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Home » Recipes » Cakes

Tall & Moist Sponge cake

Published: May 29, 2020 · Modified: Oct 10, 2021 by Katalin Nagy · This post may contain affiliate links. This blog generates income via ads. Please read our Disclosures.

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Everyone needs a trusted sponge cake recipe, and with the help of one – typically vanilla – base recipe it is easy to make plenty of other versions such as chocolate cake, walnut cake, coconut cake, etc. This tall sponge cake recipe is somewhere in between traditional sponge and chiffon, yet has the benefit of both and can be the perfect base for your favorite layered cakes. If you want an airy, tall, delicious, fluffy, tender yet stable sponge cake recipe that is easy to frost for your layered cakes, you found it, look no further! This is hands down the best sponge cake recipe that you will ever make!

Sponge cake
Jump to:
  • Why this is the best recipe
  • Ingredient notes
  • Equipment notes
  • 5 Expert tips
  • How to use
  • Recipe FAQs
  • RECIPE CARD
  • Tall & Moist Sponge cake

Why this is the best recipe

This is a professional sponge cake recipe that is explained step-by-step and adopted in a home kitchen environment. It is in fact a rather simple sponge cake, however, it is worth reading the entire recipe and follow the technique.

The most important factors to bake a neat super moist sponge cake

  • Using the right ingredients at the right temperature eg. low protein content flour, room temperature egg, milk, etc.
  • Using the right equipment, eg. a cake pan with a straight side and cake pan strip
  • Learning the right technique, eg. how to whip egg white into meringue without overwhipping

In this recipe I cover all the necessary information about the ingredients and techniques you probably haven´t read anywhere else, so your sponge cake will turn out exactly like mine!

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Victoria sponge cake
lovely fluffy moist sponge cake

Ingredient notes

  • Oil: No butter, but oil! The biggest disappointment I often have with traditional butter-based sponge cakes is that they tend to firm up in the fridge and I like my cake soft and tender. The oil not only adds moisture to the cake, but it coats the flour which prevents gluten formation therefore the cake will get super tender even straight out of the fridge. Having said that, where the structure is the priority, like in the case of a huge wedding cake, perhaps butter is a better option. Other than that, I tend to choose an oil-based sponge whenever the cake needs to be refrigerated. Use good quality vegetable oil that has no or just very mild taste
  • Sugar: Superfine sugar is the most appropriate choice especially at the stage when beating egg white into the meringue, however, granulated white sugar can work fine too. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article in here.
  • Egg: The majority of the sponge cake recipes call for beating whole eggs with sugar, however for the fluffiest sponge-like result I do recommend beating the egg white separately into a meringue-like texture then gently folding it into the mixture. Eggs must be at room temperature
  • Flour: All-purpose flour or cake flour makes the best cakes. They are so-called “soft flour” which is low on protein resulting in a delicate, tender texture. If you want to be a pro when it comes to deciding what type of flour to use in your baking, please read my article here.
  • Baking powder/soda: Actually none of these! Believe me, if you beat your egg yolk for min. 8-10 minutes until very pale and fluffy, in the meantime beat your egg white separately until shiny, easily stiff peaks, there is no need for an extra raising agent in the recipe. It won’t get grainy, it won’t get heavy, in fact, it will rise more evenly and definitely won’t crack on the top. The air that you beat into the egg is the actual rising agent
  • Milk: Use milk at room temp, I prefer whole milk
Tall sponge cake ingredients
Sponge cake ingredients

Equipment notes

1. Cake pan

There are 3 key considerations when choosing the right cake pan: size, side, material.

Regarding the size, I am using a rather small (15 cm=6 inch) diameter but tall (7 cm=3 inch) cake pan which is enough to make a tall sponge cake for a 2 or 3 layered cake and size-wise more than enough for a family. The side of the cake pan must be absolutely straight in order to bake a neat, straight sponge. In regards to the material, I recommend stainless steel or aluminum, however, the cake pan preparation is very important in case of both, see my tips further down.

Can I make this sponge cake in a smaller pan? Yes, you can but you will need to adjust the quantity as well as baking time (decrease)

Can I make this sponge cake in a bigger pan? Theoretically yes you can, but since it is a very tall sponge cake, the larger the pan the bigger the risk that it won´t bake properly plus you will need to increase the quantity of the ingredients as well as the baking time. If want to make a larger size sponge cake eg. 8 inch + 20cm I suggest you bake 2 cakes instead

Sponge cake
15 cm / 6 inch cake pan + parchment paper + cake strip

2. Cake pan strip

How to bake Sponge cake that does not dome: Use a cake pan strip!

