French Vanilla Sponge Cake

French Vanilla Sponge Cake

Sponge Cakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is about the best sponge cake recipe you can find. This cake is very light and fluffy and melts in your mouth when you eat it. In spite of its fluffiness, it has a firm and well aerated structure. It can be eaten as is, or with your choice of fresh fruits or frosting. It is especially great with Vanilla ButtercreamVanilla Bean Buttercream or Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting. It can be used for wedding, birthday or any celebration cake of your choice. This is an adaptation of a recipe by Anh of Cooking with Anh. I have however given it my own twists and broken down the recipe to fit various cake pan sizes.

3 Tier Wedding Cake made with French Vanilla Sponge Cake

3 Tier Wedding Cake made with French Vanilla Sponge Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

Below, I will be giving you the recipe for a single 8 or 9 inch sponge or two 6 inch sponges. The recipe can be doubled or divided to give you sponges of various sizes. I will be giving you measurements for various sizes in the notes at the end of this post.

(1) 120 Grams Cake Flour (1 Cup) (See Note 1)

(2) 6 Large Eggs (Separated) (See Note 2)

(3) 125 Grams Granulated White Sugar (1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons OR 10 Tablespoons) (See Note 3)

(4) 50 Grams Granulated White Sugar (1/4 Cup OR 4 Tablespoons)

(5) 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

(6) 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

(8) 85 Grams Unsalted Butter (6 Tablespoons) (Melted)

(9) 2 Tablespoons Oil (See Note 4)

(10) 2 Tablespoons Water

(11) 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

(12) 1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar (Optional).

sponge cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES:

(1) This recipe calls for cake flour as opposed to regular or all purpose flour. This gives this cake its light and soft crumb structure. You can make your own cake flour at home using the tips on my homemade baking substitutions page.

(2) Sponge cakes get most of their volume from eggs. To get the most volume from your eggs, please ensure that they are at room temperature. Separate the eggs while they are cold, cover them and leave them to come to room temperature.

(3) The sugar in this recipe can be reduced by up to 1/4 cup. You might want to exercise this option for clients who do not want very sweet cakes. In addition, I always use a simple syrup along with this cake to add some moisture to it which also adds sweetness to the cake. You might want to reduce the sugar quantity if you will be using a simple syrup.

(4) Any flavorless oil will work great here. This includes corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil and vegetable oil.

PREPARE YOUR PAN:

It is always a good practice to prepare your baking pans before you start baking.

Grease your cake pan with some oil, melted butter or grease spray. Use a pastry brush while greasing to ensure that it gets to all the corners of the pan. Line the bottom and sides of the pan(s) with parchment paper after greasing. Alternatively, put a bit of flour in the pan after greasing it and rotate it so that the flour coats the pan completely and line only the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. These steps are important to ensure that the cakes rise properly and come out easily. Don’t use only oil or melted butter to coat your pan as sponge cake batters need some friction to rise while baking. Due to how light the batter is, it needs to cling on something: the parchment paper or flour molecules. Set the pan aside.

Prepare Pan

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURE:

(1)  Preheat your oven to 350 (F) or 177 (C) degrees and place the baking rack on the bottom tier of your oven. The sponge needs the high heat from the bottom of the oven to rise.

(2) Whisk the cake flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside. Melt the butter and combine the melted butter with the water and oil and set aside too.

Melted Butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Place the egg yolks and 125 grams of sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer attached with the paddle attachment and beat at high speed for 5 to 8 minutes. Please ensure that the eggs are at room temperature so they beat faster. At the end of the beating process, the mixture will be thick and have a pale yellow color. When you lift up the beater, the batter should fold back like a ribbon before merging with the rest of the batter. Add the 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. About 30 seconds.

2014-02-26 13.55.48

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Take the mixing bowl off the mixer. Pour in the melted butter/water/oil mixture and fold in with a spatula. The butter mixture will sink to the bottom of the bowl when you pour it in. Be very gentle when folding so as not to deflate the egg yolk mixture. Fold until blended. Make sure you get to the bottom of the bowl when folding.

Fold

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5) Next, fold in the flour mixture. Again, be very gentle when folding so as not to deflate the egg yolks. Set aside while you beat the egg whites. If  you have two stand mixing bowls, beat the egg whites while folding in the above. If you have only one mixing bowl, pour the beaten egg mixture into another large bowl before folding in the flour and butter mixtures. Wash the mixing bowl thoroughly as egg whites are very fussy and will only beat well in a clean, grease-free and dry bowl. A hand mixer and aluminium bowl can also be used to beat the egg whites.

