Sponge Cake Recipe: Light and Fluffy Delight

There’s something about sponge cake that just works. It’s soft without being dense, sweet but not sugary-sweet. I made one last month for my mom’s birthday and she kept going back for seconds, which never happens with cake in our house.

I love that you can dress it up or keep it simple. Some days I’ll just eat a slice with coffee. Other times I’ll layer it with strawberries and cream when people are over. It reminds me of what is crème brûlée made of—those desserts that seem fancy but are actually pretty straightforward once you know the basics.

Honestly, I avoided making sponge cake for years because I thought it would be complicated. Turns out it’s not. You don’t need any specialty ingredients or tools. Just eggs, flour, sugar, and about 30 minutes. The first time I baked one, I was shocked at how light it came out. My husband said it tasted better than the bakery version we usually buy.

If you’re interested in trying it, this guide on how to make sponge cake breaks down each step. The best part isn’t even the cake itself—it’s having an excuse to get everyone together and actually enjoy dessert without rushing through it.

Why You’ll Love This Sponge cake recipe Recipe

Sponge cake is one of those desserts that never gets old. It’s light enough that you don’t feel weighed down after eating it, but still satisfying. I’ve made it for family gatherings, brought it to potlucks, and honestly, sometimes I just bake one on a weekend because I’m craving something homemade.

There’s a reason this recipe keeps showing up in my kitchen—it’s simple, it works every time, and people actually ask for seconds. Whether you’re just getting into baking or you’ve been doing it for years, this one’s worth trying.

Flavor Profile of Sponge Cake

The sweetness in sponge cake is gentle—not the kind that makes your teeth hurt. That’s why it pairs well with just about anything. I’ve topped it with blueberries and cream, drizzled chocolate ganache over it, even just added a spoonful of lemon curd on the side.

What I’ve noticed is how the cake soaks up whatever you add. If you brush it with a little syrup or layer it with fruit juice, it actually gets better. The flavors sink in instead of just sitting on top. Makes it taste like you put way more effort in than you actually did.

Simple Preparation for Everyone

The recipe is straightforward—eggs, sugar, flour, butter. Nothing you’d need to make a special trip to the store for. You whip the eggs and sugar until they look pale and fluffy, fold in the flour gently, then bake. That’s really it.

First time I tried making this, I kept second-guessing myself because it seemed too easy. Kept thinking I must be missing a step. Nope. It’s just that simple. If you’re feeling adventurous, throw in some delicious pancake mix add-ins to change things up.

Fair warning though—if you’re baking at high altitude, the cake won’t turn out the same. Found that out when I visited family in Colorado and my cake barely rose. Apparently altitude messes with how cakes bake. This high-elevation food preparation guide explains what tweaks you need to make for sponge cakes up there.

Healthier Dessert Option

A Crowd-Pleaser at Any Gathering

There’s something about bringing out a cake that just gets people talking. Sponge cake especially—everyone seems to like it because it’s light and not too heavy. The flavor is mild enough that you can top it with whatever you want, so picky eaters aren’t left out. Birthday party, afternoon tea, random Sunday hangout—it works for all of it.

Honestly, if you’re looking for a dessert that’s easy to make but still feels special, this is it. Light, adaptable, and the kind of thing people will ask you to make again. It’s probably going to end up as one of your regular go-to recipes once you’ve made it a few times.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Sponge cake recipe

Here’s what you’ll need. Measure carefully and you’re halfway there:

1 cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
4 large Eggs (let them sit out first—room temp eggs whip up better)
1/4 cup (60ml) Whole Milk
1/4 cup (60ml) Vegetable Oil (this is what keeps it from drying out)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Baking Powder (without this, your cake won’t rise)
1/4 teaspoon Salt (sounds weird in dessert but trust me, it helps)

Can’t use some of these? No problem:

Need gluten-free? Grab a gluten-free flour blend instead of regular flour.
Avoiding dairy? Almond milk or coconut milk work fine in place of whole milk.

Get these lined up before you start and you’ll avoid scrambling halfway through.

