How to make a 4-ingredient sponge cake (genoise cake) | natashaskitchen.com

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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.

This blackberry cake is soft and moist and has a fluffy lemon blackberry buttercream frosting.

Charlotte Cake – layers of raspberry mousse, lady fingers and fluffy cake.

With step-by-step photos, you can master Raspberry Charlotte Russe Cake! A Charlotte Dessert with 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.

This poppy seed cake is fluffy and moist with a hint of rum and it's not overly sweet. Follow step-by-step photos to make this poppy seed cake like a Boss!

Strawberry Sponge Cake – boasts 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries. You’ll love the simple and delicious whipped cream cheese frosting.

This is THE Strawberry Cake!! It calls for 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries & the whipped cream cheese frosting is simple & delicious. | natashaskitchen.com

Black Forest Cake – A chocolate version of classic genoise with 1 lb of kirsch infused cherries and whipped cream. So good!!

Black Forest Cake (a famous German Chocolate Cake) with 4 chocolatey layers, 1 lb of kirsch infused cherries and whipped cream. So good!! | NatashasKitchen.com

Russian Apple Cake (Sharlotka) – Just 5 ingredients and 15 min of prep then your oven does the rest!

The BEST apple sharlotka cake we’ve tried. Just 5 ingredients and 15 min of prep then your oven does the rest! @natashaskitchen

Poppy Seed Cake Roll – Moist, generously filled with a cream cheese frosting, covered with velvety chocolate ganache and pummeled with salted pistachios.

This moist poppyseed cake roll is generously filled with a cream cheese frosting, covered with velvety chocolate ganache and pummeled with salted pistachios. It’s moist, sweet, tangy, chocolaty and a teensy bit salty. We have a winner!

Pomegranate Christmas Cake – With a crown of glistening pom seeds, this one’s a stunner for the holidays.

A moist Pomegranate Cake with a crown of glistening pom seeds. Pomegranate cake is fantastic top to bottom and makes for a stunning Christmas Cake! | natashaskitchen.com

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.

You have to try this cake roll! Moist, chocolatey & stunning. Step-by-step photos! @natashaskitchen

Kiwi Berry Cake – If you love fruit, this cake will make your dreams come true. Layer after layer of gorgeous berries.

Kiwi Berry Cake Recipe - If you love fruit, this cake will make your dreams come true. Layer after layer of gorgeous fruit in this berry cake. | natashaskitchen.com

Tiramisu – if you like tiramisu, you will love this!

A simple and beautiful Tiramisu cake - if you like Tiramisu, you will LOVE this! | natashaskitchen.com

I told you I loved this cake base. I’m Completely smitten 🙂

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

4-Ingredient Sponge Cake (Video Recipe)

4.90 from 633 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Once you master this easy European sponge cake (genoise), you can make hundreds of different cakes using this base!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 2 nine inch round cakes

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.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: sponge cake
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

 

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Ally
    November 18, 2017

    Best cake ever!!!! Perfect with a cup of tea or even on its own! I have this recipe pinned to my fridge, always a hit. So soft, sweet, and light.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 18, 2017

      I’m glad you love the recipe so much Ally! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!

      Reply

  • Uusha
    November 17, 2017

    Why butter was not added or any essence?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 18, 2017

      Hi Uusha, you can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract, folding it in quickly before adding flour, but butter is not traditionally used in this classic European sponge cake. I have used it in my Black Forest chocolate cake batter but it does make the batter a little trickier to work with and can deflate easier if the butter is not the correct temperature and if is not baked immediately after adding the butter.

      Reply

  • Maddy
    November 14, 2017

    This is the kind of sponge cake I like. Could you use this recipe for cupcakes ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 15, 2017

      Hi Maddy, this cake base is not ideal for cupcakes since it will stick badly to the wrappers as there is no butter or oil in the cake.

      Reply

  • essay writing services
    November 7, 2017

    Thank you for your tips..actually i used to bake cakes.I didn’t know how to prepare sponge cake.so it helped me.its awesome.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 7, 2017

      My pleasure! I’m glad I could help! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply

  • Mandy
    November 6, 2017

    Hi, can we use cake flour?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 6, 2017

      Hi Mandy, I think 1 cup of cake flour should still work fine, but the cake will be softer and lighter using cake flour.

      Reply

  • Padmaja
    November 5, 2017

    Thanks Natasha for the sponge cake recipe, it is easy to make still yummy, finally i made a sponge cake perfectly 😄

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 6, 2017

      My pleasure! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • Liliana
    October 22, 2017

    best sponge cake ever! love ur recipes Natasha! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 22, 2017

      Awesome! I’m glad to hear that Liliana! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • ScienceSusan
    October 20, 2017

    I admit I haven’t tried the cake, but I will. My comment: you are a cake artist! Beautiful, every one.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 20, 2017

      Thank you so much! Please let me know what you think of this recipe!

      Reply

  • Sharon Hines
    October 6, 2017

    No salt in this sponge cake recipe?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 6, 2017

      Hi Sharon, that is correct. No salt 🙂

      Reply

  • Dorcas
    September 29, 2017

    Anytime I do the sponge cake it sinks into it, I Dont over beat or open the oven till its almost done

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 29, 2017

      Yes, I agree and thanks for sharing! I have found that the step that is most crucial to having the cake rise properly is beating the eggs and sugar long enough since the cake relies on the volume of eggs and sugar for leavening.

