The light and easy tall genoise sponge cake
Sponge cake is an essential basic cake in pastry making. It’s a great classic of French pastry that one must master. It’s prepared with only three ingredients, although I add a bit of baking powder for a perfect result. This recipe allows you to obtain a very tall sponge cake, ideal for making layer cakes or tiered cakes that require multiple layers.
I use it very often in my recipes, whether for very tall cakes or spread out on a baking sheet, as in the traditional Fraisier cake. It is also perfectly suited for Swiss rolls and traditional Yule logs. I use the same recipe in a chocolate version as in the kinder layer cake or the Black Forest cake.
Those who follow me on YouTube and my Facebook page and have tried it, have adopted it.
tall and fluffy sponge cake
Tips and tricks :
Table of Contents
Gently incorporate the flour: The flour is usually added with a rubber spatula, carefully, to avoid deflating the sabayon (which is a mixture of eggs and sugar). I use a whisk because it makes the work easier and avoids lumps, but you must not whisk vigorously. You should work from bottom to top, as with a spatula, and occasionally tap the whisk on the side of the mixing bowl.
Tap the mold: To avoid a bump on top of the sponge cake, tap the mold on the work surface to bring up air bubbles, or stir the batter with a skewer as if marbling before baking. Use the bottom of the sponge cake, which is flatter, as the top after baking, which is ideal for a layer cake or cake design.
The oven temperature, A slow bake at low temperature is essential for the sponge cake to rise properly and cook evenly without the risk of deflating or forming a crater. If you’re using a small, tall cake pan (like an 18×10 cm or 15×10 cm), (7×4 inches or 6×4 inches), opt for baking at 150°C (300°F) with conventional oven.
For sponge cakes in cake pan larger than 20 cm in diameter (8 inches) and less than 10 cm in height (4 inches), you can bake at 180°C (350°F).
sponge cake for layer cakes
Light and Easy Sponge Cake Recipe for 4 Layers
Video recipe:
Ingredients:
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the content.
- 6 large eggs between 68 / 72 g per egg with the shell ( 2.5 oz )
- 200 g granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 200 g all-purpose flour (7 oz)
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder (3.5 g / 0.12 oz)
- 2 packets vanilla sugar (15 g / 0.5 oz)
You can use the same recipe for sponge cakes of different heights, simply by adjusting the size of the mold:
- For a 10 cm (4-inches) high sponge cake, use an 18 cm x 12 cm cake pan with parchment paper (7 x 4.7 inches).
- For an 8 cm (3 inches) high sponge cake, use a 20 cm x 10 cm cake pan (8 x 4 inches).
- For a 6 cm (2.4 inches) high sponge cake, use a 23 cm x 8 cm cake pan (9 x 3 inches).
Preparation steps :
I prefer using a hand mixer for better control, but you can also warm the eggs and sugar over a double boiler while stirring constantly, then whip them in a stand mixer for 15 minutes.
1. Grease and line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and the sides with a 12 cm (4.7 inches) high strip of parchment paper for a 10 cm (4 inches) tall sponge cake. If you don’t have a very tall cake pan, you can use a saucepan with a removable handle, like the Tefal Ingenio models.
2. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) with conventional oven. Leave the drip tray at the top of the oven to prevent the sponge cake from browning too much.
3. Put the eggs, sugar, and vanilla sugar in a large mixing bowl, as the mixture will triple in volume.
4. Put some boiling water in a smaller bowl for the double boiler The bottom of the mixing bowl containing the eggs and sugar should touch the water, but the water should not rise up the sides of the bowl.
5. Place the mixing bowl containing the eggs and sugar above the bowl with hot water.
6. Whisk for 15 minutes, or even longer, depending on the power of your mixer. The mixture should triple in volume, whiten and become very smooth. The whisk should leave waves in the sabayon (whipped eggs + sugar), as it’s so creamy and airy.
