Ingredients — what you'll need

You only need 5 ingredients

Adjust servings

Add ingredients to shopping list

Step-by-step method

At a glance

This French classic requires whisking egg whites to stiff peaks and folding in yolks and flour with care to keep everything wonderfully airy – the key to getting that light, stable sponge perfect for layering and filling. The baking is straightforward, but you'll need patience: resist opening the oven door during the first 45 minutes, then let it cool and rest overnight before slicing, which makes all the difference for clean layers.

1/9

Separate the eggs

Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks. Getting the ratio right is key for this recipe, so it's best to weigh out your ingredients precisely beforehand.
Ingredients
- 270 gram Egg White
- 180 gram Egg Yolk
2/9

Whip to stiff peaks

Put the egg whites into a clean bowl with the granulated and vanilla sugar. Whip on high speed until you get a really stiff, glossy meringue. It should hold sharp peaks that don't droop.
Ingredients
- 215 gram Granulated Sugar
- 10 gram Vanilla Sugar
3/9

Gently fold in the yolks

Reduce the mixer speed to the lowest setting. Gradually add all the egg yolks to the meringue. Wait until they're fully incorporated and check that the mixture still holds a stable peak on the whisk.

4/9

Fold in the flour gently

Sift all the flour over the egg foam at once. Using the paddle attachment, mix on a slow speed, or fold it in very gently and carefully with a spatula using bottom-to-top strokes, to keep as much volume in the batter as possible.
Ingredients
- 225 gram All-purpose wheat flour
5/9

Prepare the tin and preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 150°C with the fan/convection setting. Line the base of the cake tin with baking paper. Pour the airy batter into the prepared tin and gently smooth the surface. Leave the sides ungreased and bare.
6/9

Fill the tin and bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 45–55 minutes. Do not open the oven door during the first 45 minutes, or the sponge will collapse. Once baked, remove it (test with a skewer or knife) and let it cool in the tin for 5–10 minutes.
7/9

Release and cool the sponge

Carefully run a thin spatula or knife around the edges of the sponge. Then turn the tin upside down onto a cooling rack and let the sponge cool completely – this will help flatten the top beautifully. Peel off the paper while the sponge is still slightly warm.
8/9

Store and rest

Once completely cool, wrap the sponge carefully in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. Let it rest at room temperature (or in the fridge), ideally until the next day. This makes it much easier to slice.
9/9

Trim and slice

The next day, unwrap the sponge. Using a long, ideally fine-serrated knife, first trim off the thin top crust so the surface is perfectly flat (if you want it flat rather than domed). Then slice the sponge horizontally into as many layers as you need.

Light and Airy Génoise Sponge Cake

Name: Classic Fluffy Génoise Sponge Cake
Prep time: 36 min
Cook time: 58 min
Total time: 644 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 10 gram Vanilla Sugar; 180 gram Egg Yolk; 270 gram Egg White; 215 gram Granulated Sugar; 225 gram All-purpose wheat flour

flavorsbyyumsto

Prep 36 min Cook 58 min

Plus overnight of resting (not counted in active time)

5 Ingredients

9 Steps

Hard Difficulty

Let’s cook

What's in it?

2408 kcal

Calories

388 g

Carbohydrates

49 g

Fats

83 g

Proteins

The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used.

About this recipe

Dreaming of a sponge cake that's wonderfully light yet firm and stable enough to hold any filling? I've got a recipe for you for the classic French Génoise sponge – the foundation of the finest cakes. It's surprisingly simple to make! The result is airy, delicately moist, and thanks to its sturdier structure, perfect for slicing and filling. This recipe is for a 20 cm diameter, 10 cm tall tin, and I used about 10 medium/large eggs.

Desserts Lactose-free Vegetarian France Bread & Rolls Sweet