Easy Sponge Cake

5 from 527 votes

This easy sponge cake is soft, fluffy, and light as air! It's a simple recipe for basic sponge cake made with ingredients including cake flour, beaten eggs, and sugar for an easy to make, moist sponge cake!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Baked Goods, Dessert

Cuisine: American, European

Servings:

Calories: 195kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1 cup cake flour
⅞ cup white sugar divided
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

Wet Ingredients

6 eggs whites and yolks separated
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Beat Egg Whites

Preheat oven to 350° F. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat egg whites with the cream of tartar (if using) on high until it becomes foamy. Next, add ⅓ of the amount of sugar and beat on high until firm peaks form. When lifting the whisk, look for the tip to drop slightly. Set aside.
⅞ cup white sugar, 6 eggs, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Egg Yolk Mixture

In a large bowl, add the egg yolks, the remaining ⅔ sugar, salt, water, honey, and vanilla. Beat on high until fluffy, pale yellow ribbons form when lifting the whisk. The ribbon should remain for 3 to 4 seconds. Add half the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and fold gently.
⅞ cup white sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 6 eggs, 2 Tablespoons water, 2 teaspoons honey, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Add Dry Ingredients and Oil

Make batter: Sift the flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture in three parts, gently folding after each time. Next add the vegetable oil. Tip: To help incorporate the oil better, mix a few spoonfuls of the batter with the oil before adding.
1 cup cake flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Add the remaining ½ of the egg whites to the batter and fold gently until well combined, taking care not to deflate the batter.

Bake

Line two 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper along the sides and bottom. Pour the batter and bang the pan twice to remove large air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the crust is golden brown with a raised center, about 27 to 30 minutes. See Notes section for additional baking times.
Remove all the parchment paper and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing. Use a cake leveler for even slices. Serve with whipped cream and fruit or make a layered cake. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes two 6 inch cakes. See below for additional baking times.

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale and the metric measurements provided for best results. Click on "Metric" under the ingredients list to access gram measurements.

Approximate baking times:

Two 6-inch pans: about 27 to 30 minutes
Three 6-inch pans: about 18 minutes
Four 6-inch pans: 15 to 16 minutes
9x13 inch pan: about 18 minutes

Make ahead and freeze:

Sponge cakes freeze amazingly well if frozen the same day. Wait until completely cool then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container to avoid frost. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Troubleshooting deflated sponge cake:

The most likely reason is due to improperly beating the egg whites. It's very easy to over or under-beat egg whites. Over-beaten egg whites will look grainy and lumpy.
Old or expired baking powder. Check the dates on your ingredients.
Baking temperatures can also affect the rise of sponge cakes. It's important not to open the oven as the temperature drop can cause the sponge cake to collapse and deflate. Use an oven thermometer or calibrate your oven if not done recently.

Nutrition