How to Make a Sponge Cake with Whole Eggs

When learning how to make a sponge cake they are often divided in two groups but being called by the same name. These cakes always include a few eggs to several eggs in the list of ingredients. Most of the time the eggs are separated and the whites are beaten stiffly before folding into the batter. This helps the cake to achieve a light and airy texture.

Sometimes when you are learning how to make a sponge cake you might run across recipes which instruct you to beat the eggs, both whites and yolks together. The texture of these recipes will not be as light.  When the recipes have large numbers of eggs making the cake heavier, many people have a tendency to call them pound cakes. Although these do have the whole eggs like pound cakes, they do not contain shortening or butter like pound cakes do.

Here I am focusing on this heavier version which instructs you to use the whole eggs in the recipes. These are quicker and easier versions when you know how to make a sponge cake because the egg whites are not beaten separately. Like the version using stiffly beaten egg whites, most of the time there is no leavening in the ingredients but that is not always true.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE RECIPE

strawberry shortcake made with sponge cakeStrawberry Shortcake

When you learn how to make a sponge cake, most of the recipes can be used to make strawberry shortcake. This hot water sponge cake recipe is extra delicious and moist. You can cut it in squares but when I want something special, I cut it in rounds and serve in pretty goblets.

  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 Cups sifted flour
  • 1 Cup hot water
  • 2 Cups whipping cream
  • 1/3 Cup sugar
  • 2 Quarts fresh cleaned strawberries sweetened

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Grease, line with parchment paper and grease again a 9X13 inch cake pan; set aside.
Combine sifted flour, baking powder and cream of tartar; sift and set aside.
Beat eggs with 2 cups sugar until light in color and thick; beat in vanilla.
Add sifted flour mixture and hot water alternately to the creamed mixture.
Pour into prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes until pick comes out clean.
Cool in pan 5 minutes; run knife around edges and remove to rack to cool completely.
Serve with strawberries and whipped cream.
NOTE: For special servings, I place a spoonful of berries in dish, 1 piece of cake, more berries, another piece of cake and top all with berries and whipped cream.

sponge cake
sponge cake
strawberries
sponge cake
sponge cake
strawberry shortcake

HOT MILK CAKE RECIPE

Although my recipe calls this a sponge cake recipe, many say it is not because it contains leavening in the ingredients. Due to the fact that the egg whites are not beaten separately to add lightness, the leavening helps to get achieve the light texture which is an important technique when you learn how to make a sponge cake.

  • 2 Extra large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 Cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 Teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 Vanilla bean, cut open down side
  • 2/3 Cup heavy cream (half/half or whipping cream)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 9 inch baking pan; set aside.

In a saucepan heat milk with vanilla bean to hot but DO NOT BOIL; let set on heat to flavor milk with vanilla bean.

In a large mixer bowl beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes scrapping sides.

Reduce speed and add sugar slowly while beating.

Increase speed and beat for another 5 to 6 minutes scrapping sides of bowl.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together several times.

Add the egg sugar mixture to the flour mixture and blend well.

Stir the vanilla bean and milk mixture to blend flavor and remove vanilla bean from milk. Make sure the milk is still hot add the butter and stir to melt.

Add the hot mixture all at once to the mixture in the mixing bowl and mix to blend in.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 20 to 30 minutes or until done.

Cool in pan and cut into small pieces to serve.

If you want to know how to make a sponge cake with a broiled topping, follow the direction below.

Sponge Cake with Topping

  • 5 Tablespoons butter
  • 8 Tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 Cup finely chopped pecans

Melt butter in saucepan while the sponge cake is baking.

Add the brown sugar and cream and mix well.

Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove mixture from the heat, add pecans and set aside until the cake is done.

Cover the entire top of cake with pecan mixture; return to oven and broil 1 to 2 minutes only until topping bubbles.

Cool in pan and cut into small pieces to serve.

Sponge Cake as a Dessert Recipe

The following is how to make a sponge cake into a delicious sponge cake dessert.

  • 8 Ounces German chocolate
  • 4 Large eggs at room temperature, separated
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons boiling water
  • ½ Pint whipping cream
  • 1 Baked 9 x 9 inch baked sponge cake recipe

Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch square dish.

Cut the baked sponge cake into very small pieces and line bottom of buttered dish with ½ of the cake pieces; set aside.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler.

Mix thoroughly the egg yolks and sugar.

When chocolate is all melted, remove from heat and beat in the sugar and yolk mixture.

Add the boiling water one tablespoon at a time, beating after each; set aside.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into the chocolate mixture.

Pour ½ of the chocolate mixture over the pieces of caked lined in dish.

Top chocolate mixture other ½ of cake pieces.

Top cake pieces with other half of the chocolate mixture.

Refrigerate overnight or until very firm.

When ready beat the whipping cream until stiff, cut cake into small servings and top with whipped cream.

HOW TO MAKE A SPONGE CAKE THE EASY WAY

Although this is called a sponge cake recipe it has in the ingredients a little butter which is not typical of sponge cakes. You can see how these two cakes, plus the chiffon cake are so closely related when you learn how to make a sponge cake.

  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • ½ Teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 Tablespoons cold water
  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 Teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons melted butter

Beat the sugar and eggs together until creamy; add vanilla and cold water.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add melted butter and dry ingredients to egg mixture.
Pour batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 8 inch baking pans.
Bake at 350F degrees until pick comes out clean; remove from pans and cool completely.
Spread filling between layers and on top of cake.

Black Walnut Cake Filling Recipe:

  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 2 Heaping tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 Cup chopped black walnuts
  • 2 Cups milk

Combine beaten eggs, 1 cup sugar, cornstarch and nuts in saucepan.
Bring milk to a boil; gradually pour into egg mixture while whisking briskly.
Cook and stir over medium heat until thick; cool and spread on cake.

HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE

Cake

  • 3 Eggs (Room temperature)
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 Teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ Cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons butter

Broiled Topping

  • 5 Tablespoons melted butter
  • ½ Cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons light cream
  • 1 Cup pecans (Finely chopped)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees; grease and flour a square pan (9 Inch).

In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs on HIGH speed for 5 minutes.

Lower speed to MEDIUM; gradually add the sugar while beating. 

Increase speed to HIGH; beat 6 minutes longer scraping down sides.

In other bowls sift together the flour, baking powder and salt THREE times.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture blending well; blend in vanilla.

Heat the milk and butter together until very hot (NOT boiling).

With mixer on LOW speed add hot mixture all at once.

Beat until thoroughly blended; pour into prepared pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until top springs back when touched.

AFTER CAKE BAKES TURN OVEN TO BROIL.

FOR BROILED TOPPING melt butter in saucepan while cake is baking.

Add brown sugar and light cream mixing well; bring to boil stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in pecans and set aside.

AS SOON AS CAKE is removed from oven cover top with pecan topping.

Return to oven and broil 1-2 minutes until bubbly not brown (Watch closely).

Cool in pan and cut in squares; 9 servings.

LEMON SPONGE CAKE IN ALMOND CRUST

Learn how to make a sponge cake in an almond crust.

Cake

  • 2 Tablespoons softened butter
  • 20 Whole blanched almonds
  • 1 ¼ Cups slivered almonds
  • ½ Cup PLUS 1 Tablespoons cake flour
  • ¼ Cup cornstarch
  • 2 Eggs
  • 5 Egg yolks
  • ½ Cup PLUS 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • ½ Teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ Cup grated lemon peel
  • 3 Tablespoons melted butter (Cooled)

Sugar Syrup

  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ Cup sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Kirsch

Preheat oven to 325F degrees; place oven rack in lower third of oven.

Grease bottom and side of 9 inch round cake pan with softened butter (2 Inch sides).

Cut almonds in half lengthwise; place flat side down in pan in design.

Place slivered almonds in food processor; process until ground.

Sift almonds through a sieve.

NOTE: You should have a scant 1 cup of chopped and about ½ cup ground almonds.

Sprinkle the chopped almonds on bottom and sides of prepared pan.

RESERVE ½ cup ground almonds for cake.

FOR CAKE sift together flour, cornstarch and ground almonds in medium bowl; set aside.

In large mixing bowl beat eggs and egg yolks until blended; set aside.

Gradually beat in the sugar until mixture is thickened and pale yellow.

Beat in vanilla and lemon peel; gently fold in flour mixture a THIRD at a time.

Place about 2 cups of batter in medium bowl; gently fold in cooled melted butter.

Return to the rest of the batter; fold in just to combine.

Spoon into prepared cake pan; bake 30 to 40 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

FOR SUGAR SYRUP combine in small saucepan the water and sugar.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.

Raise temperature to medium high; bring to a boil.

Cool to room temperature; stir in kirsch.

Invert cake onto plate; brush with sugar syrup.

CLASSIC SPONGE CAKE

Learn how to make a sponge cake classical style!

  • 7 Tablespoons butter
  • 6 Eggs (Room temperature)
  • ¾ Cup sugar
  • 1 ¼ Cups cake flour
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Butter bottom and sides 10 inch spring form pan.

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat; set aside to cool.

Break eggs into a large heatproof bowl; add sugar.

Place bowl over low simmering water.

Beat until pale lemon color and thickened about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat; sift flour over top and fold in.

Fold in cooled melted butter and vanilla; pour into prepared pan.

Bake 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touches.

Run a thin sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen.

Place cooling rack on top of pan and invert cake onto rack.

Remove bottom of pan from cake; cool cake completely.

3 EGG SPONGE CAKE RECIPE

Learn how to make a sponge cake with three eggs.

  • 1 ½ Cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 Teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 3 Eggs (Room temperature; UNbeaten)
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 1/3 Cup cold water
  • ½ Teaspoon lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In large mixing bowl beat eggs on high speed until light about 4 minutes.

Gradually beat in the sugar; beat about 3 minutes longer.

Beat in water and lemon extract until blended.

Fold in flour mixture a THIRD at a time; spoon into 11X7 inch pan (UNgreased).

Bake 30 minutes or until pick comes out clean; cool in pan on rack.

Loosen cake from pan by running a knife around edges; frost as desired.

SPONGE CAKE 

Learn how to make a sponge cake with butter cream filling topped with white glaze.

  • 3 Beaten eggs
  • ¼ Cup sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons lemon juice
  • ¼ Cup flour (All purpose)
  • ¼ Cup corn flour

Butter Cream Coffee Filling

  • 1 Teaspoon instant coffee
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water
  • 6 Tablespoons softened butter
  • 1 Cup sifted powdered sugar

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 Cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • About 5 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Grease and flour 9 inches round cake pan 2-3 inches deep.

FOR CAKE combine beaten eggs with sugar in small mixing bowl.

Place in larger bowl filled with hot water.

NOTE: Do not let hot water get into smaller bowl.

With a hand mixer beat the egg mixture until thick and pale yellow.

Sift together the flours; add to egg mixture with lemon juice.

Spoon batter into prepared pan leveling top; bake 1 hour.

Cool cake slowly and completely in pan.

FOR FILLING mix coffee with boiling water to dissolve in mixing bowl.

Add butter and sugar to coffee mixture; beat until creamy and smooth

FOR GLAZE combine sugar and vanilla with enough milk for a spreadable glaze.

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE split the cake in 2 layers; place 1 on cake plate.

Spread with butter coffee filling; place other layer on top.

Spread glaze over top of cake with spatula.