Simple Sponge Cake
With only 5 ingredients and a few simple steps you can make your own delicious, light and airy sponge cake.
This super light and airy cake is one of those classic recipes that can be used in so many ways. From a simple cake, filled with whipped cream and jam to lamingtons, trifles and more. This basic recipe is a foolproof method to making a simple sponge cake that will be perfect for afternoon tea, desserts or special occasions.
Ingredients
Eggs – Use 4 large eggs.The eggs will provide most of the volume and rise for your sponge cake. There is no need for them to be separated, we will use whole eggs for this recipe.
Sugar – Use 225g of regular granulated sugar which should be one cup.
Flour – Use 225g of all purpose flour or around 1 1/2 cups.
Baking powder – This helps your sponge cake rise and not deflate when it has baked.
Butter – Melted butter helps boost the fat content of your sponge stops it from being too dry. Swap out for a flavorless cooking oil for a dairy free option
Steps to make your sponge cake
- Whisk your eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar in slowly to ensure that it dissolves into the eggs well. Continue whisking for about 5 minutes or until the eggs and sugar has reached the ribbon stage.
- Fold the mixture gently while sieving in the flour and baking powder.
- Pour your butter into the mixture and fold through until just combined.
- Bake in 2, lined 20cm cake tins for 20 -25 minutes at 170 degrees (fan bake).
- Cool fully before filing with jam and whipped cream.
What is the ribbon stage and why is it important in a sponge cake
Most of your rise, volume and lightness in a sponge cake comes from the eggs. This means that it is super important to make sure that you have whisked the eggs enough and that there is plenty of air incorporated thought.
Ribbon stage is the point at which the eggs have been whisked to the perfect amount for your sponge cake. Once you have been whisking for about 5 minutes, you can start to look out for this. The mixture will be a very pale color and it will be thick and fluffy. When you move your beater around the bowl in a circular motion the marks from mixing will remain visible until you get back to your starting point. When you lift the beater from the bowl the egg mixture will fall in thick ribbons that show their shape for a few seconds before blending into the remainder of the mixture.
Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 170 degrees fan and line your two small cake tins (approx 20cm diameter each)
- Place your eggs in a large bowl and mix well using an electric egg whisk. Add in the sugar, one spoonful at a time. Continue beating until your eggs reach ribbon stage (5minutes). They should be thick and fluffy. When you move your beater around the bowl in a circular motion the marks from mixing will remain visible until you get back to your starting point
- Fold the mixture gently while sieving in the flour and baking powder.
- Once that has just combined, pour in the butter using a very thin stream. Mix through gently.
- Pour the sponge batter into your prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Cool fully before decorating / storing
- Remove your sponge cakes from their tins and place the first layer down on a cake plate. Spread a layer of strawberry jam evenly over the top surface.
- Add a generous layer of whipped cream keeping most of it in the center of the cake. The cream will spread when the top layer is added so do not spread it all of the way out.
- Place the top cake layer on top of your cream.
- Dust with icing sugar and arrange strawberries on top
- Slice to serve.
Notes
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my simple sponge cake recipe. I hope you enjoy trying this out for yourself. Please feel free to add any questions or comments below. I am happy to help out wherever possible and I would love to hear how this recipe worked out for you.
