Classic Sponge Bundt Cake
Delicious and easy-to-make Sponge Bundt Cake. Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar, with fruit or whipped cream.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Sponge Cake Batter
- 2 cups all purpose flour 280 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar or use 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
- 2 cups powdered sugar, divided 240 grams, divided into 120 and 120 grams
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup warm water or milk 120 grams
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract (optional)
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
Prepare Bundt Cake Pan
- 2 tbsp soft butter, not melted
- 2-3 tbsp flour
Instructions
Prepare a Bundt Cake Pan
- Grease and flour the bundt cake pan. In this recipe, I used a Nordic Bundt Cake Pan. When using complex patterned bundt cake pans and all Nordic Bundt Cake Pans use soft butter to grease the pan. Use a pastry brush to get into all little nooks and crannies of the pan's design. Make sure you grease every little detail. Then flour the pan. Shake out the excess flour. Place a piece of wax paper on your work surface and shake out the excess flour onto the paper. You can also shake it out into the kitchen sink if you don't mind cleaning it up later.Set the prepared baking bundt cake pan aside.
Preheat the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350℉/180℃
Flour Mixture
- Sift together flour (2 cups, 280 grams) and baking powder(2 tsp), salt(1/4 tsp) set aside.
Separate Eggs
- Separate 5 eggs. Pour egg whites into a clean bowl of your stand mixer. Reserve egg yolks in a small bowl.Tip: If the eggs are too cold, place them into warm water in their shells for about 5 minutes to warm them up to room temperature.
Meringue
- With a wire beater, beat 5 egg whites with 1/4 tsp cream of tartar on medium- high speed until foamy. Then gradually add powdered sugar (1 cup, 120g). Beat with a wire beater until stiff, glossy peaks form. Tip: Don't overbeat the meringue or your cake can come out dry. Overworked meringue appears grainy, kind of like orange skin.
Egg Yolks and Sugar - Ribbon Stage
- Gently scrape out the meringue from the mixing bowl into another bowl, and into the same bowl you used to make the meringue, pour all of the egg yolks (5 egg yolks). Add the remaining powdered sugar (1 cup, 120 grams). Beat egg yolks and powdered sugar with a wire attachment on medium-high speed until it reaches a ribbon stage. Once ready, the mixture will be pale in color and doubled in volume. It will take about 5-8 minutes. Once the ribbon stage is reached, reduce the speed to medium and beat in the oil (1/2 cup, 120 grams) in a steady, slow stream.Then beat in warm milk (1/2 cup, 120 grams) in one continuous stream. Scrape the bowl a few times to make sure everything is well combined together.Beat for 5 minutes. Lastly, beat in Vanilla Extract (1 tbsp).Tip: Ribbon stage is a baking term that refers to batter consistency. It is reached when the cake batter, lifted with a whisk, spoon, or a spatula, falls back down into a bowl slowly forming a ribbon. It should hold its shape for a few moments, then slowly disappear as it blends into the mixture.
Sponge Cake Batter
- Now we are going to combine the meringue, egg yolk mixture and flour. Using a fine*mesh strainer, sift about 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture and carefully fold the flour in with a spatula, then add about 1/3 of the meringue and fold it in. Continue with the rest of the flour and meringue until no flour or meringue streaks are visible. Then make the last 3 folds, making sure you reach the bottom of the bowl, to ensure there are no flour pockets there. Be gentle and don't overmix it. You are looking for a light and airy batter.
Cocoa Batter
- Take about 2-3 cups of sponge cake batter and pour it into an empty bowl. Sift cocoa powder (3 tbsp) over the cake batter. Fold the cocoa powder into the yellow cake batter.
Fill Bundt Cake Pan
- Pour about 1/2 of the remaining yellow batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Then pour the cocoa batter on top. And then finish with the yellow batter. Smooth the top with the back of the spoon. Bake.
Bake Sponge Bundt Cake
- Bake sponge bundt cake at 350℉/180℃ for 30-35 minutes. Don't open the oven, or the cake may fall. After 30 minutes, check the cake. Test if the cake is done by inserting the skewer into the center. When the wooden skewer comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, leave the cake in the oven for an additional 5 minutes and check again. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely. You can cover it with a clean kitchen towel.Tip: If the cake is browning too quickly, loosely cover the top with the foil.
Serving Suggestion
- Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar. This cake is delicious served with coffee or tea. You can also serve it with fruit and lightly sweetened whipped cream. This is a great take-along cake as well. Cover to prevent it from drying out.