This better-than-bakery coffee sponge cake recipe is incredibly light, airy, and is packed with coffee flavor! It consists of a super light and soft coffee sponge cake, topped with a creamy coffee whipped cream frosting. It’s like biting into a coffee cloud!
Why You’ll Love This Coffee Sponge Cake
This coffee sponge cake recipe is one of my proudest recipes to date. It’s adapted from my light & airy sponge cake recipe which already has over 150 five star reviews (so you know it’s going to be epic)!
Here are a few reasons why I guarantee you will love this coffee sponge cake!
Light as a Cloud
When I tell you this coffee cake is as light as a cloud, I honestly mean it (my taste testers said it was the perfect word to describe this sponge cake!). Both the egg whites and egg yolks are whipped separately to incorporate heaps of air into the batter. I also use cornstarch in this recipe with flour (as opposed to just flour). Some flour is needed to help with the structure of the cake, but I find you don’t actually need that much. Cornstarch helps to thicken the batter without adding extra gluten into the mix (which flour has), resulting in the softest, airiest, bakery like coffee sponge cake!
Moist
This recipe is a genoise sponge, meaning that is has a little bit of fat in the batter to add moisture. I opted to use a little bit of unflavored vegetable oil which helps to create a moist sponge. In my vanilla and chocolate versions of this recipe, I opted to use a simple syrup to help moisten the sponge further, but felt this coffee version didn’t need the extra syrup when paired with the whipped cream. The key is to make sure the sponge isn’t overbaked!
Coffee Flavor
The star of this recipe is the coffee flavor! I made sure to add in heaps of coffee flavor in both the sponge and whipped cream, but didn’t want it to be too overpowering. If you prefer a deeper coffee flavor, you can add extra coffee to the whipped cream 🙂
How to Make Coffee Sponge Cake
For the full list of ingredients, head to the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post. For easy navigation, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the blog post 🙂
Coffee Sponge Cake
Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional and line the bottom of two 8×3 inch baking tins with parchment paper without greasing the bottom. Leave the sides of the cake tins ungreased and bare (do not line with parchment paper).
In a bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and instant coffee powder. Mix until well combined (you do not need to sift it yet). Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl add in egg whites and white vinegar, and using a hand or stand mixer, whip on a medium high speed for 30 seconds until foamy. Gradually add in 1/3 cup (66g) of white sugar and then continue mixing for a few more minutes. Once you’re almost at the stiff peak stage, turn your mixer down to low and mix for a further minute. You should end up with stiff peaks. Set aside.
In a large bowl add in your remaining 1/3 cup (66g) of white sugar and warm water (make sure it isn’t hot water). Mix so that the sugar is coated in the water. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla, and with a hand or stand mixer, whip on a medium high speed for 4 minutes, and then turn the mixer down to low and mix for a further minute (5 minutes of mixing altogether). Your mixture should now be thick and you should be able to create ribbons with it when you lift it up with a spoon.
Stream the vegetable oil into the egg yolk mixture while mixing on a medium speed. Mix until well combined.
Add in half of your egg whites to your egg yolk mixture, and using a spatula gently fold together until just combined.
Then sift in your dry ingredients, and gently fold until just combined.
Finish off by adding in the remaining egg whites and gently fold until just combined. You can use your spatula to break up any large chunks of unmixed egg whites, but try not to push out too many of the air bubbles and do not overmix.
Pour the batter into your cake pans and then drop your pans lightly on the counter. Then run a thin knife or toothpick through the batter to remove any large air bubbles and then bake for 25 minutes. To test whether the sponges are done, gently touch the tops and it should create a little indent which slowly bounces back.
Once the sponges are done, immediately drop them on your counter from a height of about 10cm, and then turn them upside down (while still in their baking tins) on a wire rack to completely cool (see note 4).
Once cooled (about an hour later), run a thin knife around the edges to release the cakes from the cake tins, and then turn them out onto a wire rack.
To make my cake layers look nice and neat, I gently rub my fingers along the top of the sponges to remove the dark crust (see video for demonstration). I find the dark crust on sponge cakes are also what contain that slight eggy after taste sometimes, which is why I prefer to remove it. Once done prepare the coffee whipped cream.
Coffee Whipped Cream
In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, mascarpone, vanilla and instant coffee powder. Mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds, and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix until well combined. If using a stand mixer use the whisk attachment.
Add in the whipping cream and mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds (to allow everything to combine without the cream splattering), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and whip until you reach stiff peaks. Keep a careful eye on the mixture as you don’t want to overwhip the cream.
Assembly
Place one sponge cake layer onto your cake stand/serving plate. Spread out a generous amount of the coffee whipped cream with an offset spatula.