Common Substitutions for This Sponge cake recipe Recipe

Want to swap ingredients? The original works best, but I’ve tried these alternatives:

• All-purpose flour instead of cake flour: Your cake gets denser. Not bad, just heavier.
• Egg whites only instead of whole eggs: Lighter texture for sure, but you lose some of that richness. 
• Sour cream instead of milk: This actually makes it more moist and adds a little tang. Cake stays tender.  
• Brown sugar instead of granulated sugar: Better flavor, more moisture. Just know it’ll come out darker. 
• Butter instead of oil: Way richer taste. The texture firms up too. Honestly one of my favorite swaps.
• Almond extract instead of vanilla extract: Totally different vibe. Nutty flavor that some people really love.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Sponge cake recipe

Let’s make this sponge cake. Stick with these steps and you’ll be good:

Preparing the Sponge cake recipe Base

1. 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Skipping this means uneven baking.
   2. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Saves you from the cake sticking later.
   3. Grab a large mixing bowl and separate 4 eggs—whites in one bowl, yolks in another. This matters for getting the right texture.
   4. Whisk the egg yolks with 1 cup of granulated sugar until it’s light and creamy. Should look pale and drip off the whisk in ribbons.
   5. In the other bowl, beat the egg whites until you get soft peaks. This is what makes the cake airy.

Pro Tip: Make absolutely sure that bowl for the egg whites is clean and grease-free. Any oil ruins the whipping.

1. 1. Now fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture. Use a spatula and go in a figure-eight motion. Don’t stir—folding keeps all that air you just worked for.

Mixing the Ingredients

1. 1. Sift in your flour (1 cup all-purpose) and baking powder (1 teaspoon). I used to skip this step and wonder why my cakes had weird lumps. Don’t be like me—just sift it.
   2. Fold it in carefully. The second you don’t see dry flour anymore, stop mixing. I made the mistake of overmixing once and ended up with something that had the texture of a kitchen sponge, not a sponge cake. Not fun.
   3. Pour it into your pan and spread it out so it’s level. Otherwise one side bakes faster than the other and you get this lopsided situation that’s annoying to frost.

Cooking the delicious sponge dessert guide

1. 1. Bake it for 25-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. I usually check around the 25-minute mark because my oven runs hot.

   2. Take it out and let it sit in the pan for about 10 minutes. This gives the edges time to set so the cake doesn’t fall apart when you flip it.

   3. Then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool all the way. If you leave it in the pan, the bottom gets soggy from trapped steam. Learned that one the hard way.

Common Mistake: Don’t open the oven door to peek in the first 20 minutes. I did this once out of curiosity and watched my cake deflate right in front of me. Just trust the process and leave it alone.

Tips for Success & Fun Variations

I’ve messed up this cake enough times to know what actually matters.

Getting the Texture Right

• • Room temperature eggs. I forget this constantly, but it really does make a difference. Cold eggs don’t fluff up the same way when you beat them. Now I just leave them on the counter when I’m having my morning coffee.

  • The folding part used to confuse me. I’d mix everything like I was making scrambled eggs and wonder why my cake turned out dense. You’re supposed to fold gently—like you’re trying not to wake someone up. Stop as soon as you don’t see white streaks of flour.

  • My oven takes forever to heat up, so I turn it on first thing. If you put the batter in before it’s actually hot, the cake won’t rise right. You’ll get this weird dense pocket in the middle that nobody wants to eat.

  • When you pour the batter in the pan, don’t push it down or pat it smooth. Just let it settle on its own. I ruined two cakes before I figured out I was squashing out all the air.

Ingredient Tips

• • Sift the flour before you measure. I skipped this for years because it felt like extra cleanup, but it actually prevents those annoying flour pockets.

  • Cake flour works way better than all-purpose. It costs more, but you can taste the difference—softer, lighter, melts faster. My mom uses all-purpose and her cakes are fine, but mine come out noticeably fluffier with cake flour.

  • Buy decent vanilla extract. The $2 bottle that smells like chemicals will make your whole light and fluffy cake recipe taste artificial.

  • Throw in a pinch of salt. My grandmother taught me this—even in desserts, a little salt makes everything taste better.

     

Flavor Boosters

• • I started adding lemon zest after my sister did it at her place, and wow—it completely changes the cake. Just a little bit of lemon or orange zest makes it taste fresh instead of plain sweet.

  • Almond extract is another one I mess around with sometimes. Just a few drops. Too much and it tastes like you’re eating hand lotion, but the right amount is really good.

  • Swap out some of the white sugar for brown sugar if you want it to taste richer. I did half and half once and it had this almost caramel-y thing going on.

  • My neighbor swears by adding a spoonful of sour cream to the batter. Says it keeps the cake from drying out. I tried it with Greek yogurt and she’s right—it stays moist way longer.

