Share

How to Make a Sponge Cake

You probably already know the recipe for the traditional sponge cake. Just three ingredients — what could be simpler to make? However, not everyone manages to always succeed in mixing eggs, flour, and sugar in a manner that produces an airy, nearly weightless result. Why?

Today, Cook It will debunk persistent myths about baking and teach you how to make a sponge cake that is perfect any way you cut it.

To begin with, remember the three basic rules that every pastry chef should know by heart. To get a soft and porous sponge cake, always sift the flour and never open the oven while baking! Grease only the bottom of the baking mold so that the sponge cake rises evenly.

Perfect Proportions

The best proportion of eggs, flour, and sugar (%): 50/25/25, i.e., 4 eggs, 3 ½ oz (100 g) of sugar, and 3 ½ oz (100 g of flour. However, eggs may vary in size, producing different results at different times. Hence, it is always best to weigh the ingredients.

Adding many eggs is preferable: the sponge cake will be tender and moist, but not rise too high. To eliminate the smell of eggs, add vanilla or citrus zest to the dough. If you use the ingredients in equal proportions, the cake will turn out dense and dry.

Beating Eggs

Overbeating the eggs will make air bubbles grow and burst at high temperatures. Such a dough will seem quite fluffy and airy, but there is a high probability that the finished cake will sink. Similarly, beating the eggs just into foam will prevent the dough from rising, or create cracks in the finished product.

Whites or Yolks?

If you use whole eggs in the recipe, you should get the familiar taste. However, you can also try adding whites and yolks separately, measuring the required amount in grams. On average, you need to take three egg whites for every five yolks. It is the yolk that affects the texture of the sponge cake!

Cake with egg whites is elastic but somewhat rubbery, and it contains fewer calories; it is more suitable for making a Swiss roll. Cake with egg yolks turns out yellow and firm, and it rises as well as that with egg whites. It has a light egg flavor.

Whisk Together or Separately

If the eggs are fresh and the room is chilly, beat the yolks first, and then the whites. Conversely, if it is hot in the kitchen, whisk the eggs whole.

You will get a delicate foam if you beat the eggs for 5–7 minutes, a maximum of 15. The sponge cake comes out soft, porous, and yellow. When you separate the whites from the yolks, it may turn out dense and uneven, and it may not rise.

Baking Temperature

Do not trust the recommendations for baking temperatures indicated in the recipe — experiment to find the best oven temperature.

Starch: Pros and Cons

Starch makes the sponge cake more delicate and less rubbery. You can replace up to 30 % of the flour weight with starch. If you add more, a slightly starchy taste is likely to appear. The cake will shrink a bit after baking and crumble more than the traditional one. Potato starch makes the cake more crumbly; cornstarch — denser.

Flour

You can use any flour to bake a sponge cake. The only thing that will change is color: oatmeal flour will produce a golden hue; corn flour — an orangey one; buckwheat flour — a brown one.

Chilling Eggs

Many pastry chefs swear by beating eggs over a pan of simmering water, arguing that sponge cake turns out fluffier this way. It is only partially true. Yes, warm eggs can produce a dough that is more stable, airy and rises better. However, it doesn’t mean that it will turn out worse if you use chilled eggs.

Foaming is independent of the recipe! No need to bother with warming eggs up. Just use ones that are at room temperature.

Salt

Theoretically, salt makes the cake rise more evenly and levels out the crust. In the traditional sponge cake, you will barely notice the effect of adding salt. However, you should add a pinch to baked goods with caramel, spicy, or chocolate flavors.

Cocoa

To make your sponge cake drier and crumblier, add cocoa to the dough. Use an amount of up to 50 % of that of the flour. Cake with cocoa has a pronounced chocolatey taste and aroma. If you use bitter chocolate, the finished crust is sweeter, softer, and airier.

Soda and Baking Powder

Should you add baking soda, along with baking powder, to the dough? Definitely yes, especially in recipes featuring an acidic product (yogurt, kefir, lemon juice). If it doesn’t call for such ingredients, use only baking powder.

Baking Paper

If you need to bake a thin sponge cake for a Swiss roll or cookies, know that a lot depends on the baking paper. Air pockets can form on the bottom of the cake, ruining the appearance. Parchment paper yields the worst result; Teflon and silicone mats are best.

