A super-soft, double-layered light sponge with no folding and no egg separating needed – that’s my kinda cake! Decorate and fill it however you like, depending on your occasion, be it a morning tea, cake stall or birthday bash.
How to make the best sponge cake: key tips
Making a great sponge is all about incorporating air into the cake batter. This is why you need to whisk those eggs (they must be at room temperature) and sugar on high speed for 7 minutes – you want them to be super creamy and pale. You’ll notice that the caster sugar will dissolve as you whisk. Obviously, an electric mixer is best for this job, unless you plan on building up your arm muscles!
Add the plain flour, bicarb soda,and cream of tartar to a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill to the top with the cornflour – you’ll have a full cup of dry ingredients. You only want to mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just incorporated, as it’s vital that you don’t stir out all the precious air bubbles in the batter and that you don’t overwork the flour, which can cause your cake to become dense, rather than light and fluffy. Less is more!
Bake your cakes until they spring back when you lightly press the centre of the cakes. If the sponges start to shrink too much while cooking, lower the oven temperature to 150C fan-forced.
Key ingredients in this best sponge cake recipe
You’ll need 4 whole eggs, brought to room temperature, for this sponge cake (also see the notes below the recipe). The eggs provide the air and the structure of this cake, making it light and fluffy.
Caster sugar dissolves more quickly than other sugars, helping it to combine with the egg as the mixture is beaten, and contributing to an airy and even texture.
The cook uses wheaten cornflour for these cakes, which is derived from wheat and does contain gluten. You could try this recipe with regular cornflour instead, but the results may be slightly different, particularly as the gluten contributes to the structure of this cake.
For a change, why not use the batter for this cake to make lamingtons or petit fours?
This recipe was originally submitted by KazzK, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.
Ingredients
- 4 egg fresh room temperature
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup cornflour
Method
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Step 1Preheat oven to 160C fan-forced. Grease and line 2 x 20 cm cake pans.
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Step 2Beat eggs and sugar on highest speed for 7 minutes.
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Step 3Add plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar a 1 cup measuring cup, fill up with cornflour, sift together several times.
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Step 4Add vanilla into egg mixture.
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Step 5On lowest speed of mixer, mix in sifted flours for 1 minute or until just combined.
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Step 6Divide mixture between tins and bake for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched and is coming away slightly from sides of pan.
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Step 7Fill and decorate as desired.
Equipment
- 2 x 20cm springform pan
Recipe Notes
Why don’t I need to separate the eggs for this sponge cake?
It’s because this is a Genoise sponge cake. A Genoise sponge (from Genoa, Italy) and a Victoria sponge (from the UK) both rely on whipping eggs to create the airy texture. However, a Genoise uses whole eggs whipped with sugar to create a foam and a more moist and dense cake. While a Victoria sponge uses egg whites and yolks whipped separately to create a lighter and drier sponge. Although the Genoise cake origins are Italian, the term ‘Genoise’ is more widely used in French cuisine, and the cake is a staple in France.
How else can I use this cake batter?
Your Genoise sponge batter can be used to create many different baked goods beyond this traditional layer cake. Try using the batter to make lamingtons, jelly rolls, petits fours and even for madeleines and ladyfingers.
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