This is the best moist sponge cake recipe that every home baker needs. Trust me, this is hands down the most perfect sponge that you will ever make! Once you have mastered it, you can adapt the flavors and make so many delicious desserts - just look at the reviews!
This recipe was first shared on the blog back in 2021. Since then, I've updated it with new photos, added helpful baking tips and a troubleshooting guide, and included several flavor and ingredient substitution options based on your questions.
Read what others said about this recipe
"This moist sponge cake recipe is a game-changer for home bakers! It’s incredibly reliable and is a perfect base for many delicious desserts. I can't wait to experiment with different flavors! Highly recommend giving it a try!"" Nanajee
Best moist sponge cake recipe
This is a professional sponge cake recipe adapted for a home kitchen and explained in step-by-step directions.
A fluffy vanilla sponge cake recipe is an excellent base for all desserts, so having one in your back pocket is essential. But while it looks and tastes impressive, it is surprisingly easy to make! Even beginner bakers can master it.
You will not need any fancy pieces of kit to bake this super moist cake; all the ingredients are the basics from the pantry. You can then adapt it and use it in so many ways, like this Victoria sponge cake recipe.
Katalin's key take on how to make sponge cake super moist
There are several considerations when it comes to creating moist sponge cake.
Butter can harden over time and will firm up in the fridge, so using oil instead of butter in the cake helps to keep it really moist. Butter also contains water, which evaporates during baking, whereas oil is 100% fat. This means you don't lose any moisture during baking, which ensures a more tender texture.
Therefore, a moist sponge cake recipe with oil is your safest bet for a soft and tender cake. Use good quality vegetable oil that is neutral in taste. There is no baking powder or baking soda; instead, we use a specific mixing technique to combine the ingredients and whip air into the cake batter. The result is a super light and airy sponge cake.
It is also crucial not to overbake the sponge and to store it correctly so it won't dry out. I'll show you how to do everything below, so keep reading!
There is an easy, but particular way to mix the sponge cake batter
Preheat the oven to 170C /340 F (no fan) and make sure all the cake ingredients are at room temperature. In general, unless otherwise stated, room-temperature ingredients are required for baking cakes, cupcakes, muffins, etc., for proper emulsification.
Line a 20cm/8-inch cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom and sides. Prepare your cake strip and dip in water (see equipment notes below on how to make your own).
Whip the eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer. Mix on high speed for at least 5 minutes until the mixture reaches the stage where it is thick and pale and forms a "ribbon" when you lift the whisk and let the mixture fall back into the bowl. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Reduce the mixer to a low speed and whip for another 1-2 minutes to break down larger air bubbles. This will prevent large holes in your sponge cake.
Sift the flour (known as the dry ingredients), then gently fold it into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Take care not to deflate the sponge cake batter.
Then, pour in the room temperature milk and oil and mix it with "cut and fold" movements; use a rubber spatula to "cut" down through the center of the batter, then gently scoop the mixture from the bottom, lift it, and fold it over the top. Rotate the bowl after each fold, and do not overmix.
Then comes the next critical part, bake it, but don´t overbake it
Pour the sponge cake batter into your prepared pan and bake at 170 C / 340 F (no fan) for approximately 40 minutes. Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking, as this airy sponge cake can easily deflate.
The top of the cake will feel springy to the touch when it is fully baked, and the sides will start to pull away from the edges of the pan. An inserted toothpick will come out clean with no sticky batter.
Flip the sponge cake upside down and cool it upside down on a wire cooling rack to prevent it from sinking.
Wait until the sponge cake cools to room temperature, then cut it horizontally into 2 or 3 and/or frost it according to your recipe.
Storing and freezing
Once the sponge cake is baked, let it completely cool before frosting or making any layered cakes. If you do not need it immediately, cover it with foil and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days. It will not harden like cakes made with butter.
Sponge cake will last for up to 3 months in the freezer. To freeze sponge cake, wait until it cools to room temperature. Then, double wrap in plastic food wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Defrost in the fridge or at room temperature thoroughly before use.
