I PULL OUT THIS LIGHT & AIRY SPONGE CAKE RECIPE FOR EVERY SUMMER OCCASION

There is no cake more classic, versatile, or delicious than the sponge cake. When you’re looking for a way to celebrate, a sponge cake is the perfect dessert to have in your recipe arsenal. We love making a sponge cake for everything from birthdays to holidays. You can cube it for a trifle, crumble it over ice cream, or—our favorite—stack it with whipped cream and berries. The best part? You can have this entire cake ready in just about an hour.

How To Make A Sponge Cake

INGREDIENTS

• Unsalted Butter: Butter helps to give this cake an extra fluffy structure while still having a rich flavor. Use unsalted butter so that you can better control the salt level by adding kosher salt.
• Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar gets creamed with the butter so that the structure of the cake is light without being dense. Granulated sugar also gives this cake its sweetness without overpowering the vanilla.
• Eggs: Eggs act as a binder to help all of the ingredients incorporate and form a batter that rises. Make sure your eggs are room temperature before you use them!
• Vanilla Extract: Because this cake doesn’t have a ton of other flavorings in it, we recommend opting for real vanilla extract so that you get the most flavor possible.
• Whole Milk: Whole milk adds crucial moisture to this cake so that it has a tender crumb and doesn’t come out dry!
• All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is the best flour to use because it has a moderate protein content, so it helps the cake to maintain structure without becoming dense.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder gives this cake a slight rise so that it comes out fluffy every time.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt helps to bring out the richness from the butter and milk, and balances the sweetness from the granulated sugar so that this cake is not just one note.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Before you begin mixing your ingredients, preheat your oven to 350º and grease 2 cake pans with butter. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment for even more protection against sticking.

Use a standing mixer with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until it becomes whiter and has a light and fluffy texture. This might take about 2-3 minutes, so be patient! Lightly whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and then slowly pour them into the butter mixer, stopping every so often to make sure they are getting completely incorporated. Add the vanilla and milk and continue mixing until the batter looks like whipped butter.

Now to mix the dry ingredients! In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt so that all of the ingredients are dispersed. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet, until there are barely any streaks of flour left (be careful not to overmix, or you will overwork the gluten!).

Divide the cake batter between your greased cake pans and bake until the tops are golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Start checking the cake around 25 minutes, but don’t open the oven before then or you risk the center of the cake collapsing! Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean, the cake is done! The center of the cake should bounce back if you press on it lightly.

Allow the cakes to cool for at least 15 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack. Once they cool, you can assemble and use them however you want!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Sponge Cake Variations

This recipe is for the basic cake itself, but know that you can sandwich the two layers with almost anything: whipped cream, ganache, frosting, lemon curd, fruit jam… the list goes on. You can also add a few tablespoons of citrus zest to the sugar and a tablespoon of juice to the batter to turn it into a lime, lemon, or orange cake. This recipe takes minor changes well, meaning it’s extremely versatile and can be made over and over again without ever tiring of it.

Storage

These cakes are best on the day of, but you can wrap the layers in plastic wrap and keep them in your fridge for up to five days.

Related Video: Strawberry Cake

Made This?

Rate and review it below!

Yields: 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp. whole milk
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottoms and sides of 2 (8") cake pans with butter. Line bottoms with parchment.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. In a small bowl, lightly “break” the eggs with a fork. With the mixer running, add the eggs a little at a time, making sure it is fully incorporated before adding the next bit of egg. (If the eggs are cold, you will need to scrape down the sides a few times.) Add the vanilla and milk. After each addition, the mixture should go back to looking just like whipped butter. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture in three additions until fully incorporated.
5. Divide the cake batter into the pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
6. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. The center of each cake should spring back when lightly pressed. (Do not open the oven door before it has baked for at least 25 minutes—the centers may collapse!)
7. Run a knife around the outside of the cakes and invert the layers onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment. Using a plate, invert the layers again and gently move them back to the rack to fully cool.
8. Fill the cake with filling of choice (see ideas above).

2026-06-10T21:02:27Z