Today, I’m sharing EVERYTHING about how to make the incredibly fluffy sponge cake. Use this light, silky, soft sponge cake for various desserts, such as roll cakes, cupcakes, whole cakes, etc.
📌 Table of Contents
📌 The common issues
Even though the steps and ingredients are VERY simple, one mistake can dramatically affect the texture. You might get problems such as:
- It did not rise well.
- The texture was rough.
- The batter was so loose.
- The cake was dried.
... and so on. I encountered all the issues before. After baking sponge cakes hundreds of times, I finally figured out how to avoid them. And I'm excited to share all the troubleshooting in this post so you can make it successful at home!
📌 What you'll learn in this post:
In this post, you'll learn essential baking tips such as:
- Crucial tips to make fluffy sponge cake
- How to make the texture so fine and silky
- 4 Tips for folding the batter professionally
- How to make the cake syrup
- The difference between genoise sponge and biscuit sponge cake
... and more!
Let's get started.
📌 What's In Fluffy Sponge Cake?
6 Simple Ingredients
- Whole eggs: The sponge rises with a power of whipped eggs today. The key ingredient for the fluffy texture!
- Granulated sugar: Sugar helps to create a fine and moist texture.
- Cake flour: For this cake, use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to make the texture very fluffy. I tried it with all-purpose flour (With less amount or even with homemade all-purpose flour by mixing all-purpose flour and cornstarch), but the texture and height of the cake changed a lot.
- Milk: It helps to make a moister sponge cake. It also adds a nice flavor!
- Oil: I like to use olive oil as a healthier option, but any regular oils work.
- Vanilla extract (Optional): Use vanilla beans or other extracts. Be careful not to add it too much; The texture gets less fluffy and silky when you add it too much.
📌 How To Make Fluffy Sponge Cake
Preparations
- Preheat the oven to 355 F | 180 C
- Prepare hot, simmering water to warm eggs.
- Set up cake liners inside a pan. (Or you can coat a thin layer of butter, dust flour on top, and toss to remove excess.)
- Sift cake flour.
- (Combine milk, oil, and vanilla ahead.)
If you have not made this sponge many times yet, I recommend finishing up the preparations ahead. It'll allow you to focus on the tips in each step without feeling completely overwhelmed.
6 Steps To Make Fluffy Sponge Cake
- Warm whole eggs and sugar with a water bath, constantly mixing until it feels warm, like bath water.
- Whip whole eggs and sugar.
- Start whipping at high speed to make it fluffy. (Drop the batter with a whisk. It should flow slowly, and the lines should stay on the surface.)
- Finish at low speed to make air bubbles smaller until it looks very shiny.
- Add the sifted cake flour and fold until you don’t see any flour.
- Add milk and oil and fold until everything is mixed evenly and the batter flows smoothly when dropping it with a spatula.
- Pour into a pan and Bake at 355 F | 180 C.
- for 25 - 30 minutes for 2 6" pans
- for 30 - 35 minutes for 1 8” pan
- Adjust the time and temperature depending on the oven.
- After it's out of the oven, flip it and let it cool completely before slicing it.
Essential Tips For Each Step
Now, let me share detailed tips on each step, which are crucial for making a fluffy sponge cake successful.
Step 1: Warm whole eggs and sugar with a water bath, constantly mixing until it feels warm.
Tips💡:
- Once you add sugar to the eggs, mix immediately with a whisk so that the egg yolks do not absorb it and create lumps.
- Warming the eggs makes them whipped enough in a much shorter time.
- To ensure that we are not cooking eggs with simmering water, there are some things we can do:
- Once the water starts boiling, I turn off the heat or lower it before use.
- Ensure that the bowl of eggs is NOT soaked in the hot water.
- Heat it until it reaches 100 - 113 F | 37.5 - 45 C. I usually do not check the temperature with a thermometer, but instead (You can if you like!), insert a finger and check: it should be comfortably warm like a baby bath.
- Mix constantly as you heat.
- When you check the temperature, try doing it quickly or remove it from heat for seconds.
Step 2: Whip whole eggs and sugar.
Tips💡:
- Start whipping right away while the eggs are still warm.
- You can use a stand mixer or hand mixer, whichever you prefer. With a stand mixer, you can do other prep work while whipping. And it also takes a lot less time to finish.
How much should I whip the eggs?
How much you whip it is EXTREMELY important. The most crucial part. A lot of people fail here by not whipping it enough.
When you don't whip enough, it does not contain enough air bubbles inside, leading to a shorter, less fluffy cake.