Cake pan strip is one of the biggest hacks in baking, I came across them a few years ago and it works like charm. Why use it? Read what Wilton has to say about their cake strips, could not agree more!

“Say goodbye to high-rise centers, cracked tops, and over-cooked cake edges. Just dampen Bake Even strips and wrap around the pan before baking. The moisture in the strips keeps the edges of the pan cooler for perfectly level and deliciously moist cakes—every time!”

Sponge Cake methods

I recommend either purchasing the Wilton cake strips or making your own using a paper towel packed into kitchen foil. I dump the homemade strip into the water the same way as Wilton explains and it works just fine. The key thing is to use some sort of cooling the edge method in order to avoid high-rise centers.

On a side note, I actually like it if the sponge cake edge caramelizes a tiny bit, so I usually remove the strip ¾ of the baking time, but you really don’t have to and strictly do not open the oven door before ¾ of the baking time.

Homemade cake strip using a paper towel packed into kitchen foil - dip it into the water before using

5 Expert tips

1. Step-by-step process

First and foremost make sure you prepare all the ingredients and bring them to room temperature, also prepare the tools such as 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan, Rubber spatula, Wilton cake strip (if using). You will also have to preheat your oven at least 15-20 minutes ahead.

You will manage to bake a 15 cm (6 inch) wide, 7 cm (3 inch) tall sponge cake with the help of 3 eggs and using the right technique:

  • Beat together egg yolk, vanilla extract, and half of the sugar (75 g) for at least 8 minutes until very pale, creamy, and fluffy
  • Beat in the rest of the wet ingredients; oil and milk (room temperature) just until combined
  • Whip egg whites starting on low speed on your Stand mixer while adding the rest of the sugar (75 g), one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed and whip for about 5-8 minutes until stiff and glossy and the sugar completely dissolves. The meringue texture should be sort of early stiff peaks but do not overbeat into super hard meringue as that is a difficult texture to fold with the rest of the ingredients
  • While the mixer is on preparing the meringue, sift the cake flour into the egg yolk mixture, then gently fold it in with a Rubber spatula just until combined, do not overmix. This mixture can get somewhat thick and can easily dry out, so do not make it ahead
  • With the help of a Rubber spatula gently fold the egg whites into the flour egg yolk sugar mixture. Since the flour mixture is quite thick it's worth first to loosen it up by ¼ of the whipped egg white mixture, then very gently fold the rest of the egg white in
  • Pour the batter into the prepared 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan
  • Bake for approx. 60 minutes at 170C / 338F (no fan). Do not open the oven door in the first 45 minutes
  • Flip the sponge cake upside down and let it completely cool on a Cooling rack

This sponge will be rather tall so can be used either as a 2 tier or 3 tier cake.

Tall sponge cake process
Beat egg yolk & sugar until pale and creamy, Whip egg white with sugar until glossy and achives early stiff peaks then pour cake batter into the prepared baking pan

2. How to easily release sponge cake from cake pan

The right cake pan preparation depends on the type of cake and/or pan and with this type of sponge cake and cake pan, I use the following: with the help of a pastry brush, brush the inside of the cake pan with a tiny bit of oil then use parchment paper on the bottom and side as well.

The oil is only needed for the parchment to stick to the pan. What I love about this pan preparation is that even though it is a rather tall sponge cake, with the help of parchment paper it is always incredibly easy to release the cake from the pan. Make sure you do the cake pan preparation before starting to mix the ingredients!

Sponge cake
correct cake pan preparation

3. How to bake

Two considerations regarding oven temperature:

The first one is the temperature on paper, if it’s too low, it won't bake especially this rather tall type sponge however if the oven temperature is too high, the sponge will rise too fast resulting in cracks on the top. I find the ideal oven temperature is 170C / 338F (no fan!) for this recipe in my oven, but you will have to test it in your own oven. Nevertheless, for tall cakes, it is usually recommended to bake it at a lower temperature for longer so it bakes throughout.

The second consideration is your REAL oven temperature, what do I mean by that? Check my oven for example:

Sponge Cake methods

16C / 60F difference is huge (and not unusual for non-professional ovens), it results in an increasing baking time of an extra 10-15 minutes. I can not highlight enough how important to get to know your own oven and purchase an inexpensive digital oven thermometer that certainly will increase the chances to become a more successful home baker.

