Simple Sponge Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Grease only the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan and cover with a circle of parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
• In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until light, gradually adding in the sugar. Add in vanilla and lemon and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, about 1 minute at high speed, then beat in the salt and cream of tartar. Continue beating until the eggs reach soft peaks. Fold egg whites, working in 3 or 4 batches, into the yolk mixture.
• Sift the flour over the egg mixture, again working in 3 or 4 batches, and gently fold it inches When the batter is uniform, pour into prepared cake pan and bake unil a tester comes out dry and the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed, about 35-45 minutes.
• Allow cake to cool in the pan before cutting around the sides with a sharp knife and turning it out.
• Slice the cake into 2 or 3 layers (or squares) and fill as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and 2 teaspoons of the butter together over medium-low heat. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip, beat the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and tripled in volume, about 8 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the warm milk mixture. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small mixing bowl. Add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend thoroughly until smooth. Repeat with the other half. Add the vanilla and mix gently. Grease a 17 by 12-inch baking pan or jelly-roll pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Pour the cake batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until the cake springs back when touched, about 15 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes, then gently flip it out onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Let cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and 2 teaspoons of the butter together over medium-low heat. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip, beat the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and tripled in volume, about 8 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the warm milk mixture. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small mixing bowl. Add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend thoroughly until smooth. Repeat with the other half. Add the vanilla and mix gently. Grease a 17 by 12-inch baking pan or jelly-roll pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Pour the cake batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until the cake springs back when touched, about 15 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes, then gently flip it out onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Let cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans or two 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheets. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment and flour pans, tapping out excess flour. Whisk together egg yolks and 1 cup granulated sugar in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick enough to form a ribbon that dissolves onto itself, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt; transfer to a large bowl.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold one third of egg whites into yolks, then gently fold in remaining whites. Sift flour over top and gently start to fold in. When nearly all is folded in, pour melted butter down side of bowl and fold just until incorporated and smooth.
• Divide batter among pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes for rounds, or 15 minutes for sheets, rotating and switching racks halfway through. If baking in round pans, immediately invert cake and remove parchment, then reinvert and cool right side up. If using baking sheets and making a rolled cake, immediately invert cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioner's sugar. Dust top of cake with confectioner's sugar and roll up in towel. Let cool completely, about 1 hour, before unrolling and spreading with filling.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sift flour and salt; set aside. , In a large bowl, beat yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Blend in water and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to yolk mixture; mix well. , In another bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold a fourth of egg whites into the batter, then fold in remaining whites., Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on the lowest oven rack until cake springs back when lightly touched, 55-60 minutes. Immediately invert the pan; cool completely. , Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate. If desired, serve with ice cream topping.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, butter and line the base of two 20cm spring-form cake tins with baking parchment.
• Using an electric whisk beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Crack the eggs in one at a time and whisk well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk until just combined then divide the mixture between the two tins.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. After 10 mins remove the cakes from their tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Fill how you like. My personal favourite is a good dollop of lemon curd and some fresh cream, then dust the top with icing sugar. Will keep for 3 days.

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch cake pan and line with a circle of parchment paper.
• Beat the margarine and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the margarine mixture before adding the next. Fold in the flour until only small lumps remain; pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, whip together the eggs and castor sugar until fluffy. Fold in flour. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan over a wire rack.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper; grease the paper. Dredge the pans with flour and shake out the excess.
• Cream the margarine with all but 2 Tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is very pale and fluffy.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together into another bowl.
• Using a wooden spoon, beat one egg at a time into the sugar mixture, following each with 1 Tablespoon of the flour.
• Mix in the remaining flour and the lemon juice, Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans and level the surfaces.
• Bake the sponge cakes for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and just firm to the touch. Turn them out onto a wire rack, and leave the paper attached until they have cooled completely.
• Strip off the paper. Place one sponge layer on a plate, and spread it with jam. Set the second layer on top of the first and then sift the remaining sugar evenly over the top of the cake. Serves 12.
• VARIATIONS:.
• For a richer flavor and a moister texture, make the sponge cake with light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
• For a whole wheat sponge cake, replace HALF the white flour with whole wheat flour and INCREASE the baking powder by 1/4 teaspoon.
• For a Chocolate sponge cake, REPLACE 2 Tablespoons of the flour with sifted cocoa powder and use water in place of the lemon juice.
• For a richer filling, beat 2 Tablespoons of low fat ricotta cheese into the jam.
• Replace the jam filling with a thickened fruit puree; lemon curd; flavored pastry cream; or 4 Tablespoons of yogurt cheese, sweetened with 1 Tablespoons of confectioners' sugar.
• Sift 2 Tablespoons of confectioners' sugar over the cake in place of the granulated sugar. Alternatively, lay a doily on the sponge cake, and sift 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar over it. Carefully remove the doily to reveal a pattern on the cake.
• Fresh Ways with Cakes.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Oil a 900g loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Combine the sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl and mix well. Fold in the flour, baking powder and ground pistachios. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated courgette using your hands (don't worry about squeezing out every drop), then add this to the bowl along with the lime zest and half the juice, and mix to combine.
• Bake for 40-50 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Check the cake after 30 mins - if it's looking too brown, cover with foil for the remaining cooking time. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, then transfer to a wire rack, poke a few holes in the top using a skewer and pour over the remaining lime juice. Leave to cool completely. Once cool, will keep frozen for up to a month. Defrost fully before decorating and serving.
• For the frosting, tip the soft cheese into a bowl, sift over the icing sugar, pour in the lime juice and mix to combine. Spread this over the top of the cooled cake, then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and lime zest. Will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to three days.