How to check if the egg is whipped enough
- Stop your mixer, scoop the batter with a whisk, and drop - It should flow slowly like a ribbon.
- Check if the dropped lines stay on the surface.
Whip it at low speed at the end.
After whipping eggs at high speed, it is not quite done yet! - The size of the bubbles is big at this point. And that leads to a rough sponge texture.
To finish off, whip more at low speed until it looks shiner and smoother. - for about 5 minutes with one batch of this recipe. It creates a more silky, fine texture!
Because those small bubbles do not get eliminated as easily as big ones, the sponge rises more and gets fluffier.
Before whipping at low speed:
After whipping at low speed:
Step 3: Add cake flour and fold until you don’t see any flour.
Tips💡:
- After you add cake flour, start folding other ingredients as quickly as possible and put them in the oven while the condition of bubbles is the best. (I like to sift flour ahead to start folding right away.)
- You can avoid killing too many air bubbles by folding instead of vigorously mixing.
- 4 tips for folding sponge batter: (Check out the video tutorial to see it visually!)
- Move your spatula like you draw a "J."
- As you move your spatula, move your bowl about 45 - 90 degrees so that you can mix evenly.
- Fold fast. That helps to break down chunks of flour. The air bubbles stay more stable by finishing up faster, resulting in a taller, fluffier sponge.
- Clean your spatula and bowl on the way to ensure you do not miss any uneven parts. Ensure that no flour is left on the bottom or sides.
Step 4: Add Liquids and fold until the batter flows smoothly when dropping it with a spatula.
Tips💡:
- When you add the liquids while you still see flour, they touch each other directly, and it sometimes creates lumps that are more difficult to break down later. It's not a deal-breaker, but it is something to be mindful of!
- At the end, check the bottom of a bowl one last time to ensure everything is incorporated evenly.
How much should we fold the batter?
How much you fold is very important. This is the 2nd part many people fail by either folding too much or folding less:
- When you fold less, your sponge gets more volume and rises a lot, but the texture is rougher and not silky enough.
- When you fold too much, too many air bubbles get killed, leading to a shorter, less fluffy sponge.
How to check if the batter is folded enough
Scoop a lot of the batter and drop:
❌ When it drops and does not flow much, it is not done yet.
⭕️ When it flows smoothly like a ribbon, it is done!
Check out the video tutorial to see the movement visually.
It drops and doesn't flow. Not done yet!:
It flows like a ribbon. Done!:
Should I use butter or oil?
And as fat, some people use butter instead of oil. So what difference do they make?
Oil is a liquid base, so the sponge tends to rise more and create a lighter texture even after it's cooled down, just like chiffon cakes. Also, you do not need to let it melt beforehand like butter.
When adding butter, you'll need to melt it beforehand until it feels very warm. If it's not warm enough, it'll start getting hardened as you fold it into the batter.
The benefit of butter is adding a nice flavor to your sponge.
Pick whichever you like, depending on what flavor and texture you like!
Step 5: Pour into a pan and bake at 355 F | 180 C
Tips💡:
- The most important thing at this point is to pour it into a pan as FAST as possible and bake it right away while the condition of the batter is still great.
- Even though you whip the batter at low speed to make air bubbles small, some big air bubbles get created during the folding process. Try these to resolve it:
- Toss the pan at least a few times to give it a shock.
- Swirl it with a toothpick.
How do I know if it's baked enough?
There are 2 ways you can use to check if it's baked enough:
- Touch the surface and see if it bounces back gently.
- Insert a toothpick and see if it comes off clean.
Bake until the center is cooked through. The sponge slightly shrinks in the oven when that happens.
Keep in mind that the sponge still gets cooked up with the remaining heat. I take it out from the oven when about 98% is cooked.
Step 6: After it's out of the oven, flip it and let it cool completely.
Tips💡:
- As soon as it's removed from the oven, I like to give it "a shock" by dropping it a few times on a table (1 - 2 inches away). The purpose is to release steam to prevent the sponge from deflating too much. *Do NOT drop from too high since the sponge can get torn off.
- The sponge is very fragile when it is hot. Do not cut the sponge while it is still warm since it'll be harder to cut clean.
I use this sponge for many kinds of cakes, and it always turns out amazing. I especially LOVE a strawberry shortcake with this sponge! The perfectly fluffy sponge and light whipped cream is a heavenly combination.
📌 Simple Syrup for Fluffy Sponge Cake
Like any other genoise sponge cake, which does not contain lots of oil or liquid, this sponge cake can feel drier after some time in the fridge, especially after a few days. To resolve the issue, I recommend applying cake syrup to moisten it.
