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I love this sponge cake recipe. It’s easy and you can make hundreds of different cakes with this base. This is a classic European sponge cake (aka Genoise). Once you have this recipe down (you’ll memorize it after a couple rounds), you’ll be baking things that look and taste like they are from a fancy bakery.
This cake base takes on moisture really well from fruit, frostings, liqueurs and syrups. As you can tell from my cake recipes, I’m a sucker for moist cakes. Read on to see 11 marvelous recipes you can make using this sponge cake base.
Over the years, I’ve tested countless different ways to make this cake and this is the best, most fail-proof method for genoise that I’ve tested. This is not like American cakes and readers often question if it can really be that easy and only have 4 ingredients.
I want you to discover this gem of a cake and succeed EVERY TIME you make it. I hope you find this video helpful. We had you in mind! 🙂
Watch How To Make Sponge Cake:
Tips for Success (Read First!):
1. When no streaks of flour remain in the dough, fold a few extra times to ensure you aren’t missing pockets of flour at the bottom
2. Bake the cake layers right after folding in the flour – they should not sit too long
3. Always use a conventional oven setting (not a convection/fan setting)
4. An electric hand mixer will take 2-4 minutes longer to beat the eggs
5. Tip from reader, Hilda: “How do you know u get the right consistency? Lift up your beater (whisk) from the batter. Make a figure “8” using the batter that drip off the beater. Then count to 10 seconds. If the figure 8 still remains on top of the batter, then u have the right consistency. If the figure 8 sinks into the batter before 10 secs, then u need to beat it longer.”
6. Bake in the center of the oven
7. Place cake in a fully pre-heated oven
8. Do not open the oven door to check on the cake until towards the end
9. Let the cake cool in a room without any outdoor draft which can make it seem eggy
Sponge Cake Recipes you can master at home:
Blackberry Lemon Cake – soft and moist and has a fluffy lemon blackberry buttercream frosting.
Charlotte Cake – layers of raspberry mousse, lady fingers and fluffy cake.
Poppy Seed Cake – fluffy and moist with a hint of rum and it’s not overly sweet.
Strawberry Sponge Cake – boasts 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries. You’ll love the simple and delicious whipped cream cheese frosting.
Black Forest Cake – A chocolate version of classic genoise with 1 lb of kirsch infused cherries and whipped cream. So good!!
Russian Apple Cake (Sharlotka) – Just 5 ingredients and 15 min of prep, then your oven does the rest!
Poppy Seed Cake Roll – Moist, generously filled with a cream cheese frosting, covered with velvety chocolate ganache and pummeled with salted pistachios.
Pomegranate Christmas Cake – With a crown of glistening pom seeds, this one’s a stunner for the holidays.
Story Book Cake Roll – This cake roll is moist, rolled with a vanilla butter cream, covered in decadent chocolate and the cookie crumbs give it a subtle crunch.
Kiwi Berry Cake – If you love fruit, this cake will make your dreams come true. Layer after layer of gorgeous berries.
Tiramisu – if you like tiramisu, you will love this!
I told you I loved this cake base. I’m Completely smitten 🙂
4-Ingredient Sponge Cake (Video Recipe)
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 210 grams
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, 130 grams
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9″ cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).
How to Make this Sponge Cake:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (this is the one I have), beat 6 large eggs for 1 minute on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 minutes until thick and fluffy.
- Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder then sift this mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated. Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
- Divide evenly between prepared cake pans (it helps if you have a kitchen scale to weight the pans). Bake at 350˚F for 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula (here’s the one I love for cakes) around the edges then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temperature then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Can I substitute the flour and baking powder with self rising flour?
Hi Dave, I honestly haven’t tried this cake with self rising flour so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the rise. I searched all 2000 comments and couldn’t find any reports of using self rising flour. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Can the cakes be frozen and then thawed and decorated, as needed?
Hi Toni! Yes, the cake sponges keep well at room temperature for a couple of days or refrigerate/freeze for longer storage. Just keep them wrapped well or in an airtight container.