Place the next sponge cake on top and spread out a generous amount of the coffee whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake. I like to smooth out the edges with my cake scraper and then I use my offset spatula to bring the top lip of frosting into the middle of the cake to achieve smooth edges (see video for demonstration).
Place the remaining whipped cream into a piping bag with a 1M piping tip and and pipe swirls on the top of the cake. Slice with a serrated knife (in a gentle sawing motion) and serve.
How to Store Coffee Sponge Cake
This coffee sponge cake should be stored in the fridge due to the whipped cream frosting. Place the cake into an airtight container before placing into the fridge to prevent the cake from drying out.
Best Coffee Sponge Cake – Light as a Cloud!
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- ⅓ cup (40 g) flour - regular, all purpose (see note 1)
- ½ cup (60 g) cornstarch
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp instant coffee powder
- 4 large eggs - whites and yolks separated, room temperature
- ⅛ tsp white vinegar
- ⅔ cup (132 g) white granulated sugar - separated in half (1/3 cup (66g) for the egg whites & 1/3 cup (66g) for the egg yolk mixture)
- 1½ tbsp warm water - not boiling
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 2 tbsp (30 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
Coffee Whipped Cream
- ½ cup (55 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners sugar
- 1 cup (225 g) mascarpone - cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
- 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
- 1½ cups (335 g) heavy whipping cream - cold
Instructions
Coffee Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (see note 2 if using a convection oven with a fan) and line the bottom of two 8x3 inch cake tins with parchment paper without greasing the bottom. Leave the sides of the cake tins ungreased and bare (do not line with parchment paper).
- In a bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and instant coffee powder. Mix until well combined (you do not need to sift it yet). Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl add in egg whites and white vinegar, and using a hand or stand mixer, whip on a medium high speed for 30 seconds until foamy. Gradually add in 1/3 cup (66g) of white sugar and then continue mixing for a few more minutes. Once you're almost at the stiff peak stage, turn your mixer down to low and mix for a further minute. You should end up with stiff peaks (see note 3). Set aside.
- In a large bowl add in your remaining 1/3 cup (66g) of white sugar and warm water. Mix so that the sugar is coated in the water. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla, and with a hand or stand mixer, whip on a medium high speed for 4 minutes, and then turn the mixer down to low and mix for a further minute (5 minutes of mixing altogether). Your mixture should now be thick and you should be able to create ribbons with it when you lift it up with a spoon.
- Stream the vegetable oil into the egg yolk mixture while mixing on a medium speed. Mix until well combined.
- Add in half of your egg whites to your egg yolk mixture, and using a spatula gently fold together until just combined.
- Then sift in your dry ingredients, and gently fold until just combined.
- Finish off by adding in the remaining egg whites and gently fold until just combined. You can use your spatula to break up any large chunks of unmixed egg whites, but try not to push out too many of the air bubbles and do not overmix.
- Distribute the batter into your cake pans and then drop your pans lightly on the counter. Then run a thin knife or toothpick through the batter to remove any large air bubbles and then bake for 25 minutes. To test whether the sponges are done, gently touch the tops and it should create a little indent which slowly bounces back.
- Once the sponges are done, immediately drop them on your counter from a height of about 10cm, and then turn them upside down (while still in their baking tins) on a wire rack to completely cool (see note 4).
- Once cooled (about an hour later), run a thin knife around the edges to release the cakes from the cake tins, and then turn them out onto a wire rack.
- To make my cake layers look nice and neat, I gently rub my fingers along the top of the sponges to remove the dark crust (see video for demonstration). I find the dark crust on sponge cakes are also what contain that slight eggy after taste sometimes, which is why I prefer to remove it. Once done prepare the coffee whipped cream.
Coffee Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, mascarpone, vanilla and instant coffee powder. Mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds, and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix until well combined. If using a stand mixer use the whisk attachment.
- Add in the whipping cream and mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds (to allow everything to combine without the cream splattering), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and whip until you reach stiff peaks. Keep a careful eye on the mixture as you don't want to overwhip the cream.
Assembly
- Place one sponge cake layer onto your cake stand/serving plate. Spread out a generous amount of the coffee whipped cream with an offset spatula.
- Place the next sponge cake on top and spread out a generous amount of the coffee whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake. I like to smooth out the edges with my cake scraper and then I use my offset spatula to bring the top lip of frosting into the middle of the cake to achieve smooth edges (see video for demonstration).
- Place the remaining whipped cream into a piping bag with a 1M piping tip and and pipe swirls on the top of the cake. Slice with a serrated knife (in a gentle sawing motion) and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
35 Comments
Hi Myriam!
First time commenting a recipe.
I did it and i nail it on the first try!
