Mocha Cotton Sponge Cake
This cotton sponge cake is the most forgiving yet delicious snack cake. You can double the recipe and dress it up to make a celebration cake, or eat it as is on a lazy afternoon!
There isn’t a lot of sugar in this cake, so it caters well to all those who have a lesser sweet-tooth. Pair it with some fresh fruit, coffee, and freshly whipped cream if you’re up to it, and you will not be disappointed. I’ve made this more than 8 times already for my family, and it is always a hit.
The most important thing to note is that sponge cakes get their “lift” and airy crumb from the whipped egg whites, or meringue. Sometimes it is difficult to fold the meringue into the rest of the batter without losing the air bubbles and the lift, so the recipe I’m sharing includes baking powder and baking soda to add additional lift. This usage of leaveners means that this cake is not really a “sponge cake” by definition, but it does provide a fool-proof & cloud-like cake!
Kitchen Bop Music Rec: If you haven’t listened to Studio Ghilbli music yet, you need try! The composer Joe Hisaishi is one of my most favorite composers, and two songs I recommend are Path of the Wind and One Summer Day.
Mocha Cotton Sponge Cake
Ingredients
For batter:
- 4 egg yolks
- ¼ heaping cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ tbsp instant espresso powder + 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 ¼ cup cake flour or replace with all-purpose flour + 2tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp baking soda
For meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- ¼ heaping cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp cream of tartar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320F, with the rack placed in the center.
- Oil and line a 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- To make the meringue, beat the egg whites in a clean, oil-free bowl on medium-high speed. Start slowly adding in the ¼ cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar when you begin to see foaming. It is recommended that you use an electric mixer for this step because it takes quite a long time.
- Continue beating for 3-5 minutes until stiff peaks form. This means that when you lift the whisk up, the meringue left on it does not droop, but forms a “peak”.
- At this point, add a baking tray filled with 2 cups of water into the oven. The steam created from the water tray will create a softer, more moist cake.
- In a separate bowl, prepare the batter. Mix the egg yolks with sugar, and work in air bubbles. The color of the egg yolks should be slightly lighter yellow to indicate that you have incorporated enough air.
- Continue to mix in the wet ingredients: oil, milk, and dissolved espresso powder.
- Sift in flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix, as that causes gluten to develop in the batter, which results in a chewy, bread-like cake!
- Using a spatula, carefully fold the meringue into the batter in 3 sections. Do not stir or use a whisking motion, fold! This maintains the air bubbles inside the meringue better, and will help your cake rise.
- Once just mixed (it’s okay to have some streaks left in your batter), pour it into the cake pan, and bake at 320F for 25minutes
- After 25mintues, increase the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Check the done-ness of your cake with a toothpick; it should come out clean from the center.
- When the cake is done, leave it in the oven for 10 minutes with a small gap in the oven door to slowly let out the hot air. This helps the cake acclimatize to the cooler air and reduce shrinkage.
- Afterwards, remove it from the pan and cool on a rack. Enjoy as is, or add fruits, whipping cream, and other toppings!