Try some of my flavor variations
The best way to flavor this sponge is with citrus zest or a flavor extract. Always use extract rather than essence to avoid a synthetic flavor.
You can also experiment with replacing some parts of the flour with other flour. Try walnut flour, other nut flour, or even poppy seeds! Replace some of the flour with cocoa powder to make a chocolate sponge cake. Why not try loading the batter with fresh berries, too?
This fluffy, moist sponge cake recipe tastes delicious with just whipped cream and fresh fruit. It will be tall, about 7-8cm / 2-3-inches, so it can be used as a 2-tier or 3-tier cake.
This round-up of the best layer cake recipes will inspire you on how to use a sponge cake!
Do not substitute the ingredients
This recipe only contains a handful of essential baking ingredients, and I do not think any can be substituted without compromising taste and texture.
You can replace cake flour with all-purpose flour, but this recipe will be best with low-protein flour. Read more about the best flour to use in cakes and baking.
If you are baking around a dietary restriction or preference and need to use gluten-free flour, etc, check out my baking guides first to make the best swaps and check your conversions.
Expert tips to make moist sponge cake
- Use ingredients that are at room temperature before baking. This allows for proper emulsification of ingredients, so take everything out of the fridge before use.
- Whole milk is always the best when making sponge cakes, muffins, cupcakes, etc.
- Make all of the components in this cake batter fresh and bake it immediately; it can dry out otherwise.
- Sponge cake is very sensitive to temperature change, so do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking, as oven temperature fluctuation can cause issues with the cake.
- Every oven behaves differently, so you may need to adjust the baking time.
- The moist sponge cake texture will continue to set as it cools down, so do not attempt to cut while it is hot.
Troubleshooting
Your sponge is dry - it could be due to an incorrect ratio of ingredients, an inappropriate mixing technique, or over-baked. Weigh ingredients by the gram using a digital scale, and I highly recommend using an oven thermometer to check the temperature before baking.
Your sponge cake sunk - it is almost always due to underbaking the cake, which could be due to low oven temperature, too short baking time, or other issues. Check this guide to learn more about why your cake sank.
Your sponge cake is doming on the top - a cake with a dome or cracks can be caused by too much cake batter in a pan that isn't big enough. Besides not a big enough cake pan, a cake pan strip also ensures an even rise. Check my equipment notes to bake in the right size pan.
Your sponge cakes stick to your pan - you have to prepare the pan before baking. Brush the inside of the cake pan with a tiny bit of oil before lining it with parchment paper. This will help you to release the cake from the cake pan.
What equipment to use
Always weigh ingredients by the gram using a digital scale for precision. Baking is a science!
Combine ingredients using an electric hand mixer, a rubber spatula, and a stand mixer. But do not leave a stand mixer unattended, as we do not want to risk overmixing the batter.
A 20 cm / 8-inch cake pan with straight sides is essential to baking a uniform, moist vanilla cake recipe with oil. This is quite a runny cake batter, so avoid springform cake pans. Check my cake pan sizes conversion for larger or smaller cakes.
I highly recommend getting to know your own oven. Invest in a digital oven thermometer to check you are baking at the right temperature every time, as it is not uncommon for non-professional ovens to have a 16C / 60F difference between what the display says and what the actual temperature is.
Cool the cake to room temperature on a wire cooling rack.
A cake pan strip cools the edges of the cake to avoid a dome. It prevents the outside of the cake from heating up too quickly, providing a cooling effect.
You can make your own cooling cake strip so easily! Fold a piece of kitchen paper into thirds and then dip it into water to dampen it. Wrap the wet kitchen paper in aluminum foil, and then wrap it around your cake pan.
How To Use This Sponge Cake
There are so many ways you can use this vanilla sponge recipe. I love spreading it with frostings like the following:
- Lemon curd
- Cream cheese frosting
- Swiss Meringue buttercream frosting
- Whipped chocolate ganache frosting
- Raspberry buttercream frosting
But try some of these different types of cake frosting to make the most amazing desserts from your tasty home-baked sponge.