It was fluffy, “coffeiii”, délicate, not to sweet. In définition it was parfait!
I baked it in my silicone pans then it wasnt as tall as yours by definetely gonna by steel pans!
Thanks again. I’m gonna bake it again and maybe add some coffee sirup between thè layers or coffee drips on top !
Many thanks from Paris.
Sofia
Hi Sofia! So so happy to hear you loved the recipe 😀
Yes using steel pans with ungreased edges should help yield taller sponges, but so glad it still worked with the silicone pans too!
Coffee syrup between the layers would be so delicious!
Much love from NZ to Paris 🙂
Hi MK! I only have one cake tin of the same size, so I’m worried that while one half of the batter is in the oven, the other half of the batter in the bowl, waiting to be baked, will lose some of the air. Do you think that this time that the batter is sitting in the bowl is going to affect the second cake layer?
Hi Bianca! 🙂
So if the batter is sitting for around 30 minutes or so it’s usually okay (although not ideal), however with this recipe, because the sponge needs to cool in the tin upside it would be about an hour and a half before you could bake the second cake. This is quite long, but you could try it and see how it goes – it may not be too bad the sponge may just not be as high as the first sponge once baked. Alternatively, you could bake 1x the batter in a slightly larger tin (like a 10 inch tin), or half the recipe for one 8 inch cake.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help but would love to hear how it goes if you decide to bake one after the other 🙂
Hi MK
your recipes are so awesome. Thank you so much for uploading. Most of the time I follow your recepies& they are definitely a big win. Can I use cornflour instead of corn starch in this cake?
Thank you so much Neetha! So glad you’re loving the recipes 😀
So if by cornflour you mean the white powder/flour like stuff that’s used to thicken soups, jams, etc., then yes you can use that 🙂
In some countries it’s called cornstarch and others cornflour 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
You fantastic recipes. When are you going to grace us with an ebook of your recipes?
Thank you so much Eileen! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
An ebook/cookbook of some sort is on my radar, just not sure when I will get around to it! But would love to do something like that soon 🙂
Thanks so much again for all the love and support, it truly means a lot 🙂
Hi! This recipe looks SO good. I am going to try it out in a couple days, and I was wondering how far in advance this cake can be made, fully frosted, or just the layers wrapped in cling wrap. Hope this makes sense! Thanks!
Hi Addie! 🙂 So glad you’re wanting to try the recipe!
The cake layers can be made a day in advance, and you could brush them lightly with a simple syrup to ensure they stay moist. I would just store them in an airtight container at room temp until you’re ready to use them 🙂
In terms of a fully frosted cake, because the frosting is whipped cream based, I would recommend assembling the cake the day it is going to be eaten. You could get away with the day before due to the whipped cream frosting being stabilized, but yeah same day assembly for best results 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
I can not find cornstarch. Could I replace it for something else or use only all purpose flour?
Hi Mags! 🙂 For this recipe cornstarch is very important for the light texture so unfortunately it cannot be substituted with all purpose flour. The closest thing you could use is cake flour and use it to replace both the all purpose flour and cornstarch in the recipe, although this may make a slightly heavier sponge compared to the original 🙂
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
hi-i-really-want-to-make-this-recipe-but-don’t-have-easy-acses-to-mascpone
Hi Ubaydah! 🙂 If you can’t source mascarpone you can make a simple whipped cream instead and just add instant coffee powder and sugar to your liking 🙂
You can follow the whipped cream recipe from my light & airy sponge cake recipe and add coffee to it 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I finally tried this recipe and it was wow…it’s flavoursome, super light and incredibly spongey. It’s on another level 10/10.
Yay! So happy to hear you loved the coffee sponge cake Azgeri 😀
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback 🙂
I haven’t tried yet so I can’t rate it, but sounds delish. Would there be any way to use freshly brewed coffee?
Thanks Cynthia 🙂 Good question! You could substitute the warm water with strong warm brewed coffee (just make sure it isn’t too hot), but not sure if that amount would provide enough coffee flavor. Adding in more liquid coffee may impact the texture of the cake so I wouldn’t advise it as I haven’t tried it myself. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help but I do hope you enjoy the recipe if you decide to try it 🙂
Hello Maryam
I love your recipes, they’re always very inviting and appealing. I confess, I enjoy reading through recipes. Most of which I dont apply. LOL>
How about some simple, easy to follow recipes using very few ingredients, but results in flop proof bakes?
Hi Deidre! So happy to hear you’re loving the recipes 😀
Will keep some more simple recipes in mind for future posts 🙂 in the meantime you can check out my single layer cakes here which are simpler to make than the layer cakes 🙂 https://cakesbymk.com/recipe-category/single-layer-cakes/