Flour

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold In

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6) In your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the egg whites (at room temperature) and beat at high speed. As soon as it starts to form, add the cream of tartar and continue beating. The cream of tartar helps the egg whites beat to full capacity. You can leave it out if you do not have it. Next, add in the remaining 50 grams of sugar a tablespoon at a time and beat until medium (not stiff) peaks form. This takes about 3 minutes depending on temperature of the egg whites and how clean and dry your mixing bowl is.

Foam

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medium Peak

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7) Fold the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions. Again, be very careful not to deflate the batter. The egg whites need not be completely blended with the batter; a few streaks of egg whites is fine. The resulting batter will be very light and airy. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake on the bottom tier of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 mins or until a toothpick or tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Please do not over bake the sponge as this will give you a dry cake. Try as much as possible not to “disturb” the cake while it bakes. You can disturb a cake by opening the oven door, taking it out of the oven, reducing the heat or prematurely inserting a tester.

Mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: If doubling the recipe and using more than one cake pans, be sure to distribute the batter evenly among the cake pans. If after 30 mins you notice that only one cake is ready, take that one out and leave the second to continue baking. After 25 mins of baking, you can rotate the pans and swoop their positions so as to ensure that they bake evenly. Do not do this earlier as they might deflate when handling. Fit both pans on the same bottom baking tier so they both get even high heat.

(8) VERY IMPORTANT: As soon as you take the cakes out of the oven, DROP them on your counter from about a foot above. This will shock the cakes and prevent the sides from caving in as it cools.

Baked

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9) Allow cakes to cool completely on wire racks before taking them out of the baking pans. You might need to run a knife or flat edged spatula around the edges of the pan before removing the cakes to ensure that they do not stick to the pan and tear. After taking them out, ensure that they are sitting right side up (as they were baked) and not upside down. Be very gentle when handing the cakes as they will be very soft.

PS: Cakes can be frosted as needed. To make the cakes extra moist, prepare a simple syrup. Directions on how to make simple syrup can be found here. Each cake can be divided into 2 layers. It is good practice to keep your cakes in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to firm up before leveling, dividing or frosting. Its easier to work with firm cakes as they will not tear/break when handled and will produce fewer crumbs when frosting. The cakes below were made using this recipe.

bouquet cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spida

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

END NOTES:

RECIPE FOR TWO 8 OR 9 INCH SPONGES OR ONE 12 INCH SPONGE

(1) 240 Grams Cake Flour (2 Cups)

(2) 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder (1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon)

(3) 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

(4) 170 Grams Unsalted Butter (3/4 Cup)

(5) 4 Tablespoons Oil (1/4 Cup)

(6) 4 Tablespoons Water (1/4 Cup)

(7) 12 Large Eggs

(8) 250 Grams Granulated White Sugar (1-1/4 Cups)

(9) 100 Grams Granulated White Sugar (1/2 Cup)

(10) 4 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract (1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon)

(11) 1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

RECIPE FOR ONE 11 INCH SPONGE

(1) 200 Grams Cake Flour

(2) 3-1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

(3) 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

(4) 142 Grams Unsalted Butter

(5) 3-1/2 Tablespoons Oil

(6) 3-1/2 Tablespoons Water

(7) 10 Large Eggs

(8) 208 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(9) 82 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(10) 3-1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

(11) 3/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

RECIPE FOR TWO 7 INCHE SPONGES OR  ONE 10 INCH SPONGE

(1) 180 Grams Cake Flour (1-1/2 Cup)

(2) 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder (1 Tablespoon)

(3) 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

(4) 127 Grams Unsalted Butter

(5) 3 Tablespoons Oil

(6) 3 Tablespoons Water

(7) 9 Large Eggs

(8) 186 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(9) 75 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(10) 3 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract (1 Tablespoon)

(11) 3/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

RECIPE FOR A SINGLE 7 INCH SPONGE

(1) 80 Grams Cake Flour (2/3 Cup)

(2) 1-1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

(3) 1/8 Teaspoon Salt

(4) 57 Grams Unsalted Butter (1/4 Cup)

(5) 1-1/2 Tablespoons Oil

(6) 1-1/2 Tablespoons Water

(7) 4 Large Eggs

(8) 83 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(9) 33 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(10) 1-1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

(11) 1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

RECIPE FOR A SINGLE 6 INCH AND SMALLER SPONGES

(1) 60 Grams Cake Flour (1/2 Cup)

(2) 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

(3) 1/8 Teaspoon Salt

(4) 42 Grams Unsalted Butter

(5) 1 Tablespoon Oil

(6) 1 Tablespoon Water

(7) 3 Large Eggs

(8) 62 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(9) 25 Grams Granulated White Sugar

(10) 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

(11) 1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Terry Adido is passionate about showing people how easy it is to recreate restaurant quality meals in the comfort of their kitchens. With a style of cooking he refers to as Afro-European Fusion, his meals are influenced greatly by French and Italian Cuisine with a West African twist. If you love good food, you are in for the ride of your life.

