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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
Hi Natasha,
I am baking this cake for my son’s birthday this weekend. I have a question-if I can bake it ahead and freeze it.
Can I defrost the cake and then frost?
What do you suggest about how this cake will take the freezing option?
Please let me know.
Thanks,
Kiran
Hi Kiran, yes, you can let the cake layers cool to room temp, then place a sheet of parchment between layers and wrap loosely in plastic wrap or a plastic bag and place it in the freezer. Thaw the cake at room temp or in the refrigerator before frosting it and assembling your cake 🙂 It works really well in the freezer 🙂
Hello, is this cake like an angel food cake?
It’s a sponge cake but not quite as airy or light as angel food. Angel food gets soggy when liquid is introduced while this one absorbs the liquid but keeps it’s form and texture very well.
Hello, I love the biskvit recipe, my caked turned out awesome, everyone in my family wants me to make it again. I made the raspberry cake. My only question is, when it comes out the oven it smells like eggs, is there anyway to get rid of that smell , maybe adding something to the batter prior to baking ( once the cake is soaked with the syrups the smell goes away but I still smell it because I think I baked it). Any info would be helpful ! Thanks
P.S I think you are amazing and giving, thank you for sharing all your useful recipes.
Hi Gina, I’ve made this cake so many times that I have noticed it smells eggy only when I have a window open. I don’t know why it happens but it is similar to meringue where an outdoor draft can make that smell eggy as well. Was that the case with your cake? Do you remember if the windows were open when you had it out of the oven?
Natasha,
Yes, I did have the Windows open. That’s funny but I will try closing the Windows next time I’m baking , lol.
Thanks for the quick reply😊
It is such a strange phenomenon but it really happens with egg based cakes and meringues! 🙂
Hello,
Love, love, love your recipes! Your blog is really cool. Just finished baking my first biskvit! I used a 10″ pan and it baked in about 17mins!?! I wished I used a smaller pan cause it seems to be a bit too thin to cut into two equally.
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Amaka, I would suggest increasing the recipe for a 10″ pan – you could use 8 eggs, 1 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/3 cup flour with a rounded 1/2 tsp baking powder. You’ll want to beat the mixture a couple minutes longer. I hope that helps for next time!
Wow, thanks for that tip!
I like this recipe It always turns out great. Thanks Natasha
I’m so glad you like it :). You’re welcome! 🙂
Natasha, Can a can of crushed pineapple be added to the batter mixture?
Hi Linda, it wouldn’t work to add it to the batter but it would work to spread it over the finished cake. The cake would absorb the juice from the pineapple without getting soggy and I think that flavor combination would be great!
I am making this for a birthday cake so I will let u know how it comes out
I hope you love it! 😉
Also would I drain liquid from can. This is to go in your sponge cake.
Hi Linda, if you are putting the pineapple on top of the cake layers (after baking), you don’t need to drain. The pineapple juice will act as a syrup that the cake will absorb.
What would you eat the sponge cake with? You halved it but didnt put and cream or frosting on it. Do you recommend any frosting or creams for the sponge cake?
Hi Tina, all of the 11 cakes that I linked in this post use this cake as the base so you could try any of them. This cake is really versatile ands works with pretty much any frosting. I hope you enjoy it!
Yummy recipe !
Thank you Hafsa!
Wow another gr8 video way 2 go Natasha u go gurl love the tutorials (will definitely be watching it again for practice) and wow so very easy definitely gotta try ur delish and very scrumptious cake recipes thanx so much for taking the time out like always darlin and btw happy mother’s day to you your mom and sisters peace love rock n roll
Thank you Tzivia! I’m so glad you liked it and I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s day also!
Yo sure did sooo very helpful and really very fun thanx I made a special brunch for my mom
would any of these cake be ok to bring to a picnic birthday party at the end of May? or any other cakes on your website that can withstand warm weather?
thanks
Hi Susanna, it really depends on how hot and humid it is out and how long the cake will sit out. I would avoid any cakes made with straight whipped cream frosting, but frostings that have a stabilizing ingredient like this poppyseed cake with whipped cream and cream cheese frosting would probably hold up ok.
Hi Наташа , first of all I absolutely love your website ! You are a fantastic cook 🙂 and just as beautiful !
I have one question for you , Is there anyway I can use organic sugar instead of the granulated sugar ? Will it change the consistency or will my cake come out flat ?
Thanks happy Mother’s Day to you 🍓
Hi Alla, my experience with organic sugar is that it seems a little grainier than regular granulated sugar and it did have a negative affect on my meringue. I haven’t tested it with this sponge cake but if you do test it out, I would suggest pulsing your sugar a few times in a good food processor or strong blender to get it to the consistency of granulated sugar before baking with it. Thank you for your nice comment and happy Mother’s Day to you also! 🙂
Love your cakes 🙂 happy Mother’s Day!