I often apply cake syrup when making a whole cake with the sponge cake. It feels more moist and creates more delicate softness.
How to make simple cake syrup
Melt the sugar with hot water. You can also heat them in the microwave or a pot. The most commonly used ratio is 1 (water) to 1 (sugar).
If you prefer less sweet sponge cake, try a 2 (water) to 1 (sugar) ratio.
How much should I apply for a whole cake?
For a 6" cake, I usually apply about 1.5 oz | 45 g (3 Tbsp) of cake syrup. There is no need to add lots of it. Applying too much of it can result in a soggy sponge cake.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
To store it, wrap it tightly, put it in a ziploc bag, or wrap it one more time. And use it up within a few days, ideally. You can also freeze for up to a few months. Or eat it right away for the very best taste!
The sponge's texture will not be the same with all-purpose flour. It creates more gluten, making the sponge heavier and less fluffy. I highly recommend using cake flour if you can get it!
That can happen in these processes:
* Eggs were not whipped enough. The batter didn't contain enough air bubbles because of that.
* The batter was over-mixed after adding flour, milk, and oil.
* Many air bubbles disappeared because the batter was not baked right away. After you practice for some time, you naturally start moving faster!
Here are the possible causes:
* You did not whip at a low speed for long enough at the end of the whipping process. The air bubbles remained big because of that.
* You did not fold the batter enough. By under-mixing the batter, it contains more air bubbles and rises more in the oven, BUT you'll feel it is less silky and slightly rougher.
When it deflated more than slightly, the sponge might not be baked enough: It shrinks because the body (such as glutens, eggs, etc.) is not set enough yet.
What Is Genoise Cake?
Genoise sponge cake is made by whipping up whole eggs and sugar together. That is the unique method for this sponge to create a fluffy texture.
The primary 4 ingredients are eggs, sugar, flour, and butter.
In addition to it, "Biscuit sponge cake" is also a very popular sponge widely used in the world. Genoise sponge and biscuit sponge are the BIG 2 in the sponge world.
What's different is how you whip eggs. The sponge with biscuit method is made by whipping up egg whites and yolks separately. All the other processes are the same as the genoise sponge cake.
Here is the illustration I created to explain the 2 methods:
📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
Watch this video to learn how to make the sponge cake visually and have a deeper understanding of all.
Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it😉
📌 Other Sponge Cake Recipes
Check out other types of sponge cake from the list!
📌 Printable Recipe
💬 If you loved this recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family at home.
Fluffy Sponge Cake
Equipment
- Cake mold
- Parchment paper
- Sieve
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 eggs Whole eggs Large eggs
- 4.9 oz Granulated sugar
- 4.6 oz Cake flour
- 0.7 oz Milk or 4 tsp
- 1.4 oz Oil Any regular oils
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract (Optional)
Instructions
Preparation:
- 1. Preheat the oven: to 355 F | 180 C2. Prepare hot simmering water to warm eggs.3. Set up cake liners inside a pan. (Or you can coat a thin layer of butter, dust flour on top, and toss to remove excess.)4. Sift cake flour. 5. (Combine milk, oil, and vanilla ahead.)
Sponge Cake
- Warm whole eggs and sugar with a water bath, constantly mixing until it feels comfortably warm like a bath.4 eggs Whole eggs, 4.9 oz Granulated sugar
- Whip whole eggs and sugar. Start whipping at high speed to make it fluffy. (Drop the batter with a whisk and check: It should flow slowly and the lines should stay on the surface.) Finish at low speed to make air bubbles smaller until it looks very shiny.
- Add cake flour and fold until you don’t see any flour.4.6 oz Cake flour
- Add milk and oil and fold until everything is mixed evenly. The batter should flow smoothly when you drop it with a spatula.0.7 oz Milk, 1.4 oz Oil, ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Pour into a pan right away and bake at 355 F | 180 C until the center bounces back very gently.for about 25-30 mins for 2 6’ pans for about 30-35 mins for 1 8” pan* Adjuest the time & temperature depending on the oven, the thickness of the batter, etc.
- After it's out of the oven, flip it and let it cool completely before slicing it.
Video
Notes
How to store it:
Wrap it tightly, put that in a zip log, or wrap it one more time. And use it up within a few days ideally. You can also freeze for up to a few months. Or eat it right away for the very best taste! One batch of this recipe makes 1 8" or 2 6" cakes.Nutrition
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Bern says
I absolutely love this recipe it works well all the time for me. Would this vanilla cake be sturdy enough to be stacked on a 3 tier wedding cake?