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227 comments on “French Vanilla Sponge Cake
  1. Gift says:

    thanks Terry am soo gonna try dis loving it n tx for sharing freely ur knowledge with all

  2. Monica says:

    Am going to try out the sponge cake this weekend. Thanks Terry!

  3. Anat Alabi-Imokiri (Barr) says:

    God bless you Terry, just got this your kind of pan, am so trying this this weekend. God bless, oh i said that b4, double then:)

  4. Kenny says:

    Thanks Terry God Bless You.

  5. Mardiyya Isyaku says:

    Pls Terry, is cake flour same as self raising and what is the difference with all purpose flour. Thnx for your recipes.

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi. All 3 flours are different. Self Rising flour has some baking powder added to it. Cake flour has some corn starch added to it to make it light. All purpose flour is regular flour which can be used for most bakes.

  6. lara Orire says:

    Nice one Terry, will try it

  7. Lola says:

    Terry can you make your own cake flour from scratch.

  8. Ngozi says:

    Hello Terry, thank you for this very easy to follow recipe. Can I store this cake in the freezer or fridge, and for how long?

    • Terry Adido says:

      You can store the cake in the freezer for up to 2 months and in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Remember that cakes dry up as they age. It is advisable to use a simple syrup when frosting the cake if storing for long to make the cake moist.

  9. Shade says:

    Reading thru,makes baking more easier and fun…thanks Terry,u rock.God bless you.

  10. Topsy says:

    Hi Terry, tried the cake this weekend and I must say it was awesome! Followed every step. Light as air. I guess spending 5.59 on the pure vanilla extract was worth it! Thanks again!

  11. feyikayo Arotiba says:

    pls Terry if i dnt use d cream of tar tar wil it affekt ma end product in termz of texture n oda aspekt

  12. Ann Dolly says:

    Thanks 4 all U’ve bn sharing. U r indeed blessed, pls kp it up.

  13. Vida C. B Nyenwa says:

    Hi Terry, pls can i use de all purpose flour in place of de cake flour. I don’t know if i’ll see de cake flour here in Asaba. Tanx. God bless.

  14. Lucy Nkatta says:

    Terry, you are a blessing to many of us,keep up the good works you are doing, God bless you

  15. joy says:

    Terry please I don’t have mixer, what will I do…I need ur help cos I want to try it dis weekend

  16. soibi says:

    How do I make d frosting?

  17. Bukola Rahamat says:

    This is so cute and lovely. Will love to try this but av never baked before so am scared if it will come out nice. All the same good work here.

  18. Cherished says:

    Thanks Terry for this recipe but I would like to know if the sugar can be reduced!

  19. Tope. says:

    Tnks Terry. Would like to ask if margarine can be used in place of butter.

  20. M says:

    Hi Terry,

    Please can I use a non stick cake pan for this cake, if so do i still need to line with parchment paper? also, can i use this recipe for cupcakes too.

    thank you.

    • Terry Adido says:

      As a rule, I always flour or line my cake pans, whether or not they are nonstick, so I will advice that you do same. Though I have never used this recipe for cupcakes, I know a couple of people who have and they said it turned out great.

  21. M says:

    Okay, thanks .

  22. M says:

    So, Terry i made the cake and it was delicious. However, mine was a bit chewy. pls what did i do wrong?

  23. M says:

    Terry Please can you recommend a simple and nice cake to make for kids. I want to bake my daughters birthday cake.

    Thank you.

  24. M says:

    alright, will check them out. thanks for your help.

  25. Olu says:

    Hi Terry i tried this recipe and it was all looking good until i left it to cool after baking. The cake rose properly and looked a picture of prefection but when i came back to it when it had cooled it looked like it had shrunk into itself.. I want to try it again any suggestions on how to stop it shrinking. Thank you

  26. uju says:

    Can I make baby shower cake from this recipe or is there any odr recipe I can add to it? Tnx

  27. Ifeanyi Emetulu says:

    Pls is bicarbonate same as cream of tar tar

  28. Uju muotoh says:

    Hi Terry. Please I want to make a 14 X 10 cake. By wot should I double this recipe. Thank you.

