Vanilla Sponge Cake, Step-By-Step
This soft and tender sponge cake recipe is light and airy. It rises wonderfully and can be used with any frosting or filling. But I love serving it with strawberry jam and freshly whipped Chantilly cream.
Hey team! After countless rounds of testing and experimenting, I’ve finally perfected the very best sponge cake recipe that’s not only delicious but also easy to make with consistently great results. This recipe is FOOL PROOF! It’s super soft, moist and it rises like a dream, all thanks to the way the eggs are whipped and combined with simple ingredients like cake flour, sugar and vanilla extract, things you probably already have in your pantry right now! It all comes together to create the light and fluffy textured cake that sponge cakes are best known for.
Because this cake is light, it pairs perfectly with different flavors and frostings. Even ones as light as Chantilly Cream which won’t buckle under the weight of the cake. My favorite way to serve this cake is with layers of cream and tangy strawberry jam then I like finishing it off with a light dusting of icing sugar in a fun and easy pattern on top. But it’s versatile enough to handle any filling you like.
This basic sponge cake recipe is really easy to make, making it a great make ahead dessert sponge cake is for pretty much any occasion. Whether you’re preparing a fancy tea party dessert or a casual treat to enjoy with a cup of tea, this easy sponge cake is the answer.
If you’re a fan of my homemade cakes recipe collection, you’ll definitely want to check out my Raspberry Lamington Sponge Cake and Lemon Sponge Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. They’re both scrumptious variations that showcase the flexibility of this vanilla sponge cake base. Trust me, once you try this recipe, it’ll become your go-to for all your cake needs!
Let’s Talk Fluffy And Flawless Sponge
Sponge cake is known for its light and airy texture which comes from the eggs that are whipped to perfection. In some recipes, like this one, a little baking powder is added for extra lift, giving the cake that perfect iconic sponge-like texture.
There are many types of sponge cakes, and the one we’re making today is similar to a ‘genoise’—a classic Italian sponge cake that gets all its light texture from the eggs being whipped, without the addition of baking powder. I added baking powder to just give this cake an extra boost of fluff.
The cool part is, when I tested this recipe without adding any fat (butter or oil), it came out surprisingly delicious, light and moist! A happy accident in my opinion, that made this cake even better!
Key Ingredients For The Perfect Sponge: A Breakdown
Let’s break down a few of the key ingredients in this sponge cake. Each once plays an important role in creating the perfect light, airy texture that this cake is famous for!
- Cake flour – This truly helps give this cake a soft and melt in your mouth texture. Cake flour is a low protein flour that is used to make desserts light and moist. You can use store bought which has a much finer flour consistency, or simply make your own cake flour with my simple recipe.
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. When separating your eggs, do them in a separate bowl before diving amongst two large mixing bowls. That way you don’t risk contaminating your egg whites with egg yolk which will prevent them from whipping.
- Cream of tartar – This helps stabilize the egg whites when you’re whipping them to prevent them from overwhipping. You can substitute with lemon juice.
- Caster sugar – Also known as superfine sugar is best when making the cake. Granulated sugar isn’t as fine, and you risk overwhipping.
- Mascarpone Cheese – Make sure your mascarpone is cold from the fridge and opt in for a good brand. Generic brand ones don’t keep your Chantilly cream stabilized for long. Some brands are thicker than others so just make sure you give yours a mix before adding to the cream to prevent lumps.
- Strawberry Jam – Any good strawberry jam will work here.
- Strawberries – Make sure you wash and dry your strawberries. Dry them well, otherwise they will melt your powdered sugar a lot more.
TIP: For a full list of ingredients and measurements, check the recipe card below which is printable!
How To Whip Your Eggs For The Batter
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed to froth a little before slowly adding half (105g) of the caster sugar.
Once all the sugar has been added, it with thicken and become glossy and shiny.
To a separate bowl whip egg yolks, remaining sugar and warm water until thick, about 5 minutes.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and fold through until well combined.