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much, Bern!! You'll need cake dowels on each layer to support the weight since the cake is very fluffy. But it's possible! I actually used it for my own 3 tier wedding cake. I recommend using buttercream frosting if you want better support!
Ellen says
Hi Aya- I had the same question. I had been looking for the best "white" cake recipe for a wedding cake. Did you apply simple syrup to your wedding cake? Also, did you use buttercream between the layers or other fillings. If fillings, what did you use? Any other suggestions for a wedding cake? Maybe you could do a blog post just on wedding cakes.
p.s. I'm ecstatic to have found your YouTube channel and blog!
ayacaliva says
I applied cake syrup to the sponge cake for my wedding cake and used whipped cream. I released my butter cake recipe a while ago but I am hoping to add some updates and repost it on YouTube early next year. Hope you'll check it out then! (Of course, I'll share it on this blog as well)
Thank you! I'm glad you found it😊
Natasha says
You need to take part in a contest for one of the greatest blogs on the internet.
I will highly recommend this site!
Ally says
What is the height of the 8” pan uses for a single recipe? My pans are 8” x 2”. If I wanted two layers, would I need to make 1.5 or 2 batches of the recipe? Also, is it OK to use nonstick dark pans? Thank you.
ayacaliva says
Hi Ally! The height of the 2 6" pans I used in the post is just slightly higher than 2" One batch of the recipe (with 4 eggs) is enough for 2 6" or 1 8". But! If you want to make your 8" cake higher, I recommend doing 1.5 batches. 2 batches might be too high but you could bake that amount with 2 8" pans.
Nonstick pans are not the best option to hold a height of the sponge but it does work fine. I always use parchment paper as a cake liner, so that doesn't matter for that reason😊 Especially when you make 1.5 batches with 1 8" pan, I recommend setting a cake liner in a pan and make the height a bit higher than the pan's to make sure that the batter does not float over in the oven!
Hope that helps!!
Amanda says
Hello can I use this recipe for cupcakes
ayacaliva says
Yes, you can! Bake shorter time with the same temperature, between 10-15 minutes depending on the oven! You can pour the batter up to about 9/10 of the height.
Mimi says
Perfect recipe, thank you!
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!!
Valerie Tear says
Excellent video and details - thank you. Do you have any specific tips when baked in a sheet pan instead of rounds? Best size sheet pan / bake times ?
ayacaliva says
Thank you! I usually use a half sheet and bake shorter just until the top bounces back gently. All the tips I mentioned in this post also apply. If you are interested to see how I do it, check out my past video of A big strawberry slice cake for Rei's birthday. I shared it last summer on my YouTube channel. (I'm sorry, I don't think I can attach a link in a comment section. I'll add the link in this post later!)
Valerie Tear says
Oh, Thank you for your reply !!! Again, love your posts and detailed info. I can tell you were classically trained - very talented. I'll try the 1/2 sheet size and play with timings. Thanks 🙂
ayacaliva says
Thank you!😃 I'm still new to the blogging world but I so appreciate checking this place as well!
Elizabeth Hopkins says
I made this to day was so easy to follow thanks hope it turns out OK 👍
ayacaliva says
Thank you for trying it! I hope you liked it!
Cheryl says
Thank you for this great recipe and talking through the tips, mine came out perfect! I’ll always use this!
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad!! Thank you for sharing it😊
Asraa says
Thank you very much for the amazing recipe I baked it yesterday it was gorgeous.can you please tell me if I want to bake it with double or triple ingredients what pan size I have to use
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad, thank you for letting me know! With double batches, it is enough for a 30 cm | 11.8" round pan. For a half sheet pan, you can do 1.5-2 batches depending on how thick you want. I hope that helps!
Pati says
How come it works without baking powder or baking soda? Sorry, I’m a baking novice 😅
ayacaliva says
Hi! This sponge rises mainly with the powder of whipped eggs: Egg holds LOTS of airs when it's whipped and they expand when the heat is added in the oven. So whipping eggs really well and bake the batter asap is a huge key to create the fluffy texture!
Lynn says
I discovered you on YouTube and so glad I did! My daughter's 18th birthday is coming up and my mind is overflowing with ideas for her cake. I want to use this recipe (already rated it 5 stars because I believe in your recipes and skills!), but would like to add freeze dried mango powder to flavor the sponge. Will also add a fruit filling between layers.
Two questions: 1) can you advise me on how to proceed with adding freeze dried fruit powder to batter? 2) should I still brush a sugar syrup in between layers even if I add fruit filling?
I will of course practice the recipe multiple times prior to her birthday, but she's my only child and I really want to celebrate her birthday with flavors from our Filipina heritage -mango and calamansi.
ayacaliva says
Thank you! I'm glad you found me too! That is so exciting, I'm happy you chose this recipe for such a special event.