    • Terry Adido says:

      I usually double the recipe for a 9 by 13 inch cake. I assume you can do the same for a 10 by 14 inch cake. It will also depend on how high you want the cake to be. You can look at my Plaid Shirt cake for an example of how high the outcome will be. For a higher cake, you can triple the recipe. I tripled the recipe for my Dora the explorer cake but baked it in two separate tins.

  29. evelyn says:

    Hi terry,I just tried out dis recipe,its sooo nice,so spongey and tastes great,its quite light tho,does it harden with time or do I hv to put it in d freezer before I can cover with buttercream and fondant?tnx soooo much for sharing dis wonderful recipe,may God bless and enlarge ur coast ijn…

  30. Elizabeth says:

    Hi Terry,is there a particular reason why preservatives was not included in the ingredient list? Because I want to preserve this cake after baking.

  31. Martha says:

    Hi Terry.ow can I even prepare a cake on my own? I haven’t done it before.my sist. knows how but she is too busy.pls

  32. Laura O says:

    Hi Terry, my mixer did not come with a paddle attachment,what effect will using a whisk attachment for the the egg yoke/sugar mixture have? Thanks.
    And thanks also for sharing your knowledge.

  33. Sapphire says:

    Hi Terry,

    Thanks so much for this recipe. I tried it on Wednesday and oh my it was really light. I even put red food colour to make swirls. I will do it again this weekend.
    Thanks so much.

  34. Tinu says:

    Mr Terry,
    Will I still melt the butter and all other methods here if am using turning stick.
    thank you.

  35. Esther says:

    Thanks again. I used this recipe for a friend’s daughters birthday cake and she loved eating the scrap. She was so sad there was no left over. I made it with the buttercream. Your website is my go to for recipes.

  36. Laura says:

    Hi Terry,
    Mine was exactly the same as yours when it came out of the oven. As soon as I “dropped” it a huge crater appeared. I want to make it again in the future. Any idea why this happened?
    Thanks

  37. Mabel says:

    Pls Terry on the simple syrup, can you explain more? You said ratio 1:1 and how do I measure? Water(fluid) n sugar(powder). Thnks

  38. Mabel says:

    Pls Terry on the simple syrup:
    How do I achieve the 1:1 ratio in terms of measurement since water(fluid) n sugar(powder) forms.
    Also, can the left over be used at a later date?
    Thnks

    • Terry Adido says:

      The 1:1 ratio refers to volume. So 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water. or 1/4 cup of sugar to 1/4 cup of water. I am not sure what they leftover can be used for, so make just enough that you would need.

  39. Blessing bill says:

    I tried out this recipe yesterday for a client who requested for a fluffy cake and I knew of course she needed a sponge cake,I made 4x this recipe,followed the same procedure and it yielded a fluffy spongy#lol#.I wish I could share a pics of what it looks like. Thanks Terry, your the best.

  40. Precious says:

    Terry please can I make this cake using a hand mixer? I don’t have a stand mixer. If not, which one of your cakes can I make using a hand mixer for a birthday and to frost with butter icing. Thank you

  41. Duru Faith says:

    Tanx dear.Will given it a try

  42. Bisi says:

    Hi Terry can I use this recipe for cupcakes?

  43. Dweet says:

    Thank you for the measurement for different pan sizes. Very helpful.
    This recipe is awesome, I’ve used it for some of my cakes. I thought it’ll be too light to be decorated with fondant though but it wasn’t.
    Sometimes it feels like the procedure is stressful but its worth it.

  44. Aisha says:

    Love to read yr recipes the way you explain it. Wl try it out surely. Also, can I use lime juice instead of cream of tartar.

  45. Teniola Adamson says:

    Thanks boss

  46. Tosin Coker says:

    My hero u have just done an amazing thing with this post. But if i may ask, is corn starch the same with corn flour and corn syrup. Then another question, is this recipe for shallow pan or deep pan?

  47. Abimbola Odogwu says:

    Wow! I tried this method and my cake was so nice. thanks so much Terry.

  48. Chef John Adeyemi says:

    Cool………..

  49. Uche says:

    Terry u r simply d best.ur recipes r so detailed n easy to follow.God bless u.

  50. mimi says:

    Terry, are we to frost d cake right-side up should we turn turn it up-side down as usual?

  51. Dolapo says:

    Tried this recipe sometimes ago and it was smelling of egg, is there something I’m missing?

