Basic Sponge Cake Recipe

Having a good basic sponge cake recipe is great for many reasons; they are delicious plain but can also be dressed up to become a fruit cake, etc. I love a good sponge cake that is fluffy, light and a foolproof method to ensure that is through the egg-separation technique used commonly to make chiffon cakes.

 

There are many basic sponge cake recipes but my favourite recipe is from Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover.

(makes a 8 inch cake)

Ingredients

For egg yolk-flour batter 

4 egg yolks (large)

20g caster sugar

50g non-flavoured oil (I used Canola oil)

60g milk

1/2tsp vanilla extract (I use Homemade vanilla extract, refer to recipe here)

90g cake flour

For egg white-stiff peaks

4 egg white (large)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

60g caster sugar

Method

1. To prepare egg yolk-flour batter, whisk egg yolks and sugar till pale and fluffy. You will also notice an increase in volume.

2. Add in oil and milk. Mix well.

3. Sieve in flour. Mix till no flour traces remain. Add in vanilla extract. Mix and leave aside.

4. To prepare egg whites meringue, beat egg whites till frothy for 40-50 seconds at speed 2 if using hand-mixer. Add in cream of tartar. Increase speed gradually from 3 to 4 and 5, adding sugar in small batches. Beat till stiff peaks and reduce speed gradually. This will help to stabilise the air bubbles and produce a finer crumb.

5. Add beaten egg whites into egg yolk batter. Add in 3 batches, mixing evenly with a spatula. Pour mixture into cake mould and tap the mould on desktop a few times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven at 140 degrees for 25 minutes and 170 degrees for another 30-35 minutes. The cake is done when the top is browned and springy to touch. Leave the cake to cool in the oven with the oven door ajar. The cake will shrink when cooling.

Tips

The top of the cake has a fine brown layer which can be removed easily with your hands for a more aesthetically pleasing look. Best to do so when the cake is still slightly warm.

You do not need to line the cake mould. I used a 8 inch round pan with a removable base.

For more detailed understanding and step by step guidance on the egg separation technique, refer to my two other posts, introduction to Chiffon Cakes and Coffee Chiffon Cake recipe.