Fold through the egg white mixture
Transfer between two 8-inch cake tins. Bake. Once baked, allow to cool completely in the tin before using a knife to carefully loosen the sides from the tin.
TIP: when separating your egg whites from the yolks, make sure you don’t get any yolks in the whites otherwise they won’t whip up properly. This is the main reason why egg whites don’t whip when making meringue!
An Easy Way To Decorate Your Cake
Use a serrated knife or cake slicer to trim the top of the cake and flatten it.
Place your first layer of cake on your serving plate or cake board
Spread the jam on top
Then spread or pipe the cream on top
Add the next layer of cake and place a cooling rack on top of the cake
Dust with powdered sugar. Carefully lift the cooling rack away to reveal your pattern and top with some fresh strawberries!
TIP: Chill your cake layers in the fridge for about 20 minutes before decorating. This will make them easier to trim and stack giving you a cleaner finish and more stable layers!
Troubleshooting: Why Is My Sponge Cake Flat?
I know this recipe inside out and I know it works, but for first time bakers there can be a bit of a learning curb. If your sponge doesn’t come out as you expected, here’s a quick guide to help you figure out what might have gone wrong and how to fix it!
- Cake is dry – most likely overbaked. Bake only until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. There’s no way to reverse it from being dry but dabbing it with simple syrup before you put your cake together is a great way to re-hydrate it.
- Cake came away from the sides – you’ve either used a non-stick pan, sprayed the sides of the cake tin (only spray the bottom) or you overmixed the batter, developing the gluten which caused it to shrink as it cooled.
- Cake didn’t rise – overwhipped the egg whites or didn’t whip them enough. You’re looking for a thick, glossy meringue. If it looks grainy, you’ve overwhipped it.
My Top Tips For Perfecting Your Sponge Cake Every Time
Here are my top tips to make sure you nail the best sponge every single time! I’m talking fluffy and flawless.
- Measure out using kitchen scales – Measuring ingredients out by weight and not cups is the best way to get consistent results every time! I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales!
- Don’t use ‘non-stick’ cake tins for this recipe, and only spray the bottom of your tins. This will help the cake stick to the side of your cake so that as it cools down it holds its round shape. Once it cools, carefully run a knife around the edge of your tin to help loosen the cake.
- When whipping the egg whites, make sure you whip only until thick and glossy. If the meringue appears grainy, you’ve over-whipped.
- When whipping up the egg yolk mixture, this can take a bit of time to do, but aim to get them thick and pale. It’ll take about 5 minutes.
- Fold ingredients gently using a spatula, only until well combined. Over mixing can cause the eggs to deflate which can lead to a rubbery cake.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sponge Cake
What does it taste like?
Delightfully sweet, strong vanilla flavor and goes well when paired with your favorite jam and whipped cream or frosting!
How to store your cake
- Undecorated: Wrap up tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to three days. Alternatively, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. Thaw completely at room temperature before assembling.
- Decorated: in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Can I halve this recipe to get a flatter cake?
Yes! I will admit, this is a fairly tall cake. If you want something not as tall, simply halve all the ingredients, use all of the same method and then use a serrated knife or cake slicer to cut in half and fill.
Why is this recipe in grams and not cups?
The short answer is accuracy! It is far easier, more accurate and you get more consistent results when you measure ingredients by weight, especially in dessert and bread baking! I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales!
If You Loved This Recipe, Check These Out!
- Strawberry Cake
- Best Ever Black Forest Cake
- Lemon Sponge Cake
- Easy Chocolate Cake
- Hungarian Chocolate And Hazelnut Cake (Esterhazy Torte)
- Moist Lemon Pound Cake
- Fluffy Coconut Cake
Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!
Vanilla Sponge Cake, Step-By-Step
This soft and tender Sponge Cake Recipe is light and airy. Sandwiched between fluffy Chantilly Cream and delicious strawberry jam!