Knowing these culinary tricks, you will bake the perfect sponge cake. Enjoy!

Valerie

I am an English major with a love of languages and fiction, and with an incurable travel bug. In my free time, I read fantasy, drink copious amounts of coffee, and like to go see movies. Culinary art means everything to me. My main hypostasis is the taster, though. The music school has taught me to appreciate the symphony of airy meringues, to create harmonious overtures of light snacks, hard rock of meat, fish, and vegetables on the grill. Choir classes have accustomed me to hear and feel the people nearby and create perfect harmonies of sounds.

448 Comments Hide Comments

759718 636523You should consider starting an email list. It would take your site to its potential. 816768

You should take part in a contest for one of the greatest blogs on the internet.
I am going to highly recommend this website!

A person essentially lend a hand to make critically articles
I would state. That is the very first time I frequented your
website page and so far? I amazed with the analysis you made to make this actual publish incredible.
Great process!

It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time
to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions.
Perhaps you can write next articles referring to this article.
I want to read more things about it!

Good blog you have here.. It’s difficult to find excellent writing like yours nowadays.
I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!

Today, I went to the beach front with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old
daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell
to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and
it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back!
LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!

you are in point of fact a just right webmaster. The site loading
pace is incredible. It seems that you’re doing any distinctive trick.

Furthermore, The contents are masterwork.
you have done a wonderful job on this subject!

Do you have a spam problem on this blog; I also am
a blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; we have
developed some nice procedures and we are looking to swap techniques with others, why not shoot me an e-mail if interested.

For latest information you have to go to see world-wide-web and on the web I found this site as a
best website for latest updates.

Spot on with this write-up, I truly believe this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably
be back again to read through more, thanks for the advice!

I was very happy to uncover this page. I want to to thank you for ones time for this particularly
wonderful read!! I definitely loved every bit of it and i also have you book marked to
see new information in your website.

I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice,
keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later.
All the best

Hi to all, for the reason that I am really eager of reading
this web site’s post to be updated on a regular basis.
It includes pleasant material.

I know this web page offers quality dependent content and extra
stuff, is there any other site which provides such things in quality?

Hello colleagues, how is all, and what you want to say
concerning this piece of writing, in my view its
in fact remarkable in support of me.

Hi there, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering
if you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you stop it, any plugin or anything you
can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any
assistance is very much appreciated.

These are actually impressive ideas in about blogging. You
have touched some nice factors here. Any way
keep up wrinting.

Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
It will always be helpful to read through articles from other writers and practice something from
their web sites.

Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to say that I get in fact enjoyed account your blog
posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your augment or even I success you get entry to consistently rapidly.

Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured
I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog post
or vice-versa? My site covers a lot of the same topics as yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other.
If you happen to be interested feel free to shoot me an email.

I look forward to hearing from you! Great blog by the way!

Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your weblog.

You have some really good posts and I believe I would be a good
asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d
really like to write some content for your
blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please
blast me an e-mail if interested. Kudos!

Hello to all, the contents present at this site are in fact amazing for people
experience, well, keep up the nice work fellows.

Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as
I provide credit and sources back to your webpage? My blog site is in the very
same niche as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from a lot
of the information you present here. Please let me know if
this alright with you. Many thanks!

My brother suggested I may like this website. He was once totally right.
This put up truly made my day. You cann’t believe simply how so much time I had spent for this info!

Thank you!

Everyone loves what you guys are up too. Such
clever work and coverage! Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys
to our blogroll.

I am actually delighted to glance at this website posts which consists of plenty of helpful information,
thanks for providing these kinds of data.

I visit day-to-day a few web sites and blogs to read articles, but this webpage presents feature based content.

You could definitely see your skills within the work you write.
The arena hopes for more passionate writers such as
you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. At all times follow your heart.

Its not my first time to pay a visit this website, i am visiting this website dailly and get pleasant facts from here all
the time.

I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
nonetheless, you command get bought an nervousness over that you wish
be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside
case you shield this increase.

Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles?

I mean, what you say is valuable and all. Nevertheless think of if you added some great visuals or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”!
Your content is excellent but with images and clips, this website could certainly be one of the very best in its niche.
Good blog!

Comments are closed.