After the batter is made, weigh the bowl and batter together. Add the empty bowl’s weight to get the weight of your cake batter. Divide this number by the number of pans. Voila! This is the amount of batter that you will need to make nice, even cakes.

Don’t delay baking!

Bake the batter in the oven immediately after it is ready. Standing time can affect the rise of the cake so make sure your oven is preheated while you prepare the batter.

How to tell if your cake is done

Bake for 20 minutes, or according to the recipe. Place a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake to check that it is cooked. If the skewer comes out clean, it is cooked. Cooked cakes will shrink and pull away from the sides. A sign that your kitchen smells like freshly baked cake is another indicator.

How to cool a spongecake

Allow the cakes to cool immediately. To prevent the cake from sticking, remove the baking paper and place it on a wire rack covered with a sheet of greased baking parchment.

Wrap the cakes individually in cling wrap while they’re still warm if you are making them ahead of time. This will make it easier to trim the crusts. Keep at room temperature.

How to frost a cake

You can top this sponge with whipped cream, jam, or any other favorite fruit. You can also frost it.

To firm up the cake, chill it for between 30-60 minutes.

Divide the frosting between two bowls and cover one.

To create a “crumb coating”, coat the cake with half the frosting. This will trap any crumbs that may have fallen to the surface.

To harden, freeze or refrigerate the cake for at least one hour.

To finish the final coat, use the frosting left over.

Try using an offset spatula to smoothen the cake. Wipe off any icing as you go.

How to serve a spongecake

After all the hard work you put into creating a fluffy sponge, it is important to keep it at room temperature to maintain its texture. If the sponge is served cold, it will become denser.

Make sure to remove the cake from the refrigerator at least one hour before you are ready to serve it.

More baking projects

You’ll find more amazing baking ideas here. You can click to see how you make focaccia, how you make Dutch baby pancakes, and how you make the best-baked cheesecake.