Hello! Am I able to add vanilla or other extracts in this? If yes, how much do you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Charisse! Yes, that would be fine. The amount depends on the type of extractor using and how potent it is. You can start with 1/2 tsp and add up to 1 1/2 tsp.
is there a difference between 210 grams and i cup? Just making sure I am using the correct amounts. Appreciate the recipe – reminds me of home (Ireland)
Hi Denise! It depends on what you’re measuring. 1 cup of granulated white sugar weighs 210g so I’ve included both measurements in the recipe card for those who are using cups or those using a food scale to weigh their ingredients.
This is a tried and tested recipe! It never fails <3
I’m making this cake
I’m going to put your Homemade Whipped Cream
Its my sisters birthday
I hope it will be good
I love this sponge cake! I use King Arthur gluten free 1:1 flour and have always had great success. I learned to whisk the eggs until I can make an 8 without it sinking back into the batter to know when the eggs are properly thickened.
I’m so glad to hear it works well with that substitution, Margot!
hi i made tgis before and it was amazing. I was wondering if it will work for a rainbow cake, that is diving the batter and adding food colouring
I have not tried that to advise. I’m sure that’s fine! Let us know how it goes if you try it out!
I made them today and the cakes are thin. I did everything correctly i think? They taste good and I am using for trifle so I think they will be fine. I did beat the eggs for 10 minutes maybe I overmixed the flour? I am not sure. I did bake immediately as well. I will try again at some point.
Hi Donna! Watch my video tutorial above to see if and where your batter looked different than mine. This cake relies heavily on how the eggs are whipped for volume, but there are other factors too, such as not over mixing when incorporating the flour. Also, make sure your oven is fully preheated before you start baking. It needs the correct temperature in order to rise properly.
Do you think I could make a lemon jelly roll using this sponge cake recipe (adding some lemon zest) in a jelly roll pan and fill it with your lemon curd?
Hi Sharon! I definitely think it’s worth a shot. It sounds amazing. You can make the sponge cake into a roll like I do in my Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll recipe. Let us know how it turns out.
Should I make any adjustments for altitude? We are at about 7500 feet and most cakes need some changes.
Hi Micky, yes, you will likely need to make adjustments due to altitude, I have not personally tested this recipe in high altitude but I usually recommend this free resource for high altitude baking for guidance.
This is a great sponge recipe. So simple and easy. I added a half teaspoon of lemon extract for a little extra flavour. Like Poppy Kane, mine will be used for a raspberry trifle as well!
This was the perfect sponge cake ! I used it as a base for my Christmas raspberry trifle. It was so much more delicious and cheaper than buying one in the local bakery. It is light and absorbed the liquid quickly. Natasha I am indebted to you !
As a matter of interest I also make the baklava from this site and it was outstanding !
Thank you for your kind words! I’m happy that you loved the sponge cake!
Can this recipe be used to make a design sponge cake? (Color the batter and draw design on top)
I love the ease of your recipe.
Thank you!
I’m sure that’s fine! Let us know how it goes if you try it out!
Hi. My mother in-law makes this same recipe but adds flavouring/essence.
Can I use this in just one 9×13 cake pan and not 2 pans? Also I always have an issue with pockets of flour remaining. I try to fold them out but without fail there are always a few small ones left that bake into the cake. Can I use the electric stand mixer on slow to work them out and fold in the flour instead ?
Hi Emily! Do not use the mixer, it’s still too aggressive for this delicate batter. It would be better to use a balloon whisk and gently fold in the flour by hand. It will help break up some of the clumps. Also- make sure to fluff your flour before measuring to break up some clumps beforehand.
I have doubled this recipe for a 9×13″ cake pan. It will be thin if you’re not doubling the recipe.
I want to try this and love to share the result
thank you
Love this sponge cake recipe. Perfect light sponge!
really poor salemanship to stop the printing process if I don’t want your newsletter!! just copied and pasted. But so irriating.
Hi Penny! That email screen is something I’m testing—it’s a more privacy-friendly way to know who’s visiting, and it helps me keep sharing recipes for free without using third-party cookies 🍪. You’ll need to enter your email to get to the print page, but subscribing to emails is totally optional—the box is checked by default, but you can uncheck it if you’d rather not subscribe.
I only have a convection professional oven. Do you think it will work?
Hi Sandra! I have only tested this in a conventional oven so I don’t have recommendations for a convection/fan oven. They bake faster and typically you’d need to lower the temperature by 25 degrees.