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
So excited to try this recipe! Looks delicious. Was wondering if I could bake in three 6-in tins, and how long I should cook them for?
Side note: Do you have any other frosting recipes or flavors I could use for this cake? I would like one that is light, not super sweet, and could be made with non-dairy milk. I have made many ABC with non-dairy milk, but those tend to be way too sweet and overpowering, especially for a delicate cake like this. Let me know if you have any suggestions please!! Thank you so much!!
Being a chef myself I’m particular about my food but I must say thos is amazingly moist, soft, bouncy so light the flavours are perfectly balanced. Thank you so much for this marvellous cake.
Thanks so much Tammy! So honored to get a 5 star review from a chef!! Really appreciate the feedback 😀
I am keen to make this cake but wonder if I can make it entirely Gluten freen using G.F. plain flour along with the cornflour?
Hi Marilyn! 😊
I haven’t tried it myself, but other readers have had good results using a gluten-free flour blend that’s meant to act as a 1:1 substitute for plain flour in my regular cake recipes. As with all gluten-free baking, results can vary a little, but it does seem to work well for many. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe! 😊
This is the best coffee cake. The light soft sponge and super delicious frosting has become everyone’s favorite. Thank you so much for sharing your talent.
Quick question.
Should I bake half the quantity to bake two tiers of a 6 inch cake? Please suggest the temperature (convection mode) and the bake time.
And will it be the same instructions if I want to bake a “Light and airy sponge cake” with raspberry jam and whipped cream?
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback Noel! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe 😀
Yes for two 6 inch cakes you want to make half the recipe. Baking temp will stay the same but cook time will likely reduce – the exact time I am not too sure sorry but I would check around maybe the 15 min mark and then bake more if needed. For a light and & airy sponge cake check out my original sponge cake recipe – https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/light-airy-sponge-cake/
Hope that helps Noel 🙂
I loved this recipe MK. Could you make an orange version and a lemon version next?:)
Thanks so much Kasseya! So glad you loved the recipe 😀
Will keep some citrus versions of this sponge in mind for future recipes 🙂
Hi MK- I just made this yesterday for my Mum’s birthday as she doesn’t like anything too heavy and loves coffee cake. This was a hit! I did everything exactly as you said (using gram measurements) and cornflour as I’m in Australia, and it was perfect!
Absolutely loved it and would recommend this recipe to everyone!
Thanks!
Aww yay! Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback Fi 😀 so glad to hear your mum loved the cake 🙂
Hi Maryam,
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with us.
I can’t wait to try the coffee cake for an upcoming birthday. Are these chiffon sponges? Also, I don’t have mascarpone cheese at hand. Would the recipe go well with a coffee flavoured SMBC, or I also saw you had shared your previous coffee cake with a white chocolate coffee whipped ganache which sounds delicious..what would be an alternative to the whipped cream frosting?
Thank you so much!
Hi Shaivya! 🙂
Yes these are similar to chiffon sponges. I think SMBC may be a little heavy for the sponges, but the white chocolate coffee whipped ganache from my other recipe would go wonderfully with this recipe so you can certainly use that frosting instead!
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
hey!
if i wanted to make this as a sheet cake, what size pan would you recommend?
Heya! 🙂
I would recommend a 9×13 inch pan.
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!