Should you come across any issues, please check my article about potential baking problems eg. sinking cake, and how to avoid it.

4. How to further prevent Sponge cake from doming and cracking on top

Sponge cake doming and cracking is mainly the consequence of 1. too high baking temp, 2. the side of the cake heating up too quickly, 3. too small baking pan, 4. inappropriate ingredient quantities and rations in the recipe

Some tips to avoid sponge cake doming and cracking:

  • Make sure you get to know your oven and are fully aware of its temperature, purchase an inexpensive digital oven thermometer
  • Always use the right size baking tin (for this recipe a 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan) Having too much cake butter in a too-small baking means your cake "does not fit" into the tin and can cause doming and cracking
  • Consider using the Wilton cake strips or making your own using a paper towel packed into kitchen foil, this will ensure that the side of the cake won´t heat up too quickly
  • Baking is science and the ingredients must be measured properly with the help of a Digital scale. Cup measurement is greatly inaccurate and a little bit too much of this, not enough of that can cause inbalance in the ingredient ratios to result in all sorts of baking issues
  • My recipe does not state rising agent like baking powder because the eggs will be supporting the rise of the sponge however too much rising agent eg. baking powder can also cause the cake too quickly to rising and crack
  • Last but not least, sponge cake is very sensitive to temperature change, please make sure you do not open the oven door during baking as oven temperature fluctuation can also cause issues on the cake
Sponge cake
perfectly baked sponge cake

5. How to prevent Sponge cake from collapsing after baked

You have to make sure that the Sponge cake is well baked before taking it out of the oven as the under-baked sponge will collapse at room temperature.

How to check whether the sponge is ready-baked?

1. Check whether the toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean

2. Check whether the sides of the cake starting to pull away from the pan

3.  Gently press the top of the cake, if the sponge springs back, it's done

Pro Tip: You should cool this sponge cake upside down just like an Angel Food cake (my recipe is here)! Until the cake is completely cooled, its structure hasn’t been set fully. Flipping it upside down ensures that it doesn’t collapse during the cooling process. Once completely cooled, it should easily pop out of the cake tin if you have done the cake pan preparation correctly.

Sponge cake
Cool the sponge cake upside down

How to use

This sponge cake is moist, fluffy, very spongy, and can be the perfect base for your layered cakes! Use it either fresh the same day or cover in plastic foil and use it within a few days. This sponge cake can be also frozen and used after being defrosted as you would normally do.

The sponge can be cut horizontally into 2 or 3 depending on the cake you wish to make. I suggest you use a measuring tape and mark the side of the sponge with the help of the knife in order to cut it evenly.:

Cut the sponge horizontally

Check out my Victoria sponge cake recipe, a stunning yet easy strawberry cake that is made using this sponge cake, or use it for your favorite layered cakes!

Victoria sponge cake

Recipe FAQs

Can I make the cake in a smaller / bigger pan

Yes, you can, however, you will need to adjust the ingredient quantities and baking time accordingly. Having said that, the larger the cake the riskier that it won´t bake throughout, so you have to pay extra attention to the correct oven temperature and apply the toothpick check

Can I use springform pan

The side of the cake pan must be absolutely straight in order to bake a neat, straight sponge and I suggest applying the parchment paper preparation technique. Since this is a rather runny cake batter springform pan might not be the most appropriate one to use

Can I make this sponge cake recipe gluten-free

Most probably yes, you can, however, you can´t just leave out / change an ingredient without reformulating the entire recipe. When one ingredient changes, some other ingredients need to be changed too in order to keep the balance in the texture and flavor. Sadly, I am not able to provide substitutes for all sorts of allergies and diets.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour

Cake flour due to its lower protein content makes the best cakes. Alternatively, use low protein content all-purpose flour

Can I make this sponge cake eggless

Not very likely since the rise of the cake is only supported by the eggs. Having said that, you might be able to bake some sort of sponge-like cake without egg, but not this one and I am not able to help with that

Why is my sponge cake dry

This is a super moist cake due to the oil and high ratio of wet ingredients, and very difficult to mess it up.
A few reasons can cause dry, crumbly texture on your cake 1. ingredients not measured correctly eg. too much flour added to the mixture 2. inappropriate mixing technique eg. over mixed cake batter 3. over baked, meaning it dried out too much. Consider investing in an inexpensive Digital oven thermometer to be able to measure the correct oven temperature and please make sure to use a Digital scale during baking, cups are not an accurate way of measuring for consistent results.

