The Molly cake is a soft and versatile cake, loved for its spongy texture and ability to remain soft for a long time. Unlike other similar cakes – such as the classic sponge cake – the Molly cake stands out for the presence of whipped cream in the batter, which gives the cake a rich yet light consistency, without making it heavy. Very simple to make, it has a delicate and neutral flavor that makes it perfect both to enjoy on its own and as a base for more elaborate preparations, such as birthday cakes. This dessert is ideal for those looking for a soft base to fill, cover, or decorate, for making multi-tiered cakes or cake design cakes. Thanks to its soft but compact structure, which does not crumble, the Molly Cake is perfect for accommodating creams, ganache, and fresh fruit, and for being covered with sugar paste. Served simply with a dusting of powdered sugar, the Molly Cake is a perfect choice for a breakfast cake different from the usual, which will win you over with its genuine taste and incredible softness.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 250.07 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.71 (g) of which sugars 16.75 (g)
- Proteins 5.11 (g)
- Fat 10.98 (g) of which saturated 0.59 (g)of which unsaturated 0.72 (g)
- Fibers 0.55 (g)
- Sodium 21.45 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 68 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 for a 22 cm Molly cake
If you are celiac, you can prepare the gluten-free Molly cake by using instead of 250 g of all-purpose flour 180 g of rice flour + 70 g of cornstarch; also check that rice flour, cornstarch, and baking powder have the label “gluten-free”.
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 1/2 cups rice flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch)
- 1 cup heavy cream (unsweetened)
- 1 packet baking powder
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer with wire whip
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Cake Pan 22 cm in diameter
- Parchment Paper
How to prepare the Molly cake
To prepare the Molly cake, start by cracking the eggs into a bowl; I recommend using room temperature eggs as they whip better. Add the sugar (1). Using the wire whip attachment of the stand mixer, or with electric whisks, beat the eggs and sugar for a long time until they are light, fluffy, and frothy (2).
Sift the flour (or the rice flour and cornstarch) and the baking powder into the bowl (3). Gently incorporate them into the eggs using a spatula, with slow movements from the bottom up to not deflate the eggs (4).
In the end, you should obtain a homogeneous and fairly thick mixture (5). In a separate bowl and using clean whisks, whip the cream to perfection (6). A small tip to whip cream quickly is to keep the bowl and whisks in the freezer until just before use; the cream should also be very cold.
Add the cream to the Molly cake batter in two or three additions (7), incorporating it gently with the spatula with slow movements from the bottom up. In the end, you will obtain a smooth and frothy mixture (8).
Line a 22 cm cake pan with parchment paper. If you are using a pan of different dimensions, refer to this guide to help you adjust the recipe quantities based on your pan size. Pour the batter in and level it well with the spatula (9). Bake the Molly cake in the preheated oven at 356°F for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 320°F and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes. Before taking it out of the oven, check with a toothpick that it is well cooked and dry inside, then remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan (10).
You can serve the Molly cake lightly dusted with powdered sugar, as a breakfast cake, or you can cut it in half and fill it with cream and strawberries, custard, mascarpone cream, Nutella, or any filling your imagination suggests.
Storage
The Molly cake remains soft for 4-5 days at room temperature, preferably stored in a cake container or under a glass dome.
Tips and Variations
This is the basic version, ideal for flavoring with a cake syrup or filling with various creams. Its taste, for this reason, is neutral. If you want to enjoy it on its own, you can flavor it with the zest of 1 lemon or half an orange, a packet of vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, or a tablespoon of your favorite liqueur.