Have you tried this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well!
The Best Moist Sponge Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 20 cm / 8 inch cake pan
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs at room temperature
- 150 g (¾ cup) Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) Whole milk at room temperature
- 55 g (¼ cup) Vegetable oil
- 125 g (1 cup) Cake flour All purpose 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
- Preheat oven to 170 C / 340 F (no fan) and bring all the cake ingredients to room temperature.
- Prepare a 20 cm / 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom and side as well. Prepare your homemade or store-bought cake strip and dip in water.
- In a mixing bowl, whip together the eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar with an electric hand mixer for at least 5 minutes at high speed until very pale, creamy, and fluffy. You can also use a stand mixer. We are aiming to achieve a so-called ribbon stage, where the eggs and sugar mixture is whipped until it's thick and pale and forms a "ribbon" when you lift the whisk and let the mixture fall back into the bowl.
- Next, reduce the mixer to a lower speed and continue whipping for another 1-2 minutes. This helps break down larger air bubbles into smaller ones, preventing large holes in your sponge cake.
- Sift the flour, and then gently fold it into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula, just until combined, making sure not to deflate the sponge cake batter.
- Then, pour in the room temperature milk and oil and mix it with "cut and fold" movements just until combined. See expert tips on how to "cut and fold".
- Once the sponge cake cools to room temperature, cut and / or frost the sponge cake according to your recipe.
Notes
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin baking this moist sponge cake recipe.
- You can use all-purpose flour in place of cake flour. However, the lower the protein content, the softer and more moist the sponge cake will turn out.
- Baking powder is purposely omitted from the recipe; the sponge cake's texture will rely on the air you whip into the batter.
- Always weigh your ingredients by the gram using a digital scale for precision.
- Be sure to whip the eggs and sugar following the two steps mentioned above, as the air incorporated will help the cake rise without collapsing.
- Here is how to do the cut and fold method:
Cut: Use a spatula to "cut" down through the center of the batter. Fold: Gently scoop the mixture from the bottom, lift it up, and fold it over the top. Rotate: Turn the bowl slightly after each fold to ensure even mixing. Repeat: Continue the cutting and folding motion until the ingredients are just combined. Do not overmix. - Use a cake stripe for baking; with the help of a cak stripe, the side of the cake pan stays cooler for a longer period, and the whole cake rises at the same rate. This results in a level cake with a flat top, which is ideal for stacking layers or decorating.
- You can make your own cooling cake strip so easily! Fold a piece of kitchen paper into thirds and then dip it into water to dampen it. Wrap the wet kitchen paper in aluminum foil, and then wrap it around your cake pan.
- Ovens can vary, so use an oven thermometer to always bake at the right temperature.
- Each oven is different, so you might need to adjust the baking time slightly. In my oven, this cake takes 40 minutes. Use the toothpick test to ensure your cake is fully baked.
- The sponge cake texture will further set as it cools, do not attempt to cut while it is hot.
- This sponge will be tall, about 7-8cm / 2-3-inches, so it can be used either as a 2-tier or 3-tier cake.
Kathleen Froome
Hi I baked your Sponge cake today followed your recipe, only baked in an 8” pan for 50 minutes! Also used canola oil instead as didn’t have vegetable oil, turned out great, thanks very good recipe!👏💕Kathleen
CarolAnne
3 eggs and 1 1/2 cups flour for one six inch pan???? Besides the other igredients? Is this an error in size or is it supposed to be 8 inch pan? My six inch pans are two inches tall. I guess with this much egg and flour, if it actually fits, it would have no choice but to be a tall cake if you try to put it in six inch pan.
Katalin Nagy
Hey, the point of this recipe is to achieve a tall sponge cake. For a normal sized pan - if you want to make normal sized sponge cake - pls divide the batter into two, or use some of my other sponge recipes that you can find in the cake category.
Rachael
Hi could I use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil. Looking forward to making this as need to test out my new cake pan
Katalin Nagy
Yes this should work!
