Last Christmas, I baked a Boston Cream Pie, I overdid the chocolate ganache topping and the custard filling, the finished product looked so messy that I didn’t have the heart to post the recipe.
But I learned one very important lesson that day — the basic sponge cake recipe that I used was a real keeper. It’s the same recipe I use for my tres leches, one adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes cookbook. I’ve used that recipe for over half a dozen baking projects and the results were always great.
What’s a sponge cake? It is a foam type cake that derives its springy texture from stiffly beaten egg whites. Traditionally, sponge cakes do not contain any oil (if you add vegetable oil, it is technically a chiffon cake) but this recipe includes melted butter which makes the cake less dry but still full of volume and spring.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1/4 tsp. of salt
- 1/4 tsp. of baking soda
- 1/4 c. of butter, melted
- 1/2 c. of cake flour, sifted
- 1/2 c. of sugar
- 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Prepare an eight-inch (three-inch high, for best results) round pan. If you’re not using a non-stick baking pan, line the bottom and sides with baking paper.
- Add the salt and baking soda to the egg whites.
- Beat until stiff (see stages in beating egg whites).
- Add the yolks and sugar to the beaten egg whites.
- Beat over low speedy (or gently by hand) to blend. Be careful not to destroy the air bubbles already created.
- Blend in the flour in three batches.
- Working with a third of the flour each time, blend using a spatula and the cut-and-fold method.
- Make sure that the flour has been thoroughly incorporated.
- Pour in the melted butter (and vanilla extract, if using).
- Again using a spatula and the cut-and-fold method, mix the butter carefully into the batter until fully incorporated.
- Pour into the pan.
- Level off the top with a spatula so that the cake is uniform in height when it bakes.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
- Invert onto a plate then re-invert onto a rack and cool completely.
- The cake is dry to the touch outside so it is easy to handle.
- When cool, the cake is ready to be frosted or first cut into layers.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 1
Read 
Chinese desserts can’t be pretty bad because there are no desserts in Chinese cuisine
wow… this is great news! i’ve been searching for a sponge cake recipe and always tumble on for 10″ pan… buti na lng naka-subscribe ako sa site mo hehe
thank you for posting your tried and tested recipes, this makes life easier =)
We’re a family of four, so 10″ cakes are too much for us. :)
“Beat over low speedy (or gently by hand) to blend.”
Ms. Connie, you were still thinking of your hubby while doing this sponge cake ano? ;)
LOL I guess. If he had done this, he would have overbeaten. :-P
The cake looks wonderful. I love this recipe.
Hi Ms. Connie,
Where can I find the baking pan that you have used? It’s silicone right? How much? thanks a lot. Your website is really a good help. Keep it up.
Oh, goodness, I can’t remember anymore where I bought that — but Landmark sells pretty good silicone pans in different price ranges.
I am so confused. I followed this recipe exactly and my cake only came out half an inch high… Was I supposed to triple or quadruple the recipe?
No. The volume is acquired via the stiffly beaten egg whites. :)
Hi Connie,
I love your classic sponge cake recipe ( classic sponge cake with strawberry jam and whipped cream) but unfortunately I can’t find it on your site anymore. The page comes up blank. I would really appreciate if you could repost it. Thanks.
Hi Leena, I fixed the link. You can view it now. https://casaveneracion.com/classic-sponge-cake-strawberry-jam-whipped-cream/
Great!! Thank you so.. much Connie.
You’re welcome. :)
hi. i’ve tried and i love your sponge cake recipe..
but i’m just wondering how would you convert it to a chocolate sponge cake?
By substituting part of the flour with cocoa powder. By how much, you’ll have to experiment on that. :)
Thank you so much Ms. Connie. I never thought making a chocolate cake is just substituting flour with cocoa powder. I love your recipes. I just wanted to ask one thing again, do you have any fondant recipes which you might share? Thanks.
No. :)
would this sponge cake be good for a fondant base cake?
That’s for you to try and find out. :)
Ms Connie, i just have a question with this sponge cake. arent there any incorrections with the list of ingredients? since whatever you do, you wont be able to get that fine texture in your whipped egg whites without the use of cream of tartar, and as i can see on the pictures above, your eggwhites’s texture are silky and fine. its just abit weird. hoping for your quick and kind reply, thank you ms connie :)
My beaten egg whites are silky and fine because I know how to beat egg whites. If you think that “whatever you do, you wont be able to get that fine texture in your whipped egg whites without the use of cream of tartar”, then, you’re simply inexperienced at beating egg whites. It takes practice. :)
thats abit harsh for you to say, are you saying i dont know how to beat egg whites? maybe i should shout at my kitchenaid for not doing what its suppose to do properly?
Re “are you saying i dont know how to beat egg whites?”
Yes, I already said that. Need I repeat? Furthermore, I’m saying you don’t know how to correctly discern the stages in beating egg whites.
Don’t blame your Kitchen Aid. It only performs as well as the person using it. Learn.
Hi miss Connie can i add cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites? thank you… godbless=)
You can but I find it unnecessary.
Can sponge cake be baked without adding the melted butter
Yes, some sponge cakes have no oil at all like angel food cake.
How much is 1/4 cup of butter in ounces.
Thank you
A “stick” (125 grams) is 1/2 cup.
The recipe is great thanks for posting it
My internet connection is a bit wonky today so I paused loading the page as soon as I saw the text was there (the pictures weren’t). When I saw the servings (1) I was a little confused kasi the recipe called for 3 eggs and if I wanted to make a cake for four people nakakaloka ang 12 eggs in one cake hahaha Good thing I refreshed the page to finally see the pictures. Thanks po for sharing :)
Even without seeing the pics, you would have read that the cake was baked in an eight-inch cake pan. That’s not exactly for a one-person serving. :)
Dear Ms Connie,
Can I use All Purpose flour instead?
Thank you,
:)
I suggest you read this for better understanding: https://casaveneracion.com/all-purpose-flour-cake-flour-bread-flour-and-then-theres-pizza-flour/
Usually sponge cakes which come under foam cakes category do not require butter and leavening agents but you have used both in this recipeand why baking soda and not baking powder?pls explain
I don’t have to explain. That’s the recipe.
Usually sponge cakes which fall under a foam cakes category do not require fat and any leavening agents at all but you have added both to the recipe.and why baking soda and not baking powder?pls explain
Hello po ms. Connie. Just curious kasi you wrote na this is the same recipe for tres leches, and I’ve noticed that this is just half the recipe of the tres leches sponge cake. Kaya lang po in both recipes you used 1/4tsp Salt and baking powder for both. Was this suppose to be 1/8 tsp salt and baking powder for basic sponge cake? Thanks.
No.
Did you use convection oven? I love your recipe. Gonna make this soon! Thanks.
Not sure if my link to my photo works but thought I’d thank you for a wonderful recipe. We used it to make a quick strawberry shortcake for dessert. What a simple, easy and perfect cake recipe! Shared.
I can view it. Looks so delicious! :D
This cake turned out absolutely delightful. We used it for a double-layer strawberry shortcake, filled with strawberry slices and whipped cream. Oh my.