VANILLA SPONGE CAKE

4.75 from 4 votes

Published Nov 02, 2018

Updated Nov 26, 2022

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Vanilla Sponge Cake – light, airy, fluffy, eggy, not-too-sweet cake with ah-mazing vanilla flavor. This Vanilla Sponge Cake is made without butter or oil. You only need a few simple ingredients and you have a great-tasting cake!

Person holding a slice of vanilla sponge cake.

Years and years ago, I learned how to make a sponge cake at my Nutrition Class in secondary school. It was made without oil or butter and the idea of making a cake without butter/margarine or oil fascinated me.

Since we are nearing the end of the year, I thought it will be great to share some awesome cake recipes with you guys recipes you can make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays and other festivities (a couple more cake recipes will be published on the blog!).

So I went on a mission to create a Vanilla Sponge Cake that is reminiscent of the sponge cake that I learned to bake in my secondary school days. After lots of research and thinking, trying to remember what I could about the cake, I came up with the perfect easy sponge cake made with few ingredients.

Vanilla Sponge Cake with a slice removed and on a knife.

This Vanilla Sponge Cake tastes just like the one I ate back in the day. I hope you love it as much as I do!

What is Vanilla Sponge Cake?

A Vanilla Sponge Cake is a cake that is spongy in texture as the name suggests. It derives its spongy texture from the whipped egg whites that make the batter of the cake.

It is very light in texture and can be eaten on its own or can be frosted and decorated to make a more fancy-looking cake. It is the perfect tasty tea-time treat just like a Victoria Sponge Cake.

A vanilla sponge cake can be made with or without butter/oil.

How to Make Vanilla Sponge Cake Without Butter

Step 1: Whip egg whites and sugar until they form a stiff peak.

Step 2: Add egg yolks and vanilla extract to egg whites and lightly mix in.

Step 3: Add flour, baking powder and salt to the egg mixture then mix gently to form a batter.

Step 4. Pour batter into prepared cake pan then level the top.

Step 5: Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Watch How to Make Vanilla Sponge Cake from Scratch

More Awesome Cake Recipes:

Vanilla Sponge Cake

4.75 from 4 votes

Vanilla Sponge Cake - light, airy, fluffy, eggy, not-too-sweet cake with ah-mazing vanilla flavor. This Vanilla Sponge Cake is made without any butter or oil. You only need a few simple ingredients and you have a great-tasting cake!

Prep: 10

Cook: 40

Total: 50

Servings: servings

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Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Brush a 9-inch round baking pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. Put in about 2 teaspoons of flour an dust round the pan.
Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until they form a soft peak. This takes about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat together with the egg whites until they form a stiff peak. This takes about 2 more minutes.
Add the egg yolks to the beaten egg whites. Add vanilla extract then whisk in gently with a whisk until just combined.
Sieve in flour, baking soda and salt, a little at a time and gently whisking them in each time you sieve them in. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, being careful to mix in any flour you see. Pour the batter into prepared cake pan being sure to clean the batter off the bowl using the spatula.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Notes

1. It is important not to overmix when adding the other ingredients.

2. You can beat the egg whites with a fork/whisk (that's how I beat them back in the day) but it is quite a workout! So if you have an electric mixer, use it.