Rachael
Thanks. I tried it and the sides caved in when I took it out the tin. I think it was slightly under baked and could have done with another 5 or 10 mins but I know for next time. It didn’t go to waste though as made cake pops out of the good bits. The cake is wonderfully light and moist. Fingers crossed for the next time
Madison
Hi, I have an 8inch, 4 inch deep cake pan. What would change as far as measurements/baking time?
Katalin Nagy
Pls check my cake pan conversion article:https://www.spatuladesserts.com/cake-pan-sizes-conversions/
Eli
Hi there, what would happen if I add freezed blueberries into the mixture? Is is too risky to try? I want to make a blueberry layer cake for my sons birthday party. Thanks in advance.
Katalin Nagy
You can try but this is a rather delicate sponge cake. Perhaps, make it in a bigger pan as if it is less tall, the structure will be more stable.
Marie
Hey Katalin,
thank you for posting this recipe! I've tried it multiple times and it always tastes amazing and really does get super tall!
Could you help me with improving my texture? The cake is quite dense when I take it out - with your baking expertise could you give me a direction as to what I might be doing wrong?
Thanks so much again!
Katalin Nagy
Oh sorry to hear! It should be rather soft like a cloud cake. Hard to say what goes wrong if everything else is fine eg. the cake properly rise. Maybe overmixing or the ingredient measurements are off?
Joy
very helpful. Thank you
Lyn
Hu, I’ve tried twice but still the top is cracking and I’ve put water inside of the water for the second time but still opening like a volcano on the top, any trick?
Katalin Nagy
I have quite some tips in the recipes on what could happen, the most common ones 1. too small tin and too much batter 2. too high oven temp.
Keep practising:)
Filomena Pereira
Hi Katalin, I baked this cake following step by step the instructions you have mentioned. The cake turned out very well and it was a big hit. I made it for my niece on her birthday. Everyone enjoyed the cake. Thank you.
Carol
Hi Filomena, I noticed your comment here and I am just wondering how many people it served? I love that it turned out well for you and I am hoping to make it as well for husbands bday. Thanks for any help with this!
Katalin Nagy
It is a small 6 inch cake, if you cut it into half and fill it and / or frost it, I assume it should be fine for a small celebration of max 6 people. But it depends on how much people like the cake and their appetite:)
Jess
Hi! I just made the cake and it was so easy and delicious, but, it seems to have shrunk and kind of caved in a bit leaving the sides on an angle. I cooled it upside down like you said, but any idea on what happened? I love the taste so I'm hoping to figure it out.
Katalin Nagy
Pls check this article for the answer: https://www.spatuladesserts.com/why-did-my-cake-sink-in-the-middle/ Good luck next time.
Mama Mia
Hi, I can’t wait to try this sponge cake recipe. Just a question, most sponge cake recipe says not to line the side of the pan as the cake needs to climb up the side when it’s rising. I noticed you lined the sides as well. How does it works? Would appreciate your comments, thanks.
Katalin Nagy
It can absolutely "climb" with parchment paper and you can then very easily get it out of the tin after baking.
Melanie Walker
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!
Katalin Nagy
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.
Julie
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!
Paddy
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.
Katalin Nagy
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:)
NA
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.
Kata
Pls read the recipe it is explained why no need to add baking powder:)
NA
I want to bake this cake using an 8 inch pan. How should I adjust the recipe?
Kata
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.
Na
will do thanks
Stephanie
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 😉
Kata
It should not be lumpy, lumpy means that the flour is not mixed in properly. How did it turn out after baking?
Kashia Armstrong
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 😊
Kata
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
Susan
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?
Kata
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/
Merlyn. Thomas
i made the tall moist cake but when i took it out and turned it on the rack the sides dropped. it raised well in pan.
Katalin Nagy
You will have to handle very gently this sponge cake not to break it. On the other hand, if it more like collapsed and not broke, it might have been underbaked.
Bakkersdz
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?
Katalin Nagy
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.
Carol Anne
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!
Kata
Have fun baking and pls let me know how they go 🙂