The recipe for Sponge Cake Without Yeast is a classic tradition, the presence of well-beaten eggs with sugar allows you to obtain a tall, soft, and light dessert without the addition of chemical yeast. This grandma Benedetta’s recipe is easy, a guarantee.
My favorite base for preparing layered cakes. For a birthday, I also recommend the Rectangular Chocolate Sponge Cake, or for a very soft dessert without eggs, try the Vegan Sponge Cake.
QUICK sweet recipes
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 127.54 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.10 (g) of which sugars 13.24 (g)
- Proteins 3.27 (g)
- Fat 1.59 (g) of which saturated 0.69 (g)of which unsaturated 0.84 (g)
- Fibers 0.22 (g)
- Sodium 57.64 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 47 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
Sponge Cake Without Yeast
BAKING in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 35 minutes, when baking is finished, turn off the oven and leave the cake inside for another 10 minutes.
For a taller Sponge Cake, use a cake pan with a smaller diameter.
- 4 eggs (medium – at room temperature)
- 150 g sugar (50 g for the egg whites + 100 g for the yolks)
- 4 tablespoons water (about 2 oz – to be added BOILING to the yolks)
- 120 g all-purpose flour (for a gluten-free version, replace with rice flour or potato starch)
- 80 g cornstarch (for a gluten-free version, replace with cornstarch)
- to taste vanilla (or organic lemon zest)
- 1 pinch salt
QUANTITIES with 3 eggs – pan d.8.6 in
– 3 eggs at r.t.
– 115 g sugar (40 g for the egg whites + 75 g for the yolks)
– 3 tablespoons boiling water (about 1.5 oz)
– 90 g all-purpose flour
– 60 g cornstarch
QUANTITIES with 5 eggs – pan d.10.2 in
– 5 eggs at r.t.
– 190 g sugar (60 g for the egg whites + 130 g for the yolks)
– 5 tablespoons boiling water (about 2.5 oz)
– 150 g all-purpose flour
– 100 g cornstarch
QUANTITIES with 6 eggs – pan d.11 in
– 6 eggs at r.t.
– 225 g sugar (75 g for the egg whites + 150 g for the yolks)
– 6 tablespoons boiling water (about 3 oz)
– 180 g all-purpose flour
– 120 g cornstarch
Tools
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Pan round d.9.4 in
- Spatula
Sponge Cake Without Yeast
Weigh and prepare all the ingredients.
Use room temperature eggs, then separate the yolks from the whites and place them in two different bowls.
EGG WHITES, beat the egg whites until stiff and then add the sugar (1/3 of the total), continue beating with the whisks to incorporate it well.
YOLKS, with electric whisks, beat the yolks with plenty of boiling water (the same number of tablespoons as the eggs used), then add the remaining sugar (2/3 of the total). Beat until you get a frothy mass.
Pour the beaten egg whites over the beaten yolks, sift the flours on top, and add a pinch of salt (or your preferred flavorings) to enhance the taste.
Gently incorporate everything with a spatula from the bottom up (be careful not to deflate the mixture).
Pour the batter into the cake pan, previously buttered and floured (or covered with baking paper).
Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 35 minutes (the toothpick test always applies), when baking is finished, turn off the oven and leave the cake inside for another 10 minutes (to prevent it from deflating).
Remove from the oven and let the Sponge Cake cool before proceeding to cutting and filling.
Before filling it with cream, wet each layer (the surface facing up) with a simple soak (milk or flavored water) to make it even softer.
STORING Sponge Cake Without Yeast
How long can you store sponge cake?
The sponge cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. After a few days of storage (in the fridge or freezer), the cut is cleaner and easier, and fewer crumbs form.
It can be frozen in the freezer, always covered with plastic wrap, for over 2 months.
It can be frozen in the freezer, always covered with plastic wrap, for over 2 months.
How to keep the sponge cake soft?
To keep the sponge cake soft, let it cool completely and then store it in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap until just before cutting and filling it.
As ingredients, do not use only one type of flour.IDEAS FOR FILLING the sponge cake
SOAK
Before filling it, soak it with a simple syrup (milk, water, and sugar or even a diluted liqueur). This will make the sponge cake even softer and more flavorful.
FILLING
It is better to choose a delicate cream to fill the sponge cake, such as diplomat cream, chocolate ganache or simple whipped cream, also paired with fresh fruit or a layer of jam. Avoid dense creams that weigh it down.Where was sponge cake invented?
Contrary to what the name suggests, sponge cake did not originate in Spain, but in Italy! Its history dates back to the mid-18th century when a Genoese pastry chef named Giobatta Cabona, in the service of ambassador Domenico Pallavicini, created a soft and light dessert on the occasion of a reception in Madrid. The success was such that the dessert was named “génoise” in honor of the city of Genoa.
