Bake a Great Sponge Cake

3 Parts:

Light, airy and delicious are perfect descriptions for a sponge cake, provided you know the secrets to making a great one! Note that sponge cakes don't usually call for a leavening agent to create volume. The perfect egg whites will act as the leavening agent. If you fail on whipping the egg whites, your cake won't be as light and airy as it should.

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Making a sponge cake is not simply following the directions to mix the ingredients. That's part of the process, of course, but you may not get the lightest or fluffiest cake possible. The chefs all have their own methods of creating the perfect environment for making foam cakes and sponge cakes that they swear makes the cake lighter in texture and outstanding in flavor.

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Here are top tips from the experts for creating a great sponge cake.

1
Mix the ingredients as quickly as you can
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If you are using wire whisk, it is better for you to place the batter into a deeper mixing bowl to prevent the batter from spilling and will make you at ease in whipping the batter quickly. A lot of strength and force will be needing in mixing manually. If you are using a hand mixer or a stand mixer put it on the high speed.Note: You need to mix with one direction only and in circular motion.

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2
Sift the flour, as sifting gives you a finer flour and adds air to the mixture
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A lot of bakers will sift the flour and baking soda together.

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3
Set up your oven before you begin
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Start by properly arranging the racks so your sponge cake can be baked directly in the center. This may not be necessary with newer stoves.
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4
Preheat the oven, again to save time, but also because the cake has to hit the oven at just the right temperature.

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5
Allow your ingredients to reach room temperature before you begin
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Eggs fresh from the refrigerator will not whip as easily. Do not melt the butter, it is better to leave the butter at room temperature overnight before using.
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6
Speaking of eggs, it is best to use the freshest eggs possible
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Fresh eggs will whip into a froth more quickly and it will be easier to whip them with sugar. How to determine if an egg is fresh or not: Fill a deep pot or container with water. Drop in the egg. If it stays at the bottom and lays on its sides, the egg is very fresh. If it lays on the bottom, but the fatty part rises up slightly, the egg is about a week old. If the eggs balance with its tip and the fat end is sticking up, the egg is probably almost three weeks old. If the egg floats, it is considered a bad egg.

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7
Beat eggs and sugar until the mixture is almost white.
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8
Grease and line your baking tins before you start mixing your batter
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There are a lot of ways to grease a baking tin. You may use cooking spray or simply brush the baking tin with butter, or sometimes oil.

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9
Beat your mixture with beaters on high speed to add as much air as possible; during the mixing process, reduce speed to medium to preserve the quantity of air.
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10
Mixing the perfect sponge cake means getting through the process quickly, but not so quickly that you over-mix the batter
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The cut and fold technique is usually called for when mixing together the wet and dry ingredients. It is enough the just fully combine the mixture but not over mixing it.
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11
When you get your cake in the oven, it is vitally important not to open the oven before it is done
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Opening and shutting the oven door alters the temperature and can cause your cake to fall.
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12
Most recipes will require two round baking tins and will usually be ready in 25-30 minutes
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13
Your sponge cake will be a nice golden brown and springy to the touch
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Once you pull them from the oven, allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes in the tin, before turning them out on parchment paper or a cake plate.
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14
A thin bladed knife will loosen the cake from the sides of the tin.
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Making a great sponge cake is not rocket science, but it may take you a few tries to get it right! Bakers will tell you the best trick to delicious baked goods is your attitude; a happy baker will create light and airy sponge cakes and other delicacies. After all, if your mood is light and airy, how could your creations be anything less? Now get out there and bake an awesome sponge cake!

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If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.