List of 9 Basic Sponge Cakes (With their Uses) (2024)

List of nine basic Sponge cakes:- 1. Genoise 2. Chiffon Cake 3. Angel Food Cake 4. Victoria Sponge 5. Devil’s Food Cake 6. Swiss Roll Sponge Cake 7. Madeira Sponge Cake 8. Jaconde Sponge Cake 9. Butter Cake Sponge.

1. Genoise:

Genoise is named after its place of origin, Genoa in Italy. It belongs to the family of light and airy sponge cakes. While the technique for making this batter is similar to that of a basic sponge cake it does differ in that it contains melted unsalted butter. The adding of melted butter produces tenderer and flavourful sponge cake.

The chocolate genoise is made by adding cocoa powder. Genoise is the basic sponge cake and this can be made omitting the butter and will be known as fatless sponge in that case.

Use:

Genoise can have a variety of fillings, such as gateau mocha— with coffee butter cream from France, wiener orange torte— filled with curacao butter cream from Austria, dobos torte— chocolate butter cream and finished with caramel sugar from Hungary.

Method:

Whole eggs and sugar are whisked together to a ribbon stage. This is done over a double boiler to get a greater volume. When the temperature reaches 32°C, remove from bain-marie and continue whisking until temperature reaches 24°C. Flour is carefully folded in Melted butter is folded in by cut and fold method The sponge is baked at once in order to retain as much air in the sponge as possible.

2. Chiffon Cake:

Chiffon cake is a very light and airy sponge that has characteristics of both butter cake and a sponge. Its texture of a sponge makes it much desirable to a sweet tooth. Though unlike butter cakes, chiffon cakes use oil and whipped egg whites are used to provide the aeration, along with baking powder that gives it a sponge based texture.

It is fairly quick to make this cake as a batter is made combining oil, raising agent, and flour and whipped egg whites are folded in.

Use:

The high oil content in this cake does not allow the cake to set firm, as oil remains liquid at room temperatures therefore the cake is more moist than the an butter cakes. This makes them ideal choice for cakes and gateaux which need chilling or freezing. Chiffon cakes are also healthier choice as it does not have saturated fats and relies solely on oil.

The disadvantage here is that the cake lacks the real buttery flavour that people often look, when it comes to cakes. This is the reason why these cakes are teamed up with lots of fresh fruits and served with accompanying sauces such as chocolate or fruit-based sauces.

Method:

Sift all the dry ingredients together. Whisk the egg yolks with sugar until light and creamy. Add oil and fold in the flour. Make a meringue with egg whites and remaining sugar and carefully fold in the flour and oil mixture. Traditionally chiffon cakes are baked in tube shaped round mould.

3. Angel Food Cake:

Angel food cake is airy and because of its lightness and its pure white colour it is said to be the ‘food of the angels’. This cake has no egg yolks, fat, or artificial leavener therefore it relies totally on stiffly beaten egg whites for leavening. Its sole ingredients are egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, flour, salt, and flavouring such as fruit extracts and essences.

Angel food cake has the highest sugar content of all the sponge cakes and this added sugar is needed to support and stabilize the whipped egg whites. As the egg whites give the cake its volume and structure, care must be taken when adding them to the dry ingredients so they do not collapse.

Use:

Angel food cake is served whole with fruit-based sauces or sugar glaze pored over on the top. Angel food should preferable be sliced with a serrated cake knife as a normal knife would compress the cake as it is very soft.

Method:

Egg whites are stiffly beaten with sugar. Cream of tartar is sifted with flour and carefully folded in the mixture. This is traditionally baked in tube shaped ring mould.

4. Victoria Sponge Cake:

Victoria sponge is named after Queen Victoria, who popularized this cake in her afternoon teas. Unlike basic sponge, this sponge is made by creaming method and is usually sandwiched with jam and whipped cream. The top is not iced and can be dusted with icing sugar.

Use:

Used in afternoon tea as a dry cake. The cake is sliced into two halves and sandwiched with jam and whipped cream. It is not iced but can be topped with sifted icing sugar.

Method:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy Add eggs one by one until a stable emulsion has formed. Sift the flour with raising agent and carefully fold in the mixture to form a smooth batter. Bake in a greased mould line with paper. Bake at 220°C for initial 10 minutes and then bake at 180°C for 30 minutes.

5. Devil’s Food Cake:

This is a rich dark chocolate cake and is made by creaming method which is very similar to Victorian sponge. The only difference is that instead of melted chocolate, this sponge relies upon cocoa powder, which makes it more profound and rich in chocolate flavour. The cake also uses hot boiling water as the main liquid to bind the flour and cocoa powder as it contains less eggs.

Use:

This cake is cut into two, layered with rum flavoured sugar syrup and layered with dark chocolate truffle.

Method:

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sifted flour and cocoa powder. Add hot water and mix. Bake in a round cake tin at around 180°C for 40 minutes.

6. Swiss Roll Sponge Cake:

This is very soft sponge and it is baked in thin sheets and baked at high temperatures as low or medium heat will bake it into a biscuit. One could add flavouring depending upon the usage of this sponge. This sponge is also called roulade.

Use:

It is used for making Swiss rolls. Flavoured cream is spread on the sponge sheet and rolled into a tube.

Method:

Separate the eggs and whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar in the recipe. Whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar to form stiff peaks. Fold in flour into the egg yolk mix and carefully fold in egg whites. You can also add melted butter in the last stage to add richness to this sponge.

7. Madeira Sponge Cake:

This is slightly different from Victorian sponge. Here the butter and sugar are creamed with egg yolks and the egg whites are stiffly beaten and folded in. The resulting cake has a good volume and a very spongy texture.

Use:

It can be served plain as tea cakes or some candied and dry fruits can be added to the same.

Method:

Cream butter and some sugar to form a light and fluffy mixture. Add egg yolks to the mixture and meanwhile mix the egg whites and remaining sugar into a stiff meringue. Fold in the flour into the butter and sugar mix and carefully fold in the meringue.

8. Jaconde Sponge Cake:

This is a decorative sponge and is mostly used for lining the sides of the cakes. This is quite a modern invention and is made in two stages. The stage one is to make a deco paste. This is made by combining egg whites, flour, sugar, and butter in equal parts. It can be coloured to give designer effects. Spread on a silicon baking mat as it sticks to other surfaces.

Freeze the deco paste and then spread the special sponge mix onto the design in a layer and bake at high temperatures. The resulting sponge gets the design from deco paste printed on the sponge.

Use:

Various kinds of templates and stencils are available to imprint the designs onto the sponge, which are used as a side collar for cakes and pastries to give them a designer effect.

Method:

Make deco paste and spread on a silpat and freeze. Whisk egg yolks with sugar and separately whisk the egg whites with remaining sugar to form a meringue. Add the almond powder and flour to the yolk mix and fold in the meringue. Lastly fold in the melted butter, spread on the deco paste and bake at 230°C for 5 minutes.

9. Butter Cake Sponge:

Butter cake sponge as known in the USA and commonly known as an English pound cake around the world is called so because it contains a pound (450 g) of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs.

Use:

This cake is often eaten during afternoon teas. It is never iced. At the most it can be topped with sifted icing sugar.

Candied dry fruits can also be added to this cake. It will then be called fruit cake.

Method:

Add cream, butter, sugar, and eggs one by one. When the mixture is fluffy, fold in flour and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes.