How to make a sponge cake is one of the most frequent questions I get asked. This sponge cake recipe is ideal because it is always reliable.
It is one of the most beloved bases in pastry because it is soft, light and incredibly versatile.
With this easy sponge cake recipe you can achieve a perfect dessert even if you don’t have much experience in the kitchen: just a few ingredients and a few simple steps to prepare a soft, fragrant base.
One of the best reasons to make it is that it can be used in many different ways: you can slice and fill it with pastry cream, whipped cream or chocolate to create birthday cakes, use it to make delicious fruit cakes, or enjoy it plain with a dusting of powdered sugar.
It’s also perfect for soaking with flavored syrups to make more elaborate desserts like zuccotti, reinvented tiramisù or modern cakes, becoming an essential base to know in the kitchen.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup (≈3.5 oz) erythritol or brown sugar (about 100 g)
- 3/4 cup type 1 flour (about 90 g)
- 4 tbsp potato starch (about 30 g)
- 1 lemon
- 1 pinch fine salt
Tools
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Hand mixer
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Springform pan
- Parchment paper
- 1 Sieve
Steps to make the sponge cake
To make the sponge cake you can use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
First, prepare a pan 8-8.7 in (20-22 cm), placing parchment paper only on the bottom, greasing or oiling the sides, and preheat the oven to 338°F conventional mode so it is already hot when the batter is ready.
In the meantime, break the eggs into a bowl or into the stand mixer bowl. Add a pinch of fine salt and the sugar gradually. Beat at medium-high speed for about 15 minutes.
The mixture will change completely, becoming very pale, almost cream-colored, it will triple in volume and will have a dense, foamy texture. To check if it’s ready you can do the writing test by lifting the beaters and letting a ribbon of batter fall — it should remain visible on the surface for a few seconds before disappearing.
At this point add the grated lemon zest and the type 1 flour (I always use type 1 because it is stone-milled and preserves the grain properties, unlike 00) and the potato starch (necessary because type 1 flour is a little more rustic than 00). If you don’t have it at home you can use 120 g of 00 flour.
Sift it well with a sieve, and add it little by little to the mixture, incorporating it with a spatula making very gentle movements from bottom to top while rotating the bowl, trying to lift the mass without pressing it because mixing too vigorously would expel the trapped air and the cake would not rise.
When the flour is completely incorporated and the batter looks smooth, soft and uniform, pour it into the prepared pan, level the surface slightly with the spatula and, if necessary, give the pan a small tap on the work surface to remove any large air bubbles. Then put it immediately in the lower part of the oven and bake for about 35–40 minutes without opening the door for at least the first 30 minutes, because a sudden change in temperature could deflate the still-unstable structure.
The sponge cake will be done when the surface is golden, slightly springy to the touch and the edges begin to pull away from the pan.
Do the toothpick test before removing from the oven.
Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door slightly open for about 5 minutes to avoid thermal shock.
Then remove it, let it rest for 10–15 minutes in the pan, gently run a knife around the edges if necessary, unmold it by turning it over onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing or filling, because when it is hot it is still fragile and may break or compress.
Sponge cake storage
You can store the sponge cake under a glass cake dome or wrapped in plastic wrap for two days, or you can freeze it.
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FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I use vanilla instead of lemon zest?
Yes
Can I use only 00 flour?
Yes, 120 g.
