This better than bakery sponge cake recipe is light, airy, and just straight up DELICIOUS! It’s so versatile that you can pair it with literally anything. I love filling mine like a classic Victorian sponge cake with my homemade raspberry filling recipe and whipped cream – YUM!
What is a Sponge Cake?
A sponge cake is a light and airy cake that is made primarily from whipped egg whites. Unlike other types of cake, such as butter or oil cakes, sponge cakes do not contain much fat which contributes to it’s light texture.
Sponge cake is often used as a base for other desserts, such as layered cakes, trifle, or as a component in various French-style pastries. It can also be served on its own, dusted with powdered sugar or paired with fresh fruit and whipped cream like a Victorian sponge cake (which is how I love mine!).
What makes this recipe stand out?
I am so proud of my sponge cake recipe and it is no doubt my favourite sponge I’ve tried, with the simple reason being – I don’t use that much flour!
Some flour is needed to help with the structure of the cake, however many recipes I’ve tried I feel use way too much and just end up being too heavy (almost like a regular cake). What I’ve done instead is substituted a lot of the flour with cornstarch, which helps thicken the batter without forming more gluten than we need. This results in the softest, airiest, bakery like sponge cake!
How to make Sponge Cake
Now I’m not going to sugar coat it, sponge cakes are a little more challenging to master than regular cakes! BUT, if you carefully follow the steps below you should end up with the perfect sponge 🙂
Begin by preheating your oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 2 on recipe card if you don’t have a fan function) and line the bottom of two 8×3 inch baking tins with baking paper without greasing the bottom. Leave the sides of the cake tins ungreased and bare (do not line with baking paper). This will prevent the cakes from shrinking once they’re baked.
In a bowl combine your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined (you do not need to sift it yet). Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl add in the 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 of the sugar and then continue mixing for a further 2 minutes. Then turn your mixer down to low and mix for a further minute (about 4 minutes of mixing altogether). You should end up with stiff peaks (see note 3 on recipe card). Set aside.
In a large bowl add in your remaining 1/3 cup 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 or 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 through 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 baking tins and then tap your baking tins lightly on your 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 they’re done, gently touch the tops and it should create a little indent which slowly bounces back.
Once the sponges are done, immediately tap them on the counter from a height of about 10cm, and lay them upside down (while still in their baking tins) on a wire rack to completely cool (see note 4 on recipe card).
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 around the edges and the top and that removes the dark crust on the sides and tops of the cake (see video for demonstration).
APPLY SIMPLE SYRUP: Combine sugar and hot water together for the simple syrup and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the top and sides of the sponges with the simple syrup (see note 5 on recipe card).
How to Decorate a Sponge Cake
You can decorate your sponge cake however you like 🙂 but I like to fill mine with raspberry filling, strawberries and cream – YUM!
Place one sponge cake layer down, and cover the top with a thin layer of my raspberry jam filling.
Place strawberries on top (I like to cut mine in half and place them upside down). Cover with generous amount of whipped cream and spread it out evenly with an offset spatula or knife.
Place your next sponge cake layer on top and then cover with more whipped cream. Finish decorating with more strawberries on top. Enjoy!
Light & Airy Sponge Cake Recipe
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
- 4 large eggs - whites and yolks separated, room temperature
- ⅛ tsp white vinegar
- ⅔ cup (132 g) white granulated sugar - separated in half - ⅓ cup (66g) for the egg whites & ⅓ 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
Simple Syrup
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) boiling water
Whipping Cream
- 2 cups (375 g) cold whipping cream
- 2 tsp icing sugar - also known as confectioners sugar/powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1 punnet fresh strawberries for decorating
Raspberry Jam
Instructions
Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 2 if you don't have a fan function) and line the bottom of two 8x3 inch baking tins with baking paper without greasing the bottom. Leave the sides of the cake tins ungreased and bare (do not line with baking paper).
- In a bowl combine your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined (you do not need to sift it yet). Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl add in the 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 of the sugar and then continue mixing for a further 2 minutes. Then turn your mixer down to low and mix for a further minute (about 4 minutes of mixing altogether). You should end up with stiff peaks (see note 3). Set aside.
- In a large bowl add in your remaining 1/3 cup 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 through 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 baking tins and then tap your baking tins lightly on your 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 they're done, gently touch the tops and it should create a little indent which slowly bounces back.
- Once the sponges are done, immediately tap them on the counter from a height of about 10cm, and lay 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 around the edges and the top and that removes the dark crust on the sides and tops of the cake (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.
- APPLY SIMPLE SYRUP: Combine the sugar and hot water together for the simple syrup and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the top and sides of the sponges with the simple syrup (see note 5). I use about 3/4s of the simple syrup mixture in total.
Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl add in the whipped cream, icing sugar and vanilla. Whip until you reach stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip the cream.
Assembly
- Place one sponge cake layer down, and cover the top with a thin layer of my raspberry jam filling.
- Place strawberries on top (I like to cut mine in half and place them upside down). Cover with generous amount of whipped cream and spread it out evenly with an offset spatula or knife.
