Sponge Cake Recipe

Sponge Cake Recipe is a true sponge cake, light and delicate, that is often used as a base for desserts such as Strawberry Shortcake.

A full-flavor dessert for dieters. Top with antioxidant rich fruit such as berries or yogurt. Served plain, hot or cold.

For quick and easy Strawberry Shortcake see instructions below.

Substitute other fruits such as blueberries, raspberries or bananas and enjoy other delicious varieties.

Ice Cream is delicious, too.

Sponge Cake Recipe

• 6 eggs
  
  
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
  
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
  
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
  
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*
  
  
  

Let ingredients come to room temperature before starting to mix.


Separate egg yolks and whites.

Place the whites in a mixing bowl.


Add the cream of tarter and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Place the stiffened egg whites in another bowl and set aside.

In same mixing bowl, (no need to wash bowl and beater) add egg yolks and beat on high speed until thickened to the consistency of thick salad dressing.

Takes about 3 minutes.

Beat in water a little at a time and beat until thickened again.

Beat in flavorings and salt.

Gently fold in flour a little at a time.

Do not mix with electric mixer after starting to add the flour!

It will break down the air bubbles you have already mixed in preventing the cake from being feather light.

When the flour is thoroughly folded in, fold in the beaten egg whites.

Line the bottom of a 10" tube pan (called an angel cake pan) with parchment paper.

Spoon in the batter evenly.


Place in a preheated 325F. oven and bake for one hour.

Remove from oven. Invert pan on a wire rack to cool thoroughly before removing cake.

If you are using the angel food pan with the tabs around the edges you won't need to put the pan on a rack to cool, because the cake will receive sufficient air to cool.

To loosen the cake carefully run a thin blade knife around the edges of the pan including the tube and gently dislodge.

Handle the cake gently, because it is so light.

Frost cake with a favorite frosting, if you prefer.

Store cake in a cake plate or other container with an airtight cover.

*May substitute 100% soft winter wheat all-purpose flour.

Strawberry Shortcake

Place cake slices on a plate, add whole or sliced, fresh or thawed frozen strawberries in the amount you prefer.

It is delicious served with fresh Homemade Whipped Cream.

Victoria Sponge Layer Cake

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
  

• 4 large eggs
  
  
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
  

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
  

• 2 tablespoons whole milk
  
  
• 3/4 cup strawberry or raspberry jam
  
  

• 3/4 cup Homemade Whipped Cream (omit the sugar)
  
  
• Sifted powdered sugar to sprinkling on top of cake

Cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Scrape bottom and sides of mixer.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.


Stir vanilla extract into the milk.

Fold in the flour alternately with the milk and whipping cream, starting and ending with the flour.

Grease parchment papers to fit two 8' cake pans with butter and dust lightly with flour, shaking out excess.

Pour batter into pans, evenly.

Bake in a preheated oven 350F. for about 20 minutes or until the layers tests done when probed in the center with a toothpick or knife. 

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Remove cake layers from pan and place first layer on a cake stand or plate.

Cover the first layer with jam and then the Homemade Whipped Cream, omitting the sugar in it.

Place second layer on the first layer.

Sprinkle top layer with powdered sugar.

Let it set a couple of hours before serving.

Orange Sponge Cake

Substitute 1 tablespoon orange zest for the flavoring in above recipe and 1/2 cup fresh orange juice for the water.


TIP: Cut your cake into cubes and use the cubes in a Trifle instead of the cookies.

History Of Sponge Cake

The oldest Sponge Cake Recipe was introduced in a cook book called The English Houswife, in London, England in 1615. 


Houswife is not a spelling error here. 


Regular Sponge Cakes and Victoria Sponge cakes were extremely popular in America in the 1920s and the 1930s.

Back then the regular sponge cake was covered with a boiled frosting. 

I can not find exactly how long the Seven-Minute Frosting has been around other than at least the early 1900s. 

In the 1940s the 7-Minute Frosting was the only type of frosting that folks I knew, put on their cakes.

Related Pages

Bacardi Rum Cake Recipe

Fresh Apple Cake Recipe 

Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe

Return to Old Fashioned Cake Recipes


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