The Dessert Everyone Enjoys: Sponge Cake

August 18, 2021

If you’re looking for a reason to celebrate on a summer day, then prepare to enjoy fluffy sponge cake as a dessert. Why? August 23 is National Sponge Cake Day!


Fluffy Sponge Cake & Fruit


Does the idea of sponge cake make you feel happy inside? It should. This desert is from the heavens, has little fat, and is good for the heart. Of course, there are carbs and sugar, but it is an easy-to-make treat and pairs well with fruit.


Angel Food Cake is similar to sponge cake but doesn’t contain egg yolks. So, there’s a bit of fat in this cake -- but it’s not as bad for your waistline as your neighbor’s baking habit that is out of control. How many cupcakes can one person eat? 


Whether you bake your own or buy it from the local grocery or baker, sponge cake’s best friend is fruit -- apples and berries are heavenly with sponge cake. Heavy icings can weigh down a good sponge cake, but we wouldn’t say no to a lemon drizzle or a bit of rum.


Is Sponge Cake Really Cake?


We know what you’re thinking. "Sponge cake isn’t really cake." But not all cakes require yeast. Some very dense cakes (fruit cake anyone?) also don’t have yeast. The idea of baking bread makes us think that all cakes have yeast. Not even all breads contain yeast. 


So, a cake has flour (most of the time). A cake is sweet. And, don’t forget, cake is delicious. The big distinction in cake types isn’t the yeast; it’s the fat. (Hello butter cake. Wait. that’s another blog post!) 


“There are two main types of cakes: butter cakes (also known as shortened cakes) and foam cakes. The distinction between these two broad categories of cake is in the fat content.” allrecipes.com


Sponge Cake is Easy to Make 


If you have 35 minutes, flour, sugar, eggs, and baking powder, you’re ready to make Natasha’s Kitchen’s 4-Ingredient Sponge Cake. We may have misled you a bit when it comes to “easy,” as that depends upon how often you’ve baked with egg whites. 


Sponge cake is the type of cake that takes more finesse than brute force. You can still use your stand-up Kitchen-Aid mixer, but you’ll need a good rubber spatula and some cake pans or a bundt pan -- depending upon the recipe you follow. The fluffy goodness is worth taking a few extra minutes to remind you of how to gently fold in the flour. But, you’ll be the hero at book club, so why not give it a try?


Will You Celebrate National Sponge Cake Day?


If August 23 is your birthday, have a sponge cake. If August 23 is a Monday have a piece of sponge cake. Wait. August 23 is a Monday! We hope you celebrate National Sponge Cake Day this year. As always, feel free to subscribe to our newsletter if you found this on social media and get back to living your best life!


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