How to achieve the perfect sponge cake every time

What if the sponge cake turned out as beautiful every time as it looks in colourful culinary magazines? It's not a matter of luck but practice and knowing the basic rules.

An even and beautifully risen sponge cake, without a sunken centre, is almost the hallmark of every amateur chef. Preparing such a cake may seem very simple, yet it is very easy to make a mistake. To be able to boast an ideal sponge cake, you need to pay attention to two things: properly aerating the batter and cooling the sponge cake under specific conditions.

To achieve a fluffy sponge cake, you must aerate the batter properly. However, you must pay attention to the details to accomplish this. One such detail is the prior preparation of ingredients. Why? Firstly, they should be at room temperature, and secondly, whisked eggs cannot wait while you find and sift the flour. Everything should be ready to use.

You can prepare the sponge cake batter cold or warm. Add sugar to the whisked egg whites and the remaining ingredients in the first instance. In the warm method, the eggs are beaten with sugar over a water bath, and then the rest of the ingredients are added. Either way, you must ensure that the batter is well-aerated. What does that mean?

Incorporating a lot of air into the batter will make our sponge cake rise beautifully. The key lies in well-beaten egg whites (you can read here how to do it correctly) and how the remaining ingredients are added to the foam. We do this gradually to avoid weighing down the batter. The dry ingredients should be incorporated last and mixed in with a spatula. This should not take too long, so the foam doesn't fall.

Before pouring the batter into the mould, prepare it well. Not everyone knows that the mould for a sponge cake should only be lined with paper on the bottom. The sides should not be covered with baking paper or greased. This allows the rising cake to 'climb' up the sides, preventing the sides from collapsing and the centre from bulging.

Place the mould with the batter directly into the preheated oven. Remember not to open the oven during baking. When the specified baking time has passed, you can slightly open the door to check with a toothpick if the cake is indeed baked. If it is not ready, extend the baking time.

The ready sponge cake should be removed from the oven immediately. It should not be left in the oven, as it can dry out excessively. The sponge cake needs to cool in the mould—if you remove it from the mould too early, the centre may sink. To get an even sponge cake, drop it from a small height onto the counter or, when it slightly falls, turn it upside down (along with the pan) and cool it on a rack.