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I have a recipe for a sponge cake only consisting of sugar, eggs and flour. To be honest, I am a bit afraid to to try it.

How can this create a fluffy cake - where does the air come from? Won't it be really dry because there is no fat in it?

Also, when doing a cake like this, do I need to pay special attention to something? I am really skeptical that this will work.

How long can I store the undecorated cake? Where and how to store it?

Edit:

Ingredients

  • 6 large organic eggs
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 180g plain organic flour (sieved)

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Break 6 eggs into a very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the eggs gently to break them up, then add the caster sugar and whisk on medium high speed until the ‘thick ribbon’ stage is reached. This means the mixture will be light, have increased substantially in volume and be of a moussy consistency. When you lift the whisk the mixture should fall slowly in thick ribbons.

While the eggs are whisking, grease three (22cm diameter) cake tins and line the bottom with a disk of parchment paper.

When the thick ribbon stage is reached, add the sieved flour and fold in very gently to fully incorporate without knocking the air out of the mixture. Very carefully apportion the mixture between the three cake tins and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning two thirds of the way through the cooking time. You will know when they are ready as they should be golden brown and coming away slightly from the edges of the tins.
 Remove from the oven and cool in their tins for 10 minutes before carefully turning out and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.

source

Aaronut
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Sven
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  • Please post the method as well as the ingredients. – SAJ14SAJ Aug 11 '13 at 15:16
  • @SAJ14SAJ I've added the method & ingredients. – Sven Aug 11 '13 at 15:19
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    Beating the eggs will put air in the mix which will give some fluffiness, it is the water in the eggs turning into steam which will make the mixture rise without any leavening agent. – GdD Aug 11 '13 at 20:08
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    This is the cake receipe of 100's of years ago (organic Honey, instead of sugar, and organic wholemeal flour with chaff in those days). It was the best they could do, can't imagine it was that great. Not sure why you would want to make it now? – TFD Aug 11 '13 at 20:50
  • I played with the idea because its a flavor combination I love, but as I've already written I was afraid to try it because it seems quite 'minimal' in a way that does nothing good to the cake according to the reactions here. – Sven Aug 11 '13 at 21:06
  • This is not a sponge cake. I forgot the English name of the type made without fat, but it does exist, and it does work. It is easier to make if you beat the egg whites separately until they have lots of volume (but below soft peaks) and fold them into the rest. – rumtscho Aug 12 '13 at 10:17
  • This is the sponge cake recipe I use _all the time_. Oh, it works. Though my recipe was titled "Three-Ingredient Italian Sponge Cake". [EDIT] Ah, no, actually the instructions are different. Oops. Going by the recipe notes up there, my end results are different (flufflier), too. – janneia Oct 05 '14 at 20:05

3 Answers3

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The key to this cake is the whisking of the eggs and sugar to the ribbon stage. This incorporates a significant amount of air into the batter. You didn't mention it, but I imagine the flour is then folded in.

The cake will work mechanically.

However, I cannot imagine it will taste very good: there is no salt to enhance flavor, no fat (other than from the eggs), and no flavoring such as vanilla. So the only significant flavor will be from the eggs themselves.

As to how long it will keep, I imagine it would freeze well; it will probably keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Update: I see from the link added to the question that these layers are intended to be used in layer cake with other flavors and components, where its neutrality is actually a virtue. I still think it needs about 1/2 tsp of salt, and maybe a touch of vanilla or even pistachio extract if you can get it, but the neutral flavor makes sense in context.

SAJ14SAJ
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  • The flour is indeed folded in (says the OP in the recipe). – Mien Aug 11 '13 at 15:39
  • @Mien Updated after I wrote my answer.... – SAJ14SAJ Aug 11 '13 at 15:40
  • Yes, I know, that is why I commented it. I could edit your answer myself but I didn't feel the need to. – Mien Aug 11 '13 at 16:04
  • @SAJ14SAJ Thank you for your evaluation & sorry for the confusion, I indeed edited my question again after a few minutes as I noticed I had forgotten to paste half of the recipe. – Sven Aug 11 '13 at 20:28
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    Basically it's the recipe of a plain [Genoise](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genoise) – roetnig Sep 18 '17 at 14:13
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This is a cake that my mom made all the time. The key is to use a light hand when mixing the flour and to really make sure to beat the eggs well. The result is almost like an angel food cake, but with more depth. it won't be moist like the butter laden cakes, but closer to a sponge cake. The absence of salt and vanilla is not noticeable. It lends itself well to frosting, but works even better when the layers are sliced thin and made into a multi-layered cakes frosted with a wetter filling such as a pudding filling.

Xiana
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The cake is actually very tasty. The recipe is wrong though. You have to separate egg yolks and whites and beat them separately. Combine egg yolk and sugar and beat until it turns a light color and the sugar has melted. Then fold in flour (use a spatula or spoon) and finally the egg whites that have been beaten until white and stiff. The egg whites have to be beaten well; that will give the fluffyness and lightness to the cake.

AwesomeLiga
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    Yes, that's the usual recipe for sponge cake. But with whole eggs (whisked over a pot with shimmering water) resembles more of a Genoise. I use this a lot as a base for frosted cakes, etc. Not as light as a sponge cake, but airy enough. – roetnig Sep 18 '17 at 14:17