      Reply

    • Rachel
      September 29, 2017

      Same here, Dorcas. Mine sinks in the middle while baking and the cake becomes very sticky and flat. I thought I beat the eggs enough to reach the right stage that’s shown in the video but I guess I need to beat the eggs more? Can over beating cause the cake to sink in the middle?

      Reply

  • Yana
    September 25, 2017

    Hi Natasha, I want to use this recipe of sponge cake for a pregnant belly cake. I dont want to use parchement papaer because it will leave indents in the cake. Should I use flour or butter on the bowl so it will be easier to take it out?

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 25, 2017

      Hi Yana, I you only line the bottom of the pan, you should not have any indents in the cake. Indents will occur if you try to line the sides also which is why I do not line the sides. It will stick badly to the bottom of the pan even if you do butter and flour the bottom since the cake has no butter or oil in it and it will be really difficult to get out of the pan. I highly recommend you line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper that does not go up the walls of the baking pan.

      Reply

      • Yana Nikulin
        September 25, 2017

        Thank you, I will try that!

        Reply

  • Derrick jones
    September 18, 2017

    Made this for the first time, turned out ok except it sank in the middle …is there a remedy for this..?i

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 18, 2017

      Hi Derrick, the number 1 thing to help with that is beating the eggs and sugar long enough since the volume of those ingredients is what the cake relies on for leavening.

      Reply

  • Cathielou
    September 17, 2017

    I want to use this recipe as a base for tiramisu cupcakes will it hold up to an added kahlua and espresso mixture soaked in before I add the mascarpone filling? I would like it to be eaten like a cupcake and not have the cake fall apart when the liner is removed.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 18, 2017

      Hi Cathielou, unfortunately, this cake base is not ideal for cupcakes since it will stick badly to the wrappers as there is no butter or oil in the cake.

      Reply

  • Lisa
    September 13, 2017

    Would this recipe work for the Wilton Ball pan. Approx 4-5 cups split between the two halves. How thick is each layer? Could I make a double batch to get thicker layers.

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 13, 2017

      Hi Lisa, to be honest, I have never tried a Wilton Ball pan so I’m not sure how it would rise or fill the pan. A double batch would be ok but you would need to beat each batch separately or it will overwhelm your mixer and you won’t get enough air whipped in for it to rise properly. I have made a single batch and baked in 1 springform pan but it took about 30 minutes to bake.

      Reply

  • Rohini
    September 10, 2017

    Can you give a measure of the cup you have used? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2017

      Hi Rohini, I added the grams measurements which should help 🙂

      Reply

      • Rohini
        September 11, 2017

        Thanks! The cake will now happen tomorrow! 🙂

        Reply

  • Corinne
    August 31, 2017

    Can I freeze the sponge cake layers?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 31, 2017

      Hi Corinne, Yes absolutely! The sponge cake layers are freezer friendly. Let them come to room temp, place a sheet of parchment paper between layers (I use the same ring used to line the pan) and cover loosely but fully in plastic wrap then put it in the freezer up to 3 months, just be sure you don’t place anything over the top of it in the freezer or it will end up misshapen.

      Reply

  • Fred
    August 27, 2017

    i wouldn’t mind all the adds if I could get the video to play

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 28, 2017

      Hi Fred, I’m sorry you are having trouble with the video player! It may be a temporary glitch with the video player – try refresh and see if that helps and if you are still having trouble, we have all of our full episodes on our YouTube channel.

      Reply

  • Nicole
    August 24, 2017

    Diane, I am making this cake for a baby shower. I would like to know if this 9-in round would be able to hold a 6-in round on top without sinking.
    Thx, Nicole

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 24, 2017

      I don’t know if this answers your question, but here is a wedding cake one of my readers created using this sponge cake base.

      Reply

      • Nicole
        August 24, 2017

        Natasha, thanks for your reply, I guess I will try it. Fingers crossed!!!!

        Reply

  • dianne
    August 23, 2017

    can this be done in a 13×9 size or doe it need to be divided into two?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 23, 2017

      Hi Dianne, it would be a fairly skinny cake. Here is an example where I made this a 9×13 cake but I doubled the recipe and made the cake layers separately.

      Reply

      • Dianne
        August 29, 2017

        Are you supposed to leave out the baking powder for the 13×9? And what the ideal outside temp to make this at? We r having a huge beat with average in California i got up earl you to make the cake and it’s 80 outside?

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          August 29, 2017

          Hi Dianne, the cake still works without baking powder but I have been adding it to all of my sponge cakes in recent years. It should still work with that outside temperature but you don’t want to let this cake sit in outdoor draft so make sure your windows are closed. This, like a meringue (because they are egg based), tends to smell eggy when left in outdoor draft to cool.

          Reply

  • Gill
    August 23, 2017

    Hi,

    I am wanting to make a drip cake with 3 or 4 layers, sandwiched with butter cream icing. I also want to add gel food colouring to change the colour of the sponge. Will this cake be ok do you think? Do you have an alternative to butter cream (I am not keen on it)

    Thanks in advance

    Gill

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 23, 2017

      Hi Gill, I haven’t tried adding food coloring but it should be ok as long as you don’t overmix after adding it so you don’t deflate your batter. I have a Swiss Meringue Buttercream that is very good or my cupcake frosting which is easy and delicious.

      Reply

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