Why is my sponge cake row in the middle

Probably the cake would have needed more baking time. Either, it was taken out of the oven too soon, or perhaps your oven is under heat. Consider investing in an inexpensive Digital oven thermometer if you tend to struggle with the baking part of your desserts.
Another issue that can cause raw texture is measuring the ingredients inappropriately eg. adding less flour to the recipe. Consider using a Digital scale 

How to store

Once the sponge cake is baked, let it completely cool before using it to make any layered cake. If you do not need it immediately, cover it with foil and store it for 2-3 days in the fridge

How to freeze

You can easily freeze the sponges after baking, cover it in foil and bring it to room temperature when you need it

RECIPE CARD

Tall sponge cake.

Tall & Moist Sponge cake

Delicious, tall, fluffy, tender yet stable sponge cake recipe that is easy to frost for your layered cakes
4.93 from 67 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 274kcal
Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

  • Wilton cake strip
  • Digital oven thermometer
  • 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan
  • Rubber spatula
  • Stand mixer
  • Cooling rack

Ingredients

  • 3 (3) Eggs room temperature yolk and white separately
  • 150 g (⅔ cups) Granulated sugar
  • 2 Teaspoon (2 Teaspoon) Vanilla extract pure
  • 100 g (½ cups) Whole milk room temperature
  • 80 g (⅓ cups) Vegetable oil
  • 190 g (1½ cups) Pastry flour AP works too

US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 170 C / 338 F and bring all ingredients to room temp
  • Prepare a 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan with parchment paper inside and cake strip around
  • Beat together egg yolk, vanilla extract and half of the sugar (75 g) for at least 5 minutes until very pale, creamy and fluffy
  • Beat in the rest of the wet ingredients; oil and milk
  • Sift in flour then gently fold it in with a Rubber spatula just until combined, do not overmix
  • Whip egg whites starting on low speed on your Stand mixer while adding the rest of the sugar (75 g), one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed and whip for about 5-8 minutes until stiff and glossy and the sugar completely dissolves
  • With the help of a Rubber spatula gently fold egg whites into the flour egg yolk mixture. Since the flour mixture is quite thick it's worth first to loosen it up by ¼ of the whipped egg white mixture then very gently fold the rest of the egg white in
  • Pour the batter into the prepared 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan
  • Bake for approx. 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not open the oven door in the first 45 minutes
  • Flip the sponge cake upside down and let it completely cool on a Cooling rack
  • Use according to cake recipe. This sponge will be rather tall so can be used either as a 2 tier or 3 tier cake

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @spatuladesserts or tag #spatuladesserts would love to see your creation on Instagram!

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  1. Melanie Walker

    March 19, 2023 at 5:10 pm

    I haven't tried this recipe yet, but you show one large cake that looks like it was baked in one large pan. In the instructions it says you don't advise making it in just one large pan. You did not say if you used a regular baking pan or a springform with much higher sides. I would like to make it in one 8" springform and would like to know if that would work. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katalin Nagy

      March 19, 2023 at 5:41 pm

      I mention the pan I use several times, it is a 6-inch tall pan. I also mention why it might not work in a larger pan, this is a very delicate cake, almost like cotton sponge cake. I have several other sponge cake recipes on the blog (just search for cakes and check the sponges I make) that you can make in a 8-inch form.

      Reply
  2. Julie

    March 16, 2023 at 12:16 pm

    I have just baked this and it turned out perfectly even with 6 minutes baking time left on the timer (toothpick comes out clean)! I don’t have the recommended size pan so experimented with my 20cm (8in), 8cm (3in) tall pan without altering the recipe or the cooking time. The cake has risen and cooked evenly (it domed and cracked a bit but serving it upside down will fix that) and is tall enough for a two layer cake (it’s about 6cm/2 1/2in tall) which is just what I needed! I’m sure it’ll taste delicious too! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Paddy

    March 04, 2023 at 12:55 pm

    Hi Kata,
    Your magnificent sounding cake is baking and it's looking quite dark on top, so I have reduced the heat by 10 degrees.
    I hope to make it into an ice cream cake, by freezing 3 layers and then make ice cream to fill and fill again before icing with cream!
    Thank you for recipe.

