What is Sponge Cake?
A sponge cake is a cake which is made with flour, sugar, and eggs, but no shortening. As a result, the cake is distinctly light and fluffy when it is prepared well. Sponge cakes are also very porous, marked with distinctive holes which make them look rather a lot like sponges. In addition to being served on its own, sponge cake is used as the base for many desserts, since it is a very sturdy, durable cake. The absorbency of sponge cake makes it ideal for desserts which call for cake soaked in syrup or alcohol, since the cake will soak up the flavor without falling apart.
Making sponge cake properly does require some skill. These cakes rely on eggs for their leavening, along with a small amount of baking powder, in some recipes. The eggs need to be well beaten to integrate air, and the ingredients have to be carefully mixed to ensure that the air bubbles are not forced out. Sponge cake also has to be carefully cooled, as rapid cooling can cause it to collapse and become very heavy. Bakers sometimes experiment with several sponge cakes before they manage to succeed.
Base sponge cake recipes are very easy to modify with additions of extracts like lemon, almond, chocolate, coconut, orange, and vanilla. The clear, light flavor of the cake allows these flavors to come through without obscuring or overwhelming them. Sponge cakes can also be frosted with light, delicate frostings or jam; Victoria sponge, a classic sponge cake, is made by sandwiching jam and whipped cream between layers of sponge cake. The versatility of sponge cake makes it very popular with bakers who want flexibility in their finished goods, since it allows them to play around with flavors without the risk of messing up the cake.
There's another unique attribute to sponge cake which makes it popular with bakers. The cake remains flexible as it cools, so bakers can make sponge cake in a sheet and then roll it up with ingredients like jam, chocolate spreads, and custard. Numerous rolled cakes call for sponge cake as a result. Rolled sponge cake is surprisingly forgiving for cooks who are just beginning to experiment, so once a baker masters the art of the sponge cake, he or she can achieve quick gratification with a rolled sponge.
Culinary historians believe that sponge cake probably emerged around the early 19th century, because this is when it first started appearing in recipe books. The cake quickly became popular since it was so versatile, and the basic principle of a light, fluffy cake spread across much of the Western world, where various regions developed their own versions. The French Genoise and American chiffon cake are two examples of regional sponge cake derivatives.
Written by S.E. Smith