    • Terry Adido says:

      It does contain a lot of eggs, it however should not smell of eggs. The type of flavor used, the quality of the melted butter and freshness of the eggs matter a lot. Having said that, some people have a heightened sense of smell.

  52. Wuraola says:

    Hi Terry, great recipe you have there. Thanks alot.
    A client ordered a “very fluffy cake” without any form of frosting. So I tried your recipe for myself before going ahead to bake the client’s. Well, the taste was great but the cake however shrunk itself. Didn’t look presentable but it tasted nice. Please do you have any idea what I must have done wrong?
    Considering I followed the instructions step by step!

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi. Sponge cakes tend to shrink a bit after baking. This is the reason why I drop the pan as soon as it is out of the oven so it shocks the cake and prevents it from shrinking. Another thing you wanna watch is the size of the baking pan. Too small and the cake would implode in the middle as it cools. I trust that you used the suggested recipe break down for the size of pan you used. All the best in your future bakes.

  53. Wuraola says:

    Okay. Thank you. 🙂

  54. nnenna says:

    Pls what is the difference btw cornflour and cornstarch bc in nigeria here,I’m told its d same thing.I also googled it to learn more n both are called the same thing but d name difference is as a result of countries like canada calls it cornstarch while UK calls it cornflour. Pls explain to me so that I won’t make a mistake.

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi. True, depending on your location, they could both mean the same thing. However, corn starch is generally lighter and finer than corn flour. In terms of texture, it is lighter than cake flour and icing sugar. It has the same texture as the Nigerian “lafun flour” (cassava flour).

  55. Sarah Love says:

    Hi you lovely lady. I have just finished making your french vanilla sponge cake, i used the recipe for a 10 inch square tin and it’s turned out beautifully, so a massive thank you for sharing that. I haven’t tasted it yet, even though it was a trial for a cake i am making for this Saturday, its now Wednesday night. It’s too good to eat, so i’m thinking i will use it instead of trying it!!! My question is, how long will it keep for in the fridge?? I’m not covering it in buttercream frosting and fondant until Friday evening?? It will be delivered to a birthday party Saturday night, so needs to last until at least monday i would imagine!! Will it be ok waiting in the fridge until i cover it Friday? I fear not! I will be making another 2 tiers (2 more 10 inch sponges) tomorrow also. This is eventually going to look like a Chanel handbag, the classic quilted black one, with gold chain. I cannot wait. I love the white one you did standing up, but that looks too hard, mine will be laying down!! Anyway, i’m waffling on, my main question is what is the lifespan for this cake?? I normally use a madeira sponge as the lifespan is long, but find its too dry and hard, this seems so spongey and soft, absolutely gorgeous. I’ve also used red food colouring gel, as i want a pink sponge. I added that after the egg whites, but for the next 2 tiers i will add that just before the egg whites i think, otherwise i’m folding far too much, even though it doesn’t seem to have effected it in any way. Your recipe and the method is so wonderful to follow, i just changed the amounts as i went to make it right for a 10 inch square tin and cooked for 40 minutes…perfect. Thank you so much for your time. Sarah xx sorry for waffling on, very tired!! Hope you can advise me xx

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi Sarah, first of all, I’m a guy. That aside, I’m glad the recipe turned out great. As per storage, this is how I bake my cakes. For a cake due on Saturday, I’d bake it on Wednesday (like you did), cover it with cling film when cool and keep in the fridge. I’d frost it on Thursday. I would advice soaking with a bit of simple syrup when frosting. Return to fridge. Then I’d cover with fondant on Friday. Depending on how hot, humid or cold the weather is, it might stay outside the fridge until it is ready for pickup on Saturday. As per life span, I have kept this cake, frosted and all out of the fridge for about 4 days and it was still fine. It however gets drying as it ages. All the best with the cake.

  56. Sarah Love says:

    I forgot to say it’s in the fridge covered it in cling film/food wrap

  57. Sarah Love says:

    Thank you so much for getting back so quickly and massive apologies for the mix up!!! I’m so embarrassed!!! Terry, you’re a lovely guy and can seriously bake!!!

    I decided to freeze the sponge in the end last night. Was then going to take it out the freezer Friday, leave to defrost for a few hours and then shape, buttercream and cover in fondant, all in one go on Friday.

    Will make the other 2 today and keep them in the fridge once cooled.