Creative Variations

• The easiest way to make this look fancy is just cutting it in half and filling it with fruit and whipped cream. Strawberries work. So do raspberries. People think you spent way more time than you did.

• I saw someone make a tiramisu version once—soaking the sponge layers in coffee and using mascarpone cream. Haven’t tried it myself yet but it looked incredible.

• You don’t have to use a regular cake pan. I’ve baked this in a bundt pan, in cupcake tins, even in those small loaf pans. Changes the whole vibe.

• Switch up the frosting depending on your mood. Sometimes I do whipped cream. Sometimes just a fruit glaze. If you’re feeling ambitious around the holidays, check out this impressive dessert to wow your holiday guests—they use melted white chocolate in a sponge cake roulade that looks way harder than it actually is.

   

How to Store Sponge Cake

I’ve had cakes go stale on me before I figured out the right way to keep them fresh. Here’s what actually works.

Room Temperature Storage

If you’re eating the cake within a couple days, just leave it on the counter. Put it in an airtight container or wrap it tight with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. It’ll stay good for about 3 days like this.

I usually bake mine on Saturday and we finish it by Monday, so room temperature works fine for us.

Refrigerating the Cake

Need it to last longer? Stick it in the fridge. Same deal—airtight container or wrapped really well in plastic. It’ll keep for 5 to 7 days, maybe a week if you’re lucky.

One mistake I made early on was putting it next to leftover curry in the fridge. The cake tasted like cumin the next day. Keep it away from anything with a strong smell because it soaks up odors like crazy.

Freezing Leftover Cake

Want to save it for a month or longer? Freeze it. I wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then throw them all in a freezer bag. Easier to grab one piece at a time instead of defrosting the whole thing.

Write the date on the bag. Trust me, you’ll forget when you froze it otherwise. It stays good for about a month, maybe a bit longer, but the texture starts getting weird after that.

Signs of Spoilage

Pretty obvious when the cake’s gone bad. If it smells off, has mold, or feels weirdly slimy, toss it. Sometimes it just gets really dry and crumbly—technically still edible but not worth eating at that point.

I threw out half a classic sponge cake once because I left it uncovered on the counter for three days. Learned my lesson.

Reheating Tips

If it’s been in the fridge, just leave it out for 30 minutes before you eat it. Takes the chill off and makes it taste fresh again.

Frozen slices need to thaw overnight in the fridge. I’ve tried microwaving them straight from frozen and they get weird and rubbery.

If you want it warm, microwave a slice for 10-15 seconds max. Any longer and you’re basically making sponge cake jerky. It should be soft and a little warm, not hot.

Nutritional Information (Estimate)

Here’s roughly what you’re getting per slice if you cut the cake into 12 pieces. These numbers aren’t exact—depends on what brands you use and how big you cut your slices:

• Calories: 150
• Total Fat: 5g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Carbohydrates: 23g
• Sugar: 10g
• Protein: 3g
• Sodium: 100mg

Compared to most cakes, this one’s pretty light. The calories are lower than something like chocolate cake or pound cake, which is why I don’t feel guilty eating two slices sometimes.

Most of the carbs come from sugar, which is where the sweetness is. The protein’s not much—it’s cake, not a protein shake—but the eggs do add a little bit. Same with the fat content. Not a ton, but enough to make it taste good.

Disclaimer: I pulled these numbers from an online calculator, so they’re ballpark estimates. If you need exact nutritional info for dietary reasons, talk to a dietitian who can calculate it based on your specific ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How to make sponge cake from cake mix!?

A: Box mix is totally fine. I use it when I’m in a rush. Just do what the box says—usually eggs, water, oil, mix it up, bake it. Stick a toothpick in the middle to check if it’s done. Wait for it to cool before you cut it or it’ll fall apart. Takes like 30 minutes total. Not as good as from scratch, but close enough when you don’t have time.

Q: How do you store sponge cake? : r/baking?

A: Let it cool down completely first—I made the mistake of wrapping a warm cake once and it got all soggy. Then wrap it tight in plastic or stick it in a container with a lid. Keeps the moisture in. If you’re not eating it in the next few days, fridge or freezer works, just wrap it extra well. I’ve pulled out freezer-burned cake before and it’s depressing.

Q: What is the best way to store a sponge cake?

A: Counter in an airtight container for a couple days is my go-to. After that it starts getting stale, so I either finish it or wrap it up and freeze it. When you’re ready to eat frozen cake, let it sit out and thaw completely. I tried eating it half-frozen once because I was impatient and it was like biting into cold foam. Not great.