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Basic sponge cake
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Easy Sponge cake or Gateaux base

Beautiful cake that just lightly sweet, soft, moist and fluffy while still strong enough to hold any heavyweight decoration. Get out your mixer and bake this cake the easiest way: no folding necessary, perfect for a beginner.
Course Cake decoration, Dessert
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Author Victoria

Ingredients

For an 8" x 3" or 9" x 2" round pan

  • 4 large eggs - ROOM temperature
  • 40 grams all purpose flour ~ 1/3 cup leveled
  • 40 grams corn starch ~ 1/3 cup leveled
  • 70 grams sugar ~ 4 1/2 Tbsp
  • 30 grams vegetable oil NO olive or sesame ~ 3-4 Tbsp
  • 15 grams whole milk ~ 1 Tbsp
  • 15 grams juice or extract drops optional
  • 1/2 tsp cream of Tartar or 1 tsp lime juice
  • ~ 1/4 tsp salt

Recommend tools & supplies

  • Mixer
  • Fine mesh or Flour sifter
  • Large mixing bowl
  • 8 inch round cake pan
  • Parchment paper
  • 10 inch Cake board
  • Kitchen scale or Measuring spoons/cups
  • Wire cooling rack

Instructions

  • Before starting, make sure your eggs are not cold, you can do this by separating the eggs white and yolk then leave them both at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • Measure and cut out parchment paper to fit the bottom of your pan or grease its bottom surface. Do NOT grease the side, non-stick pan is not recommended as it doesn't have enough friction for cake to rise onto.
  • Adjust baking rack depend on your oven type.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Sift your flour and cornstarch.
  • Measure milk/juice, veggies oil and liquid extract into another container.

Whipping eggs white

  • Scrolled up a detailed guide with step by step on how to beat egg white if you are not used to beating egg white.
  • Any how, beat egg white with salt on low, then add cream of tartar and beat till foam. Last, add sugar and beat to soft peak.

Mixing

  • Now turn mixer to LOW. All the next few steps required adding ingredients slowly at lowest speed possible of mixer.
  • Add egg yolks one at a time, wait about 5 second for one to fully mix before adding another.
    Add egg yolks
  • Pour liquid mixture (oil/milk/extract/juice) in.
  • Add 1/3 of sifted flour/corn starch in scattering around the bowl, wait till fully incorporate then add another 1/3, and another (roughly 10-15 seconds in between).
    Add flour/corn starch
  • Turn the mixer off, use its beaters to gently scrape around bowl side.
    Scrape around bowl side

Bake

  • Pour mixed batter into bottom-greased/lined pan.
    Pour to a baking pan
  • Gently shake and tap pan onto counter a few times to remove large bubbles.
  • Bake at 350 F for 25 - 30 minutes using both heating elements.

Cool

  • Once cake is baked (please look through the window, avoid opening oven or cake will slumber), remove from oven.
    Baked sponge cake
  • Then turn and place upside down onto cooling rack. Try to raise cooling rack to allow air flow below.
    Place upside down
  • Once cool, use a paring knife to leer around the edge if the cake doesn't pop out on itself.
  • Serve same day or can be store in fridge 3-4 days, if so, have some buttercream to cover your cake to avoid dry and dense.
  • Finish cake should be light to mildly sweet, soft, fluffy, moist but still firm enough to hold any weight of decoration.