    Thank you again honey, you’re amazing xx

  58. Vivian says:

    Hello Ted ! I want to made 1/4 sheet cake so which amounts recipe should I follow ?
    Thanks in advance

  59. Toyin says:

    Hi Terry, Each time i try to bake a sponge cake using this procedure,the egg usually settles when d cake is done. tried your recipe and d same thing happened, egg settles down, cake smells so eggy, texture not nice at all… i wonder what could be d cos… i used magarine dou… its whats available here

    • Terry Adido says:

      Unfortunately, being that I’m not there with you while you are baking, I cannot tell you where you went wrong. Egg usually does not settle in cakes. The use of margarine is definitely not to blame.

  60. eloho says:

    I finally conquered my fear for this cake. It was a hit! Thanks

  61. Dolapo says:

    Mr Terry please the water and sugar syrup can I add it to my cake before frosting and covering it with fondant.

  62. Amaka says:

    Hi terry, thanks so much for this recipe, I tried it with margarine and it was heavenly so Fluffy and delish… Lol. But am scared it won’t hold up well with fondant icing as its so Fluffy and light. Thanks

  63. Oluwafeyikemi Omoniyi says:

    Hi uncle Terry! I must say, you’re heavensent. been a silent follower. Tried some of your recipes, they really turned out great.lol. would try this particular one nextweek cos i have to bake for someone using butter not margarine.

    Thank you so very much. God bless you.

  64. hasna begum says:

    hi terry i actually bake this cake often it comes out very well, but at times i have little lumps, please advise me on how to avoid this, because over mixing makes the cake dense, so i dry to be very gentle when folding the flour.Thank you

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi Hasna. This happens when you do not properly incorporate the flour into the batter. Yeah, its tricky as you do not want the batter to deflate. I would suggest sifting the flour before using. You might also be under mixing.

  65. hasna begum says:

    thanks for the advise, i always shift the flour, i will mix abit longer now and see if i can overcome this problem..

  66. Patience says:

    Please Terry, what do you mean by dropping the cake as soon as it is out of the oven

  67. Peggy says:

    Hi Terry, I’m looking for a sponge cake recipe to make for my niece’s upcoming birthday and happened upon your recipe for this French sponge cake right after seeing Anh’s recipe on Cooking with Anh. Her recipe makes a 10-inch layer, but yours makes a single 8- or 9-inch layer. I was wondering why the difference. Your unfinished cake layers look very tall–are you using 3-inch tall pans with your recipe?

    I see that you converted the dry ingredients to metric measurements; use slightly less sugar; and replaced her salted butter with unsalted butter plus salt, but I don’t see any major differences between your recipes. Thanks!

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi Peggy, yeah, like I noted in the recipe, it is an adaptation of Anh’s recipe. Any quantity of batter can be put in any cake pan size so long as the pan is large enough to contain the batter. It thus really isn’t a course for concern if someone baked a recipe in a 10″ pan and another person used an 8″ pan. The difference would be in the baking duration and height of sponge. You are free to use any of the recipes you desire. The pans I used in the unfinished sponge are 10″ and about 2.5″ high.

      • Peggy says:

        Thanks for the quick reply, Terry. I like that you converted the recipe to metric measurements because that’s my preference for baking. The reason I asked about the pan size is because when I watched Anh’s youtube demo of the cake (baking a double batch of her recipe), her cakes turned out as tall as the 10 X 2 inch cake pans she used, so I was curious whether you use a taller 8-inch pan to accommodate all of the batter, or does the cake bake up considerable higher than the cake pan? Thanks again.

        Btw I looked at some of the decorated cakes on your site — your work is awesome!

        • Terry Adido says:

          Thanks Peggy. My 8 inch cake pans are 3 inches high so they are able to accommodate the batter. I guess you would only know for certain after trying it out yourself.

  68. Aniky says:

    Mr Terry, Thank u so much for this post, what kind of butter can one use? i have used unsalted butter (President) but my cake dint come out fine.

  69. idah says:

    Well written recipe with every detail Thank u once again im sure after trying all your recipes I will have more clients.

  70. Oladoyin says:

    Sir,I av tried lots of recipe but this one is too different. Thank u soooo much

  71. Benita Iseriehen says:

    Thank you so much terry,u are always a blessing. Pls jst 1 question, after the cake is ready,what do you mean by “place it on the counter,jst a foot above u”. Pls expantiate,so I dnt miss it.Thanks a lot

  72. Cindy Harry says:

    Terry, so sad this recipe didn’t work for me. It was a fail. My cakes didn’t rise at all, was hard and not spongy. I used margarine instead of butter. Don’t have butter where i am.

  73. Teetee says:

    Hi Terry, thanks for your FREE tutorials and reply to questions.