Serves 10
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 225 g cake flour, see notes
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 large eggs, 55g each, room temperature and divided.
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 210 g caster sugar, superfine, divided in half
- 40 g warm water, just above room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Chantilly Cream
- 310 g heavy cream, cold (see notes)
- 50 g powdered sugar, sifted (see notes)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, see notes
- 125 g mascarpone, cold (see notes)
Decorations
- 200 g strawberry jam, or raspberry
- 30 g powdered sugar, to dust
- 200 g strawberries, cleaned and dried
Instructions
Sponge cake
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 150C / 300F (170C / 340F for no fan). Spray only the bottom (not sides) of two 8-inch cake tins with oil spray and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Combine dry ingredients – To a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Make meringue – To a separate large bowl add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Use an electric hand beater to whisk until frothy. Slowly add 1/2 (105g) of the sugar while the mixer is on high speed. Once all the sugar has been added continue mixing for 90 seconds. The mixture will thicken and become glossy. Take care not to overwhip the mixture otherwise it will result in large air bubbles in your cake.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar – To a separate bowl, add the egg yolks, remaining sugar (105g), water, and vanilla extract and use your electric hand mixer to whip until pale, thickened, and creamy, about 5 minutes. The mixture should fall off in ribbons when you lift the beaters.
- Fold in dry ingredients – Sift 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture and use a spatula to fold through. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and fold through until no dry ingredients are showing. Take care not to overmix.
- Fold in meringue – Add half the meringue and gently fold through with a spatula. Then add the other half and repeat.
- Bake – Divide the mixture between the two cake 8-inch tins and bake in the middle rack of your oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Once baked, allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before carefully running a knife around the sides to release them. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Chantilly Cream
- Prepare mascarpone cheese – Add the mascarpone to a large mixing bowl (glass or metal) and use a spatula to stir and break up as some brands can be firmer than others.
- Whip ingredients together – Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and use an electric hand mixer fitted with beaters or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip on medium high speed (not high speed) until you reach stiff peaks. This usually takes about 3 – 4 minutes to achieve. That you’re looking for is a smooth but stiff whipped cream, not one that appears split. If it does split or separate, unfortunately, you’ll need to start again. There’s no saving it.
To Finish
- Place your first layer of cake on your serving plate and spread strawberry jam on top. Then spread the Chantilly cream on top. Add the second layer of cake. Dust generously with powdered sugar and decorate with strawberries. Slice and serve!
Notes
Cake Flour – Cake flour is a low protein flour that is used to make desserts light and moist. You can use store bought which has a much finer flour consistency, or simply make your own with my simple recipe. I have an entire blog post on how to make your own cake flour on the blog!
Cream – make sure you use cream labelled heavy cream for this recipe. Whipping cream will work but won’t be as stiff as heavy cream. Low fat cream will not work.
Powdered sugar – I don’t like my cream too sweet, but if you like yours on the sweeter side you can add 30g of powdered sugar to the bowl before whipping. Make sure you sift it!
Mascarpone – is an Italian cheese that is similar in flavor to sour cream, but more creamy and less sour. Opt in for a better brand one as they tend to be thicker and make sure it’s cold straight out of the fridge! Use a spoon or spatula to mix the mascarpone cream a little before adding to the cream to ensure it’s not lumpy as some brands can be thicker than others.
Vanilla – I have a great recipe for Vanilla extract here on the blog which is alcohol based. It can be used for most recipes. However, I would advise against using it for whipped creams (yes, even stabilized ones like this one) or meringues as it can muck around with the air whipped in the mixtures. Instead use a syrup based vanilla extract. I find vanilla bean paste is best.
Storage – This cake is best served the day it’s baked but can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition – is based on per slice. This cake serves 10 people.
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales!
