3 Egg Sponge Cake Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good sponge cake? ›

Whisk together water, oil, and baking powder.

This is a great substitute if you need to replace multiple eggs in a recipe, as it won't make the baked good too greasy or change its flavor profile (like some other substitutes). A simple combination of water, baking powder, and vegetable oil mimics eggs almost to a T.

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.

Eggs are the key to making your sponge cake fluffy and moist. You will want to beat your whole eggs with the sugar until the volume increases by three times. You will want to make sure you don't overbeat the eggs, as this will result in a flat cake.

While oil has a more neutral taste, which means that other flavours in the cake can stand out more. Our preference is still butter for a lot of recipes where possible, especially when you are aiming for a classic tasting cake such as Victoria Sponge.

1 large egg equals about 4 tablespoons, so just scoop out 6 tablespoons for your recipe if you're reducing it by 1/2 and it calls for 3 eggs—6 tablespoons should be roughly about 1 1/2 eggs. Four tablespoons per egg is a guesstimate, however. Some large eggs yield only 3 tablespoons, or they yield somewhere in between.

Add More Eggs

To get an extra rich and moist cake, stir in two extra egg yolks along with the eggs the recipe calls for (save the egg whites to make these delicious meringues). For a lighter and more airy cake, use only egg whites (and save the egg yolks for crème brûlée).

Adding an extra egg won't make much difference; however, adding two or more extra eggs may give you a dense, rubbery cake—not the fine crumb you're after. It will also have an “eggy” taste.

What can I substitute if I run out of eggs? ›

Whipping the eggs is a very important part of the process, so don't skimp on the time! You need to incorporate as much air into the eggs as possible, as this is what levels the cake and will give you a light and fluffy sponge.

Over mixing acts on the gluten in flour and will make cakes hard instead of the lovely soft spongy texture we associate with a good cake. Insufficient creaming of sugar and eggs will also make a tight texture because there isn't enough air trapped in the mix to give it a lift.

Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.

Make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature. If the ingredients are at different temperatures then they may not combine properly and the cake will be dense. If the eggs are stored in the fridge then remove them several hours before using, so they are properly at room temperature.

Most cakes will call for a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. These create the bubbles you need for the cake to rise. If the flour you use is self-raising, it already has a leavening agent in it. Make sure your butter is room temperature, and beat the butter and sugar together until properly creamed.