About your question:
1) I haven't added freeze-dried powder to this recipe but I would be careful not adding it too much OR adjusting the moisture level since the powder should soak up more moistures from milk. And I would make it super powdery so that it doesn't give an unpleasant texture.
2) And yes, I recommend cake syrup. It gives even better, delicate texture. Not soaking wet though! I usually apply 30 g (1 oz) - 40 g for a 6-inch whole cake. You can do 1:1 or 1:2 (sugar:water) ratio, depending on what you like.
In the past, I mixed pureed mango and a bit of sugar to alternate it with cake syrup and the cake was pretty good. (I added a lot more amount since it is not as wet as cake syrup. I can't remember completely but I think it was about the double amount of the cake syrup.)
If you like vivid mango flavor, applying the mango syrup or spreading mango jam might be a way to go! With fresh mango, of course 🙂
I hope it helps! Enjoy, I bet it'll turn out A-mazing😊
Markus Wasono says
I want to make cupcakes for my grand niece. Would your sponge cake recipe be suitable? Thanks
ayacaliva says
I would recommend it if you are consuming it within that day since it can dry quicker than richer cakes with more fat in it. And the baking time gets a lot shorter in a cupcake pan, usually about 15-20 mins but you may want to check how it looks easier! Check my matcha sponge cake recipe (toward the end of the post) to see how much you should pour on each and they would look as cupcakes!
Taaliyah says
Hi , I made this cake tonight & it turned out absolutely amazing! I was wondering if a bit of gel food coloring can be added & if it would affect the texture
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad! Thank you for sharing. The difference is not noticeable with just some drops!
Bertha says
The cake turned out more like omelette with flour than cake. I followed the recipe to the dot and am disappointed. I’ve been baking for a few years now.
ayacaliva says
I'm so sorry that happened to you. I might be able to find out the causes if you could describe how it looked on each steps as detail as possible - such as the thickness of the batter, before and after adding flour, if the egg was whipped very fluffy like in the image, etc.
Shuba says
Love this recipe! thanks for sharing..How much simple syrup would you add for cupcakes? and how do you suggest adding them?
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!! When baking cupcakes with the recipe, I often don't add syrup and consume them within a half day. (since they are small and easier to get dried.). But I would say... about 45 - 60 g (3 - 4 Tbsp) of cake syrup should be good for regular 12 cupcakes!
I would apply it on top with a brush while they are still hot/warm. (Sponge soaks syrup better while they are warm when you don't slice off the caramelized surface.)
Also, check the cupcakes in the oven after about 8 mins! They get baked quicker, depending on the oven.
Hope that help!
Shuba says
thank you so much!! I'll try that!
SJ says
thank you so much!! I'll try that!
ayacaliva says
My pleasure! I hope you'll like it!
Justine Rowe says
Is it possible to cook this as a 12inch cake? Would it tend to be overdone at the edge and under in the middle?
ayacaliva says
Hi! Yes, I did that before and it worked fine. But note that:
* It takes a lot longer time to bake it. Try not to open the oven door frequently and wait until the very end since it could affect the texture of the cake. Just like the regular size, the sponge should shrinks a bit on top when the center is cooked through. (See the image in the post.) Pay loser attention toward the end.
* Or you can pour it into a 2 or 3 12-inch pans to bake them faster. You do not have to worry about slicing it later that way. I also feel the sponge gets slightly lighter compared to one layer of very heavy and thick sponge cake.
I hope that helps!!
Aya
Remi says
Hi, I absolutely love this recipe and use it alot.
I was wondering how many cupcakes it would make though?
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!! One batch (With 4 eggs) should make about 15-16 regular cupcakes. You can pour the batter almost all the way to the top (90-95% of the capacity) of cupcake liners. They bake a lot faster than the cake, I can't remember if it took about 15 mins or 8 mins... sorry, please check early!🙏🏻 It should shrink "slightly" when the center is cooked through just like with bigger cakes.
Leisa says
Hi, I'm in Australia and not sure that we have cake flour. You mentioned it has less gluten than all purpose flour, so wondering if you think a gluten free flour would work?
ayacaliva says
Hi, I've never tried it with gluten-free flour but I'm not sure if that works.. I'm sorry! I tried this recipe with all-purpose flour, all-purpose flour with cornstarch, etc. but nothing really worked the same as cake flour so far. I wonder if you can find it online? I wish you could find it somewhere! I will definitely share it here in the future if I ever find a flour that can be alternated with cake flour.