Easy Sponge Cake Recipe | 3 Ingredients | In the Kitchen with Matt (2024)

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This easy sponge cake recipe is a cinch to make and is a perfect base cake for so many recipes. And it only requires 3 ingredients, how awesome is that?

If you follow my YouTube channel and my blog you know I love cake. I have several cake recipes here already, but no collection is complete without a homemade sponge cake recipe.

Also, the really cool thing about this cake, is not only does it only require three ingredients, those ingredients are readily available and chances are you already have them in your house. Time to make this awesome sponge cake. If I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get baking!

Step 1: Gather the ingredients

In order to make this simple sponge cake, you just need the following three ingredients:

• Eggs – The eggs are the star of the dish and are what gives the cake its lift and light spongey texture.
• Flour – Cake flour is preferred but all-purpose flour will work as well.
• Sugar – The white granulated sugar will add just the right amount of sweetness and aid in the overall texture and browning of the cake.

Tools

• Hand mixeror stand mixer
• Large bowl
• Spatula
• 2×9-inch roundcake pans
• Cookie rack
• Parchment paper
• Sifter

Step 2: How to make 3-Ingredient Sponge Cake

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 F/176 C. Now add the room temperature eggs to a large bowl. Beat the eggs with a stand mixer or hand mixer for several minutes. Start the speed of the mixer on medium then after a few minutes move it to medium high.

Beat the eggs for around 5 minutes, until the eggs turn very pale yellow and the volume of the beaten eggs increases. This is important because we are incorporating air into the eggs which helps make the cake light and spongey.

Step 3: Sugar and more mixing

Now continue mixing the eggs while slowly adding in the sugar a little bit at a time. Add in a few tables spoons and mix them in, a few tablespoons, mix them in, etc. Mix the batter for 10 to 15 more minutes.

Why so much beating of the eggs, you may be wondering. This is where the food science comes into play. This spongecake recipe doesn’t have any baking powder or baking soda in it, so the leavening is purely coming from the eggs.

Also, for sponge cakes, the air bubbles that are created should be really really small, if you don’t beat the batter long enough the bubbles will be too big, which will change the structure of the baked cake.

One way to tell if you have beaten the mixture long enough is when you pull up the beaters, the mixture will fall down like a ribbon and the mounding ribbon batter will keep its shape for a bit before dissipating back into the main batter.

If the ribbon of batter dissipates really quickly, keep mixing, for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Step 4: Finish off the homemade sponge cake batter

Once the mixture has been beaten long enough you will notice how much more volume that was created. This is a nice airy fluffy batter base. Time to finish it off with the flour. Cake flour is recommended but all-purpose/plain flour will work just fine.

FOLD the flour in little by little. I generally will use a sifter and sift some in, then fold, sift some in then fold it in, etc. Until the flour is all incorporated into the cake batter. Using the spatula go under the cake batter and then turn it onto itself and repeat.

Why are we folding and not using the mixer or stirring it? Folding helps make sure you don’t ruin all those tiny bubbles you created. Using at mixer at this point or stirring it can cause you to lose the bubbles.

Make sure that all the dry flour is incorporated, once that is done, give it a few more folds and then stop. The 3-ingredient sponge cake batter is complete and ready to go.

Step 5: Bake the sponge cake

Take two round 9-inchcake pans, and spray them with cooking spray or use some shortening. Then cut a round piece of parchment paper and add it to the bottom. This is a precaution to make sure the cake doesn’t stick.

Pour the cake batter evenly into both of the pans. Then smooth out the top with a spatula.

Bake both of the cake pans on the middle rack position side by side for 23 to 28 minutes. In my oven they are done right around 25 to 26 minutes. Bake them until they are nice and golden brown on the top.

Don’t check them before 23 minutes, if you check them too early you run the risk of the inside temp changing too much which may cause the cakes to deflate a bit.

After the cakes come out of the oven allow them to cool in their pans for a few minutes. Then run a butter knife or cake spatula around the edges of the cake.

Place a wire rack on the top and then using two hands to flip them over. And then remove the parchment paper. Then let the cake layers cool until they are room temperature.

There are so many ways you can use this cake. You can decorate it by layering it and frost it like a classic layered cake. Or maybe you just want to serve it as is with fresh sliced strawberries or make a homemade strawberry sauce and whipped cream. Enjoy!

How to store sponge cake

To store the cake wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap tightly and store it in a cake keeper or ziplock bag at room temp for up to 4 to 5 days.

For longer life store it in the fridge for up to 7 to 10 days. Once frosted the cake will last 4 to 5 days as well if covered in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. If not wrapped well, it may dry out and get hard.

You can also freeze the unfrosted cake as well. Place the individually wrapped layers in the freezers which will extend the shelf life to 5 to 6 months.

Here are a few more recipes you may like:

Easy Fluffy Pancakes

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Buttercream Frosting

Red Velvet Cake

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Do you like this recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it.If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.

Tags

eggs soft sugar sweet

10 Comments

1. Lee

   July 14, 2020 at 2:10 pm·Reply

   Can i add cocoa powder or strawberry powder to change flavour? Looking forward for your advise. Thanks in advance

   • Matt Taylor

     July 14, 2020 at 2:11 pm·Reply

     Hello, Lee, yes you sure can. Add about 1/4 cup or so of sifted cocoa powder or strawberry powder. 🙂

     • Lee

       July 14, 2020 at 7:11 pm·Reply

       Noted with thanks.. So everything as per recipe and add extra flavor powder..

       • Matt Taylor

         July 14, 2020 at 7:40 pm·Reply

         Yep!

2. Eden

   July 6, 2020 at 9:19 am·Reply

   
   Cake is so good! Loved the texture and flavor!

   • Matt Taylor

     July 6, 2020 at 9:19 am·Reply

     Thank you, Eden!

3. wilhelmina

   July 6, 2020 at 9:18 am·Reply

   
   This was such an easy cake to get perfect! I love the light and airy texture and the taste is on point!

   • Matt Taylor

     July 6, 2020 at 9:19 am·Reply

     Thank you! So glad you liked it.

4. Stephanie

   July 6, 2020 at 8:35 am·Reply

   
   Absolutely delicious! Turned out nice and soft!

   • Matt Taylor

     July 6, 2020 at 8:47 am·Reply

     Thank you, Stephanie!!

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