    Reply
    • Katalin Nagy

      March 04, 2023 at 12:58 pm

      Hey, 170 C / 338 F is very lowe baking temp so it should not darken, I suggest investing into an oven thermometer as it is very likely that your oven over runs or maybe burns from the top (in that case bake your cakes on the lower part of the oven). Good luck:)

      Reply
  4. NA

    February 10, 2023 at 3:56 pm

    Thinking of making this recipe but noticed that you don't add any baking powder in it. I'm wondering how it rises so tall without any baking powder.

    Reply
    • Kata

      February 10, 2023 at 4:34 pm

      Pls read the recipe it is explained why no need to add baking powder:)

      Reply
      • NA

        February 11, 2023 at 5:52 am

        I want to bake this cake using an 8 inch pan. How should I adjust the recipe?

        Reply
        • Kata

          February 11, 2023 at 9:55 am

          You will need to increase the ingredients however this is a super delicate cake that might not bake through in such a large pan. I have a comment on this in the recipe: Can I make this sponge cake in a bigger pan? Theoretically yes you can, but since it is a very tall sponge cake, the larger the pan the bigger the risk that it won´t bake properly plus you will need to increase the quantity of the ingredients as well as the baking time. If want to make a larger size sponge cake eg. 8 inch / 20cm I suggest you bake 2 cakes instead.

          Reply
    • Na

      February 10, 2023 at 4:52 pm

      will do thanks

      Reply
  5. Stephanie

    February 06, 2023 at 7:42 pm

    Hi there. Making your cake and noticed the flour and egg yolk mixture was slightly lumpy after folding. Is that ok? I did sift the flour 😉

    Reply
    • Kata

      February 09, 2023 at 10:13 am

      It should not be lumpy, lumpy means that the flour is not mixed in properly. How did it turn out after baking?

      Reply
  6. Kashia Armstrong

    January 08, 2023 at 4:49 pm

    Katalin, in the recipe you say: “…cool this sponge cake upside down…Once completely cooled, it should easily pop out of the cake tin…”. Does it mean to cool the cake with the cake pan left on the top of the cake? Doesn’t the cake pan weigh down the cake? I’m quite excited to try this recipe; I’m of Polish decency and sponge cakes are very traditional in our culture. Thank you 😊

    Reply
    • Kata

      January 09, 2023 at 6:07 pm

      I am Hungarian, effectively your neighbors and I take my sponge cake very seriously as well:) Once you flip it over, you can either remove the tin (if the cake pops out at that point) or if not, remove it later when it is cooled:) Good luck! Katalin

      Reply
  7. Susan

    January 04, 2023 at 12:20 pm

    Hi Katya,
    I recently made this cake substituting 10% of the flour with cocoa powder. After the 60 mins cooking time, the top was quite domed so I tested the cake with a stick, which came out clean and left it to cool (upside down as recommended). When it was cold and I removed the tin/ paper I noticed that the cake had sunk somewhat in the middle. When I sliced it, although the outer edges were a perfect crumb, the centre of the cake was very dense with a “ganache” type of texture. What went wrong?

    Reply
    • Kata

      January 04, 2023 at 1:51 pm

      Sunken cake is almost always due to it being underbaked. Check this baking guide to learn more https://www.spatuladesserts.com/why-did-my-cake-sink-in-the-middle/

      Reply
    • Bakkersdz

      February 28, 2023 at 10:18 pm

      it looks like a great recipe if one can get past the adverts which has zero to do with baking. I would change sponsors. What have we become?

      Reply
      • Katalin Nagy

        March 01, 2023 at 11:52 am

        I need to pay for the ingredients, camera, baking equipment, electricity bills, my website host, my own education, and several other bills to be able to provide FREE recipes for my Readers. It takes anywhere between 6-20 hours to make one recipe including testing, keyword research, photography, videography, photo and video editing, writing, and publishing. I am sure you do not expect me to do all this work for entirely free?
        Regarding how relevant the ads are, I appreciate your feedback, in fact, you are supposed to get ads within your interest areas so I will pass this on to my ad provider company.

        Reply
  8. Carol Anne

    December 13, 2022 at 1:39 pm

    I have noticed how my oven looses heat after I set it and it reaches the desired temperature. I love the way you addressed this problem here. I have re-calibrated my oven in past few days and this also seems to have helped. Oven was loosing as much as 15 degrees in first 10 minutes of baking prior to this and I could not figure out why everything I baked was still coming out undercooked in center.
    I love this recipe and I will make a lovely Victoria sponge soon. Chocolate sponge sounds right up my ally too!

    Reply
    • Kata

      December 13, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      Have fun baking and pls let me know how they go 🙂

      Reply
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