Here’s a perfect homemade sponge cake recipe — light, airy, and ideal as a base for layered cakes, trifles, or simply dusted with powdered sugar.
🍰 Classic Sponge Cake Recipe
Ingredients (for one 8-inch round cake):
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour (or cake flour for extra softness)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (30ml) milk (lukewarm)
- 2 tbsp (30g) melted butter (unsalted and cooled)
Optional for Extra Lift:
- ½ tsp baking powder (not traditional, but helps if you’re unsure about your folding technique)
🧁 Instructions:
1. Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease and line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides — this helps the sponge rise properly.
2. Beat Eggs & Sugar
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed for 7–10 minutes — until pale, thick, and tripled in volume (ribbon stage).
- Add vanilla extract.
3. Sift & Fold Dry Ingredients
- Sift the flour (and salt, and baking powder if using) into the egg mixture in three additions.
- Gently fold using a spatula or balloon whisk after each addition. Don’t deflate the mixture — fold carefully!
4. Add Milk & Butter
- In a small bowl, mix lukewarm milk with melted butter.
- Add a few tablespoons of the batter into the butter mixture to lighten it, then gently fold it back into the batter.
5. Bake
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a cooling rack.
- Peel off the parchment and let it cool completely.
🔪 Pro Tips:
- Don’t overmix after adding flour — gentle folding preserves air.
- Use room temperature eggs — they whip better.
- Weigh ingredients for best accuracy.
- Want a taller cake? Double the recipe and use two pans.