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Sponge Cake

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Sponge Cake

Cuisine:World

Course:Dessert

20m prep 45m cook 1h 5m ready

A light, airy sponge cake made with whipped egg yolks and stiff-peaked egg whites, baked in a tube or round pan. Serve plain, with fluffy white frosting, or with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 1 cup (110g) cake flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅔ cup (130g) sugar
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) orange juice or water
  • (1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest)
  • (1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 7 large egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon (10g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ⅓ cup (65g) sugar
  • 1
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ½ cup water
    • 3 large egg whites
    • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Stir in a small heavy saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil over high heat: 1 cup sugar; ½ cup water
    2. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer to allow the steam to wash down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan. In the meantime, beat in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed until stiff: 3 large egg whites; ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
    3. Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and continue to beat. Uncover the syrup and cook to 235° to 240°F, the soft-ball stage. Beating the whites at high speed, add the syrup in a slow, thin stream down the side of the bowl. Avoid pouring the hot syrup onto the spinning whisk. Add: 1 teaspoon vanilla
    4. Continue to beat at high speed until the icing has cooled, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and beat 1 more minute. Use at once.
  • Fresh fruit and whipped cream

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 1 cup (110g) cake flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅔ cup (130g) sugar
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) orange juice or water
  • (1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest)
  • (1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 7 large egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon (10g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ⅓ cup (65g) sugar
  • 1 Fluffy White Frosting flavored with lemon or orange
  • Fresh fruit and whipped cream

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Sift together: 1 cup (110g) cake flour; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

  2. Step 2.

    Combine in a large bowl or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment: ⅔ cup (130g) sugar; 7 large egg yolks; 1 teaspoon vanilla

  3. Step 3.

    Beat on high speed until thick and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in: 2 tablespoons (30g) orange juice or water; (1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest); (1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest); ¼ teaspoon salt

  4. Step 4.

    Sift the flour mixture evenly over the top, but do not mix it in. Using clean beaters, beat in a large bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form: 7 large egg whites; 1 tablespoon (10g) sugar; ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

  5. Step 5.

    Gradually add, beating on high speed: ⅓ cup (65g) sugar

  6. Step 6.

    Beat until the peaks are stiff but not dry. Use a silicone spatula to fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into the tube pan or cake pan, and spread evenly. Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

  7. Step 7.

    Cool and remove from the pan as for Angel Food Cake.

  8. Step 8.

    Serve unadorned or frost with: Fluffy White Frosting flavored with lemon or orange

  9. Step 9.

    or serve with: Fresh fruit and whipped cream

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