Nutrition
Calories : 466kcal
Carbonhydrates: 45g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat : 5g
Cholesterol: 197mg
Sodium: 154mg
Potassium : 205mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar : 24g
Vitamin A: 842IU
Vitamin C: 14mg
Calcium: 83mg
Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclosure
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20 comments
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Hope you enjoyed this recipe! N x
Would have loved to have tried this. May be better to weigh ingredients, but not as common in America so adding volume measurements would be advisable. By the way, no one measures water by grams! ML maybe. American measuring cups not compatible. Did appreciate your explanations and tips which I kept in mind when I chose another recipe.
Theres a whole wide world outside of America and we use grams.
I just have to say that also being American, I tended to resist using a scale when baking. I finally gave in about three years ago, and it’s the best baking change I’ve ever made! If you do the same someday, then you will see why it is very helpful to be able to weigh ingredients (including water) by grams because the bowl is already on the scale to weigh other ingredients. Far less dishes to wash, and much better accuracy when baking. Bake on!
So glad to hear this Becky! Scales simplify everything when it comes to baking! And yes! I think even liquids should be measured using scales. Water weighs the same all over the world so why not make the entire meausring process easier since you have the scales out anyway! N x
Hi made this today, I’m not a great sponge maker. It was a little rubbery, any tips to address this?
Hi Sam! Sorry to hear that happened. Sounds like you might have over-mixed / deflated the air out of your batter!
Hi Nick 🙂
Quick question. Will this recipe fit in a half sheet tray?
Thanks
Hi Eileen! Hmm, I can’t say for sure as I’ve only tested it in 8-inch cake tins. Why do you ask?
Loved this recipe – thank you!
Thanks so much Lauren! Glad you loved it as much as I do! N x
hi.. quick question.. does the sponge cake need to add sugar syrup or is moist itself ? and it’s possible to use it covering in buttercream like a normal vanilla cake ?
Hi Sheryl, you can use syrup, but tbh, it doesn’t need it. And yes! this would work with buttercream. Hope that helps! N x
Hi Nick, I’d love to make this cake for a friend’s birthday but in a smaller size, say with 6 eggs instead of 8. I’ll proportion all the other ingredients. Do you think I can use a 7″ pan and how long should I bake the sponge?
Love your recipes. I’ve made a number of your other cakes.
Hi Dao! hmm, I haven’t tested it in that size pan, but it should be doable. I’d say bake it for about 20 minutes and test to see if it’s done using a toothpick. And thanks so much for the lovely feedback. let me know how you go if you try it! N x
Hi Nick, I made and brought in the cake to work today. It was soft and fluffy and a hit with everyone at work. Everyone loooved the chantilly cream with the raspberry jam. I did not make the smaller variation as I did not have two smaller cake pans anyway. I used 5 eggs instead of 8 as my eggs were super sized so I’m glad that you gave the egg size in weight. The sponge turned out quite high and I was able to assemble the cake fairly quickly when I got to work. It was definitely a winner. Thanks for all your tips and step by step instructions for making this cake a success. I wish I could post a picture to show you how it turned out.
Hey Dao! So happy to hear the cake was a hit at work! Love that you adapted it with those giant eggs—weight measurements make all the difference, right? Wish I could see how it turned out, but it sounds perfect with the Chantilly cream and raspberry jam. Thanks for sharing! N x
Hi Nick, I’m going to make this cake for a friend’s birthday at work. I understand that this cake is best served on the day that it’s made. The thing is, I can’t do that as I’ll be making it the day before to take it to work the next day. I intend to bring in the sponge cake separately and assemble It on the day. Do you think it’s okay to whip the cream the night before or do it in the morning on the day? BTW, the cake will be travelling with me on public transportation to work so I don’t want the cream to be a slopping mess when I get to work! Your help is much appreciated.
Hey Dao! You can definitely whip the cream the night before since it’s stabilized with mascarpone—it should hold up well during your commute. If it softens a bit, you can just give it a quick re-whip before assembling. Bringing the sponge separately and putting it all together at work is a great idea. Hope your friend enjoys the cake!