Christmas Star Sponge Cake is a sweet treat that’s easy and quick to prepare, perfect for the holiday season, and ready to be filled.
This preparation is one of the most renowned and used bases in pastry making. Thanks to its extremely soft and light structure, it is particularly suitable for supporting abundant fillings, serving as a foundation for elaborate cakes, desserts, and more complex creations.
The preparation is essential and requires few and simple ingredients, with one secret: in this version, we use potato starch (if you want to use the version you sent me earlier, otherwise we will only use flour) to ensure superior softness and increased stability during baking.
To achieve a tall and soft sponge cake, only two elements are necessary: a bowl and electric beaters (or a stand mixer).
The real trick is to beat the eggs with the sugar for at least 15-20 minutes.
This process incorporates a large amount of air, transforming the mixture into a light, voluminous, and foamy mass.
Another crucial step is the addition of the flours (which should be sifted together with the baking powder, if used). They should be gently incorporated using a spatula, moving it from bottom to top.
It is essential not to deflate the accumulated air to ensure maximum rise in the oven.
This sponge cake is naturally dairy-free, making it versatile. It is delicious on its own with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or simply filled with jam or marmalade.
Thanks to its neutrality, it is the perfect base for more elaborate cake creations.
For example, it is ideal for creating an elegant star-shaped cake with diplomat cream and candied fruits, perfect for the Christmas period.
Once completely cooled, it can be cut into discs, moistened, and filled to create your layered cake or a spoon dessert.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10 People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 161.16 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 33.01 (g) of which sugars 19.56 (g)
- Proteins 4.38 (g)
- Fat 2.17 (g) of which saturated 0.95 (g)of which unsaturated 1.15 (g)
- Fibers 0.27 (g)
- Sodium 149.69 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 56 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Christmas Star Sponge Cake
- 4 eggs (room temperature)
- 180 g sugar (or erythritol)
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g potato starch
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp baking powder for desserts
Tools
- Mold
- Stand Mixer
- Kitchen Scales
- Spatula
- Sifter
Steps
Christmas Star Sponge Cake
First, prepare the star mold by buttering it and applying a light dusting of flour. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F), on static mode.
Place the whole eggs in the bowl (the eggs must be at room temperature).
Add the sugar and a pinch of salt (vanilla aroma to taste).
Turn on the beaters and mix the mixture.
The mixture should be fluffy and soft.
(To achieve this result, the beaters should mix for 10/15 min.)
Delicately add the all-purpose flour, potato starch, and a pinch of baking powder, previously sifted together.
Mix with the spatula from bottom to top.
Pour the obtained mixture into the buttered and floured mold.
Bake in preheated static oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 25/30 minutes (or in a fan oven, at 160°C (320°F) for about 25-30 minutes), until the top of the sponge cake is golden brown.
(Always perform the toothpick test, avoiding pulling the cake completely out of the oven)
Before removing it from the base, wait until it has cooled down.
Ready to be cut and filled as desired.
Tips for Different Diameter Sponge Cakes
Quantities for a 20cm (approx. 8-inch) sponge cake. (150g of sugar, 100g of all-purpose flour, 50g of potato starch, 3 eggs)
Quantities for a 26cm (approx. 10-inch) sponge cake. (200g of sugar, 130g of flour, 65g of potato starch, 4 eggs).
Once baked, let it cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Loosen the edges with a knife, open the pan, and let it cool on a wire rack.
You can keep the Sponge Cake for 2/3 days at room temperature wrapped in plastic wrap. You can also store it in the freezer for 1 month.
The lemon zest is used to further perfume the sponge cake, especially for fruit cakes or sponge cake and custard desserts.
If you use a chocolate filling, I recommend flavoring your Sponge Cake only with vanilla, or consider using orange zest instead of lemon.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Do I have to add baking powder?
Without baking powder… Lighter softness, more neutral flavor, more “spongy” result, less like a regular cake. Disadvantages Requires a perfect and extended egg beating (the famous 15-20 minutes) to incorporate the necessary air to make it rise. If the eggs are not well beaten, the cake can deflate.
With baking powder a safe method… Ensures the dough rises, resulting in a tall and stable cake, useful for less experienced bakers.
