Dessert
Light Vanilla Sponge Cakes
The batter gets its lift from whipped whites as well as a little baking powder. Mix some of the foam into the cooled melted butter first, then fold everything together gently.
- Yield
- 1 small batch
- Cuisine
- French-inspired
Bring it to the table
Cool the melted butter
The butter should be fluid but cool, not hot. A portion of the whipped whites loosens it before it is folded into the rest of the batter.
At the table
Serve the little cakes on their own or with fruit and whipped cream prepared separately.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 80 g unsalted butter — melted and cooled until fluid but not hot; plus a little for the molds
- 60 g all-purpose flour — plus a little for the molds
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 150 g egg whites
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
A few useful notes.
The number of cakes depends on mold size; the recipe control represents one small batch.
Use the batter promptly after folding so it retains its air.
Keep fruit or cream toppings separate until serving.
The cooking plan
How to make Light Vanilla Sponge Cakes.
Heat the oven to 355°F. Butter and flour small ovenproof cake molds or muffin cups. Sift the measured flour and baking powder together.
Stir the vanilla into the cooled, fluid melted butter. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the sugar, then increase the speed and beat until glossy peaks stand up when the whisk is lifted.
Stir about one-quarter to one-third of the whipped whites into the vanilla butter to lighten it.
Gently fold the sifted flour mixture into the remaining whites in two or three additions. Fold in the lightened butter mixture just until evenly combined, scraping along the bottom without knocking out more air than necessary.
Spoon into the prepared molds, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, starting to check small cakes at about 10 minutes, until golden, set and springy in the center, with no wet batter on a tester. Larger molds will need longer.
Let the cakes settle briefly in their molds, then turn out carefully onto a rack to cool.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Light Vanilla Sponge Cakes
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Ingredients
Equipment
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 355°F. Butter and flour small ovenproof cake molds or muffin cups. Sift the measured flour and baking powder together.
- Stir the vanilla into the cooled, fluid melted butter. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the sugar, then increase the speed and beat until glossy peaks stand up when the whisk is lifted.
- Stir about one-quarter to one-third of the whipped whites into the vanilla butter to lighten it.
- Gently fold the sifted flour mixture into the remaining whites in two or three additions. Fold in the lightened butter mixture just until evenly combined, scraping along the bottom without knocking out more air than necessary.
- Spoon into the prepared molds, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, starting to check small cakes at about 10 minutes, until golden, set and springy in the center, with no wet batter on a tester. Larger molds will need longer.
- Let the cakes settle briefly in their molds, then turn out carefully onto a rack to cool.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
How many cakes does this make?
That depends on the molds. Fill them about two-thirds full and check doneness rather than relying on a fixed count.
Why mix some whites into the butter first?
It lightens the butter mixture so it can be folded into the remaining foam more evenly.
Keep the good food going
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