    First, Please what is the difference between:
    1. Madeira Cake;
    2. Nigerian Cake;
    3. Sponge Cake;
    4. Vanilla Sponge cake.

    How long do you mix each of them in the mixer?

    Secondly, how do you get the inside of the sponge cake to be white and not cream colour.

    Look forward to your reply soon. Thanks and God bless.

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi. (1) Madeira cake is similar to pound cake. To be sincere, I cant tell the difference between the two.
      (2) Nigerian cake is like pound cake but not as rich. Margarine is used for Nigerian cake.
      (3) Sponge cake is light and fluffy as it uses egg whites as part of its rising agent.
      (4) Vanilla sponge cake is a type of sponge cake.
      (5) Time of mixing: the recipe will tell.
      (6) The inside of my french vanilla sponge cake is white. The egg whites make it white.

  74. Edirin Bob says:

    Terry, just want 2 say, u are my “GENERAL” when it comes to cake world. God bless u real good. Cheers

  75. Jennifer Osayande says:

    Oh! Terry you are God sent…I tried d French sponge cake and your red velvet recipes… My oh my!!! They came out perfect, lovely, mouth melting and fluffy😍😍😍

  76. keji says:

    Can I still add buttercream to Di’s recipe to make it very moist

  77. keji says:

    What’s the deffrence BTW salted and unsalted butter

  78. Ayo says:

    Hi Terry.I got to know your website through Pininterest and I must say that your method of teaching is awesome.I would like to try out this recipe for a 14 and 12 inch round cake pan.Should I double the recipe or bake in batches and stack them high?Thanks.

  79. ntokozo says:

    Thanks Terry for such a wonderful cake recipe. indeed the cake melts in the mouth. so soft, fluffy, divine, spot on!. may God continue blessing you. thanks again for sharing.

  80. funmi says:

    nice one. can preservative be added and what type?
    tanx

  81. Josie says:

    This cake is indeed the best in the world. Made one on Monday and to be honest I eat 3/4th before my kids closed from school. I wanted to make one today but realised my baking had run out. Nonetheless I made it anyway with my own substitution and it turned out great. I used baking soda 3/4 tsp, brown sugar and milk in place of the water and honestly I didn’t notice any difference. Good job Terry💪💪💪. Keep up the good work.

  82. Aderonke says:

    Thank you terry for this recipe,I just finished baking & it came out beautifully!THANK YOU

  83. Bakehappy cakes says:

    Hi Adido,Will salted butter do well wit dis recipe?

  84. Comfort says:

    You deserve a bear hug for this. You have really demystified the whole mystery. I have been trying to figure this out for a long time. Trying out several recipe after another. I have not tried it yet. But looking at this, I know this is it. Thanks a millions. May you always get answers to all your questions. You are the best so far.

  85. Mary says:

    Hello Terry, thanks so much for all the replies n your time. Really appreciated, can I use self raising flour instead of cake flour. Also can I add corn flour to self raising flour for the cakes and I can I use butter like stork instead of unsalted butter. Thanks

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi Mary, (1) I have never worked with self rising flower before and so do not know much about it. I know for sure that it is flour mixed with baking powder. That being the case, it is not a substitute for cake flour as cake flour is all purpose flour mixed with corn starch. There is no baking powder in cake flour. (2) I am not sure as I have ever used SRF. (3) Yes.

  86. Marian Idahosa says:

    I dont understand the same sugar as used ie 125g white granulated sugar and 75g white granulated sugar are the sugar the same tnks

  87. utieyinshola edema says:

    Dear terry, thanks for the post, I want to ask, what is the height of the pans, I understand the sizes, but the height?

  88. Gloria says:

    Hi Terry, your cake recipe looks nice. I will definitely try it out tomorrow and will give you feedback.

  89. Amy says:

    Hi Terry! I’ve used your recipe many times and really like it. Do you have an adaptation for chocolate sponge cake? I read thru the comments hoping to find one, but no luck. I look forward to hearing from you!

  90. Anne Rothwell says:

    Hi Want to make the cake for a wedding. It will just have buttercream or ganache on it .
    2 questions
    as we don’t want to be making cake a few days before .
    1. Can we bake and freeze it
    2. Whats the best portion the cake and freeze or cut when just defrosting

  91. Keren says:

    Well hello there Terry. Thanks alot for your recipes. I just wanna ask if this particular cake can be covered with fondant icing or do you think it’ll be too heavy for this cake?

  92. Kareem oluwatosin says:

    Hello Terry. Can one increase d number of eggs for this cake?