It’s my first Mothers Day as a Mother so I’m excited:)
Question about the sponge cake: even when I mix in the flour I try not to over mix, but mix enough to actually incorporate the flour well. However every time after the cake comes out of the oven there is little balls of raw flour in the cooked cakes. How to fix this problem? I noticed on your cake that you had a few white spots of flour too…
Hi Sveta, the white balls of flour should not be in the cake. I had that happen before and the way I fixed it was to sift the flour into the batter in thirds, folding between each addition. Sifting is important so it doesn’t clump up. Also, the pockets of flour that cause the balls of flour tend to get trapped at the bottom so that is why I scrape from the bottom of the bowl, upwards. I hope that helps for next time! 🙂 And congratulations on your first Mother’s Day! What a sweet day for you. God bless you as a new Mom! 🙂
I’ve tried your cake sheet but the top dried out and hardened. Also when I tried to get them out of the pan it broke in half 🙁 it tasted so fluffy but why did this happen??
Hi Min, you replied to Sveta’s comment but I’m assuming you’re asking me. I’ve never had that happen before but I’m happy to help troubleshoot. Did you bake it in a different sized pan? Was it in a regular oven at 350˚F baking in the center of the oven?
Hello Natasha! Thanks for your reply! Oops haha i didn’t notice that. Well, I baked in two 23 cm pans, one on top of the other for 25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Also I noticed some balls of hardened flour here and there and the base was quite chewy… I never have luck with cakes but I really like the moisture of your recipe so I want to perfect this one! Do you think you can help?
Hi Min, with the balls of flour, it helps to sift the flour into the batter in thirds because you can fold it in with less changes of the balls of flour forming. Also, it won’t hurt to give the batter 5 more folds or so once you think you’re done folding just to ensure that you are getting all of the streaks or balls of flour incorporated. Also, when you fold, scrape with the spatula from the bottom of the bowl to lift any hidden pockets of flour. I hope that helps! 🙂 The base should not be chewy. I wonder if you needed to beat the eggs and sugar a little longer to get the necessary volume for the cake to rise. Did you beat the eggs and sugar with a high powered stand mixer with whisk attachment for the recommended time?
Happy Mothers Day Awesome Lady!!! We all love your kitchen. You are the best from best. The video helpful for new baker like me. I like your new hair stile- YOU ARE BEUTIFULL!!!!!!!!! Be bless!!
Nina you’re so nice and thank you so much for the sweet compliments! Happy Mother’s Day to you also! 🙂
This recipe looks really intriguing. My family enjoys anything lemon, so I wonder what would be the best way to flavor this cake?
Hi Evelyn, to flavor the cake with lemon, I would make a syrup and soak the cake layers after they are made. For example, in my blackberry lemon cake (see recipe linked above), I made a nice lemon syrup. Lemon syrup is actually my favorite for this cake. 🙂
Amazing! Thank you 🙂
Thanks Ido 🙂
Natasha- I use this biskvit almost every time I bake (but with gluten free flour- it works amazingly). Please try this recipe – it is phenomenal!!! I made this for a recent lunch and those who usually don’t like any dessert had generous pieces, and then went for seconds!
Cream:
1 pack cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 regular container of sour cream
3-4 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
1-2 tablespoons lime zest
1. With a mixer, beat sugar with cream c cheese. Beat in sour cream.
2. Add lime zest and juice, beat.
3. Taste- add more or less sugar to taste.
Syrup for biskvit: (mix well)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 T sugar
1 cup hot water
I had 2 biskvits that I cut in half. Lay one half down on a serving plate, distribute 1/4 syrup evenly on biskvit half. Cover with 1/2″ cream. Repeat till you’re done, and cover entire cake with cream. Toast coconut shreds and cover cake.
I’m not a cake person but this is a bite of heaven. Super moist, airy, light, and the sour cream really adds to the lightness and tartness of the cake.
Wow that sounds amazing!! Thank you thank you for sharing that with us! I just printed your comment and can’t wait to try your cake! Do you have a special name for it? I love the idea of using lime with coconut. Yum!! Also, what brand of gluten free flour do you use? It’s so awesome to know that it works as a gluten free cake!
I named it key lime cake (because why not 🙂 ). I use Bob’s red mill flour (All Purpose Baking) and it works very well. I do a lot more than 3 sifts- probably like 10 (to avoid clumps) but it turns out better and better with each time I make the biskvit. It would be awesome if you eventually bposted this gluten free version- I think a lot of people will REALLY appreciate it 🙂 btw once again made this cake for last night and the only thing that was left for me to try was decorative lime slices lol. Enjoy!
Wow thank you so much for sharing those details!! If you ever post a picture of it on social media, I would love to see how you decorated it with the limes. Sounds lovely!
Girl. You da best. Love your down to earth personality. You describe everything so well you inspired me to start cooking. Also, loving the cute hair.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂 And thank you for the compliment 🙂
Love this video! I had no idea it was possible to make a cake from FOUR ingredients. Brilliant. And I love that you can use these sponge cakes for so many different desserts!
Thank you Kate! Yes, I’m completely smitten with this cake base and how versatile it is. I hope you give some of these cakes a try 😃. They won’t disappoint.
The way that you decorate everything, words can’t describe- stunning!!
Awww Lana thank you so much for the compliment 🙂
Love the video, Natasha! You have a great personality for the camera 🙂 I’m not the best baker, so I especially appreciate videos like these! Have a great weekend!
That’s awesome!! I’m so happy you find it useful. Thank you for that major compliment. It really means alot to me 🙂