7. Check the temperature of the sabayon. The mixture should always remain just warm. If not, remove it from the double boiler.
8. Once the mixture has tripled in volume, remove it from the double boiler. It should be cold before adding the flour, otherwise continue beating to cool it down.
9. Mix the flour and baking powder.
10. Incorporate them in 3 or 4 additions, sifting them over the sabayon. Work gently from bottom to top, without whisking, to avoid deflating the mixture. You can use a rubber spatula from the start, but it’s more practical with a whisk or a skimmer (read the tips section above).
11. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake immediately. Bake for 55 minutes on the middle rack. Check the baking after 45 minutes. Depending on the power of your oven, if it cooks quickly, start checking after 30 minutes, but do not open the oven door.
12. Check if it’s done by inserting a skewer into the center of the sponge cake. It should come out dry. Once baked, leave the sponge cake in the turned-off oven for 5 minutes with the door slightly ajar.
13. Unmold the sponge cake onto a wire rack, then turn it over onto a second rack. Let it cool completely before cutting it into layers, either with a cake leveler or a knife.
You can store it for 2 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer, well wrapped.
sponge cake cut into 4 discs
Other recipes you might like
Perfect Sponge Cake Recipe (french génoise)
Ingredients :
For an 18 cm x 12 cm cake pan lined with parchment paper (7 x 4.7 inches).
- 6 large eggs between 68 / 72 g per egg with the shell (2.5 oz)
- 200 g granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 200 g all-purpose flour (7 oz)
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder (3.5 g / 0.12 oz)
- 2 packets vanilla sugar (15 g / 0.5 oz)
Instructions :
- I prefer using a hand mixer for better control, but you can also warm the eggs and sugar over a double boiler while stirring constantly, then whip them in a stand mixer for 15 minutes.
- Grease and Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and the sides with a 12 cm (4.7 inches) high strip of parchment paper for a 10 cm (4 inches) tall sponge cake. If you don't have a very tall cake pan, you can use a saucepan with a removable handle, like the Tefal Ingenio models.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) with static oven. Leave the drip tray at the top of the oven to prevent the sponge cake from browning too much.
- Put the eggs, sugar, and vanilla sugar in a large mixing bowl, as the mixture will triple in volume.
- Put some boiling water in a smaller bowl for the double boiler The bottom of the mixing bowl containing the eggs and sugar should touch the water, but the water should not rise up the sides of the bowl.
- Place the mixing bowl containing the eggs and sugar above the bowl with hot water.
- Whisk for 15 minutes, or even longer, depending on the power of your mixer. The mixture should triple in volume, whiten and become very smooth. The whisk should leave waves in the sabayon (whipped eggs + sugar), as it's so creamy and airy.
- Check the temperature of the sabayon. The mixture should always remain just warm. If not, remove it from the double boiler.
- Once the mixture has tripled in volume, remove it from the double boiler. It should be cold before adding the flour, otherwise continue beating to cool it down.
- Mix the flour and baking powder.
- Incorporate them in 3 or 4 additions, sifting them over the sabayon.
- Work gently from bottom to top, without whisking, to avoid deflating the mixture. You can use a rubber spatula from the start, but it's more practical with a whisk or a skimmer (read the tips section above).
- Pour the batter into the cake mold and bake immediately. Bake for 55 minutes on the middle rack.
- Check the baking after 45 minutes. Depending on the power of your oven, if it cooks quickly, start checking after 30 minutes, but do not open the oven door.
- Check if it's done by inserting a skewer into the center of the sponge cake. It should come out dry. Once baked, leave the sponge cake in the turned-off oven for 5 minutes with the door slightly ajar.
- Unmold the sponge cake onto a wire rack, then turn it over onto a second rack. Let it cool completely before cutting it into layers, either with a cake leveler or a knife.
- You can store it for 2 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer, well wrapped.
I hope you’ll be able to make wonderful birthday cakes and layer cakes with this very tall sponge cake.
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