  93. Olufunke says:

    I just tried this and it’s PERRRRRRFECTA!THANK YOU Terri.God bless you plenty.

  94. Joy says:

    Hi Terry, ain’t you the sweetest person ever? Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, and for all you do. I appreciate you so much. You are always in my prayers. May God bless your kind heart, amen. I have a few questions please. 1) after washing the mixing bowl(in preparation to beat the egg whites), is it okay to dry it with a clean cloth, or does it have to be air dried? 2) The technique of “droping” the cakes on the counter, does it apply to all sponge cakes? 3) Please in the final End Notes, your “Teaspoon” measurement is it the same as 1/2 Tablespoon of a standard measuring spoon? And I’m a bit confused as to how 4 Teaspoons of a certain ingredient translates to 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon. I would appreciate it if you could kindly shed more light on this for me 4) Please how do you keep your covered cakes (with buttercream and fondant) in the fridge, do you put them in a cake carrier/doom before putting it in the fridge, or do you just put them like that, and even outside the fridge too while they are waiting for pickup? Thanks in anticipation.

  95. Barbara says:

    Hi,how can I achieve a size 10 inch square cake, 2.5 inch high. Do i double the recipe you gave for size 10 round cake or double recipe for size 12 round cake. Thanks. Your blog is a cake saver.

  96. Ugbi-Igwe Shirley says:

    Hello Sir,is the oil on your recipe a normal cooking oil?

  97. SARAH says:

    Hello Terry, thanks for the post. please which is the best way to store the cake after baking, in a refrigerator or freezer? thank you

  98. Phankie says:

    Hi Terry. Thank you for sharing. This cake is awesome! The first time i tried it using 12″ round pans. It came out tall and high. But subsequent baking haven’t been so successful. I noticed the cakes rise to the top of the pans but as soon as they come out the oven the sides cave in and the centre falls. I have tried so many more times but can’t seem to get it like the first time. Kindly advise on possible reasons for this as am baffled and nearly frustrated. This is such a beautiful tasting cake and i would like to bake it as frequently as necessary…..help help ooooohhhhh

  99. Sara says:

    Hi Terry have a doubt about the measuring cup …in the recipe its said 1 cup flour is 120 gmail and half cup sugar is 125 gm…the measuring cup I use is I cup 250gm please help

    • Terry Adido says:

      Hi Sara. 1 Cup of Cake flour is 120 grms.
      1 Cup of All Purpose Flour is 130 grms.
      1 Cup of Granulated White Sugar is 200 grms.
      1/2 Cup of Granulated White Sugar is 100 grms.
      The recipe calls for 1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons of Granulated White Sugar which is roughly 125 grms.

  100. Joanna says:

    Please can I add milk to it

  101. Uzo Blessing says:

    Hi Terry….
    I appreciate your tutorials so far. Pls you said corn starch is finer than corn flour. Knowing this fact can I use corn flour instead of corn starch to achieve my cake flour since corn flour is found in this area.

  102. kudzai says:

    This recipe is fab, I have gotten order like crazy since I started it and I’m just a new kid. kkkk I made a chocolate cake by substituting 30-60g flour with cocoa, it worked well. I use margarine coz butter expensive. we find only self raising flour, cake flour and plain flour in our shops so I use self raising when I’m tight works just as well but the cakes wont be as fluffy as cake flour. I reduce baking powder by a qtr (just out of my head calculation, no maths done- same bp wld make the cake rise like crazy then sink kkkk.) iv found overmixing at ribbon stage sinks ur cake. overwhipping whites to stiff is also bad for it.

  103. kudzai says:

    self raising flour or self raising cake flour works just as well but it wont be as fluffy as with cake flours when I tried it, but I got a few sinks until I began reducing my bp by quarter.

  104. Rahab says:

    Hi Terry. Thanks for all the well elaborated recipes.
    I would like to make a dolly varden cake using the special tin (I’m sure you know it). I love sponge cakes and would like to use this recipe in it. Have you had any experience with this? What would you advice me to do or not? TIA

  105. Gladys says:

    Thanks Terry,have tried some of your recipes I most confess dey are d best so far.plz I will like to know if I can bake dis cake in a figure 2 pan

  106. Ayomide Elizabeth says:

    Tarry without adding cream of tartar To my egg whites will it bring out that peak foam like.

  107. Regina says:

    Hello, thanks for this recipe. I am on a hunt for a cake I tasted once as a child and the look of this struck me. I am surely going to try this out and give my reports 😊

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