Classic Sponge Cake

Growing up, my fondest memory of baking with my mam has to be baking a sponge cake. I’m sure it’s not the case but it feels like we were constantly making them. I loved helping her, she would always let me do the mixing, although I’m not sure how that always turned out!

I don’t know about anywhere else but in the west of Ireland sponge cakes were always a big deal. Even when I was a teenager, me and my friend Tracey used to get a sponge cake every Friday from Super Valu and split that bad boy in two. They don’t call them the good old days for nothing!

Nowadays I try and limit myself to one slice, try being the operative word here! Sponge cakes are relatively easy to make in theory, equal parts flour, butter and sugar, adding your eggs one at a time. The key is in the creaming of the butter and sugar and lightly folding in your flour to incorporate air while not overdoing it. I always add vanilla to mine for that hint of joy but feel free not to if you want a more classic sponge.

Right, down to business. Here is my classic sponge cake recipe. Try it out.

Bácail Sona! 👩🏻‍🍳

Classic Sponge Cake Recipe

⏲ Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

⏲ Bake Time: 20-25 minutes

⏲ Rest Time: 20 minutes

🍰 Servings: 10 slices

Equipment

• stand/hand mixer

• 2 9inch cake tins

• large mixing bowl

• weighing scale

• measuring spoons

• spatula

• cooling rack

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups/ 225g self raising flour

• 1 cup/ 225g caster/super fine sugar

• 16 tbsp/ 225g unsalted butter

• 1tsp/ 5g baking powder

• 1 1/2 tsp/ 12g cornstarch

• 1/4 tsp/ 1.25g salt

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup/ 240ml heavy cream

• 2 tbsp icing/confectioners sugar

• 1tsp/5g vanilla extract

• 240g strawberry/raspberry jam

Instructions

1.

Preheat the oven 350°F, 180°C. Line and grease two 9inch cake tins.

2.
Weigh and sieve your self raising flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt. Sieve the mixture four times and set aside.

3.
Cream your soft room temperature butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy and doubled in size.

4.
Add your eggs, one at a time, incorporating each one fully. This will take about one minute per egg. Make sure your eggs are room temperature or you risk curdling your mixture.

5.
Add your vanilla and mix through for a few seconds. Sieve your flour mixture in and fold in lightly but quickly or mix on low until just mixed through.

6.
I add a tablespoon of milk here to make the mixture velvety. This is completely optional.
Spread your cake batter equally between your two cake tins. I weigh mine but you can eye ball it if you’re not as anal as I am!

7.
Spread the batter with a spatula until it’s even and bake for 20-25 minutes until your cakes spring back to your touch in the center.

8.
Let your cakes cool for about 20 minutes and then use a butter knife around the entire edge to help release the cakes.

Place one of your cakes on a cake round and spread your jam evenly along the entire surface.

9.
Beat your heavy cream, vanilla and icing/confectioners sugar together until thick, about 5 minutes and spread evenly on top of your jam.

10.
Add your second cake layer and sieve extra icing sugar/confectioners on top.