Martha Stewart Sponge Cake

Martha Stewart sponge cake uses one easy technique most bakers skip: warming egg yolks with sugar over simmering water. That builds the tall, airy crumb that holds up under whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and ice cream for summer parties or birthday celebrations.

Serve it as a layer cake with berries or roll the sheet version around ice cream for a make ahead treat. Fold the egg whites gently and sift the cake flour in stages, since rushed folding is what makes sponge cake fall flat.

Martha Stewart Sponge Cake

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

235

kcal

Tall, golden layers with a springy crumb that bounces back when you press it. The batter is impossibly light, rising into soft rounds you can stack, roll, or fill with whatever you like.

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pans
  

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for pans
  

• 9 large eggs, room temperature, separated
  

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• Pinch of coarse salt
  

• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
  

Directions

• Prep the pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans or two 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheets. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment and flour pans, tapping out excess flour.
• Warm the yolks: Whisk together egg yolks and 1 cup granulated sugar in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick enough to form a ribbon that dissolves onto itself, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt; transfer to a large bowl.
• Beat the whites and fold: Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold one third of egg whites into yolks, then gently fold in remaining whites. Sift flour over top and gently start to fold in. When nearly all is folded in, pour melted butter down side of bowl and fold just until incorporated and smooth.
• Bake the cake: Divide batter among pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes for rounds, or 15 minutes for sheets, rotating and switching racks halfway through.
• Cool and unmold: If baking in round pans, immediately invert cake and remove parchment, then reinvert and cool right side up. If using baking sheets and making a rolled cake, immediately invert cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Dust top of cake with confectioners' sugar and roll up in towel. Let cool completely, about 1 hour, before unrolling and spreading with filling.

Tools for this recipe

• Fat Daddio's 9-inch round cake pans, set of 2, KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Reynolds unbleached parchment paper, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

You can, but the texture will be denser. Cake flour has around 7% protein compared to 10-12% in all-purpose, which gives sponge cake its soft crumb. If you must substitute, measure 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace them with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

How long does sponge cake keep?

Wrap each cooled layer tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, double-wrap in plastic and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen layers in their wrapping at room temperature for about 2 hours before filling or serving.

Why did my sponge cake turn out flat?

The most likely cause is deflating the egg whites during folding. Beat them to stiff, glossy peaks, then fold in three additions: one third first to lighten the yolk mixture, then the remaining two thirds gently. Sift the cake flour over the top instead of dumping it in, since unsifted flour drags out air with every stroke.

Can I make the cake layers ahead of time?

Bake and cool the layers, wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months. Martha's test kitchen turns the sheet version into a make-ahead ice cream cake by spreading softened ice cream on the cooled sheet, rerolling it, and freezing until solid. Assemble layered cakes with filling the day you serve for the best texture.

What fillings work best with this sponge cake?

The neutral vanilla flavor pairs with almost anything. Stack two rounds with whipped cream and sliced strawberries for a classic shortcake, or brush each layer with simple syrup before frosting to add moisture. For the sheet version, spread lemon curd, pastry cream, or about 2 cups softened ice cream before rolling.