- Place your next sponge cake layer on top and then cover with more whipped cream. Finish decorating with more strawberries on top. Enjoy!
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.
619 Comments
Thanks, MK, for the BEST sponge recipe EVER!! 🎉🎉 I baked a lovely 6in. sponge last weekend for a friend who lost a relative. It looked great and tasted greater. I reduced the recommended amount of sugar as a personal preference in all my cakes and it was still delicious. I love your show, your delivery, your smile, your sincerity. I tried your vanilla cake a few months ago and it was a hit as well. Continued Blessings in the years ahead👏🏽💗🙏🏽
So so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! It’s one of my favs on the blog and I’m thrilled to hear you love it as much as I do 😀
Hello and thanks for your recipe, you’ve used an 8″ cake tin for a 12 pax cake, if I want to make a bigger cake, which size shall I use please? or would it be better to make 2 cakes? Thanks
Hi Chris! Yes so this recipe uses two 8 inch cake tins, which are sandwiched together. I haven’t tried making a double batch myself but you could do that and make two 10 inch cake layers. I imagine the egg whites would require more mixing though to reach stiff peaks 🙂
Hi MK, thank you for sharing this recipe, but was wondering…I don’t have the exact same tins as yours, would this work with a non stick cake tin? I’ve got a set of three sandwich cake tins that are non stick? I’m scared to use them incase the cake shrinks while cooling 🙁
Hi Keeya! 🙂 Hmmmm good question – honestly I don’t think it would work as well as they’re designed to stick to the sides to prevent them from shrinking. Sorry about that 🙁
This is the best sponge I’ve ever made or tasted! You are a cake genius. I love making your recipes so much because I already know I can trust them and don’t need to try and tweak anything.
Just a question. Do you think if I used your sponge cake recipe and turned it into a Swiss roll that it would work with fresh cream?
It would be the best Swiss roll ever lol
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Judith! 😀 And I haven’t tried this recipe as a Swiss roll myself but I have been wanting to try it out forever!! Would love to hear how you go if you decide to give it a try 🙂
I am going to make your recipe, however, before I do, do you think I can swap out flour for almond flour?
Hi Martina! 🙂 I haven’t tried almond flour myself but unfortunately I don’t think it’ll work as a good substitute for this recipe. Sorry about that!
Hi Assalamuallikkum,
Looks so good !I am going to try this cake. Can I leave the vinegar out this recipe. Does it make any difference.
Thank you in advance
Wassalaam! 🙂 The vinegar helps to stabilise the egg whites, but you can use lemon juice or cream of tartar instead if you have that on hand 🙂 hope you enjoy the recipe!
Assalaamualaikum again!
I made this cake for my birthday and I loved it so much I wanted to make it again 😅 I wanted to ask if the cake stays moist for 2 days or longer in the fridge, since I have to make this in advance?
Wassalaam Maariyya! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 😀 and I would recommend keeping the layers in an airtight container at room temp (with the simple syrup on them), and it should still be moist 2 days later, at which point you can add the cream etc. If it’s really hot and you’re worried about the cakes going bad then you can also place the airtight container in the fridge. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you so much!
Hi MK, Thank you for the amazing recipe, I was wondering can I swap out butter for the oil? How much would I add? Thank you.
Hi Belle! 🙂 I haven’t tried that substitute myself so can’t say for sure that it’ll work but I don’t imagine it being a problem if you use melted butter 🙂 and I would use the same amount as the oil in this recipe. Would love to hear how you go if you decide to try it 🙂
Hi MK..can u share the recipe thru email..tqvm
Hi
Can I cover this cake in fondant icing with whipped cream and jam inside?
Hi Wahida 🙂 This sponge cake is very light and I think fondant may be a little too heavy for it sorry!
Hi MK,
First and foremost thank you so much for sharing your beautiful recipes and tips to the world!
To be fully honest, after many years of baking regular vanilla cake for family, friends and customers, I am doubting myself in terms of which vanilla cake recipe is best to use. I’ve always baked regular vanilla cakes, similar to your regular soft vanilla cake recipe but now I am facing with some serious dilemma and wonder if I should use your sponge cake recipe instead. The regular vanilla cake is really moist but also oily and can be a bit heavy after a big meal. The sponge cake in the other hand, is lighter but might be dryer/less moist.
On your opinion, which one do you think is the best vanilla cake, regular or sponge?
Anne
Hi Anne! 🙂 Ooohh this is a tricky one indeed! I really think it depends on the purpose of your cake. For a heavier cake that can be used to make wedding/celebration cakes and withstand heavier frostings and fillings then I would recommend the soft vanilla cake recipe. On the other hand, for a lighter, fresher dessert to pair with fresh fruit then I would recommend the sponge cake. In terms of which is my favourite out of the two, I LOVE sponge cake haha so that would be my pick if I was choosing a dessert for myself to have after dinner 🙂
Thanks MK for your reply!
It makes sense, both have different purposes or occasions . I have found a hybrid recipe which so far
I think is good compromise. Not too oily But still feels like a cake…
There are too many different opinions on cake, which makes it difficult to please everyone! Argh.
Lol