The quintessential classic of the cake world, this airy queen of teas is the guest of honor on National Sponge Cake Day on August 23rd.
One of the trickiest cakes for bakers to master, a perfect sponge stands tall with a fine crumb while remaining moist. Often served with fresh whipped cream and berries, sponge cake layers nicely as well.
- The sponge cake is believed to be one of the first non-yeasted cakes.
- Believed to have originated in the Caribbean, the earliest English printed recipe for sponge cake is in the 1615 book of English poet and author Gervase Markham entitled The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman.
- While its soft and delicate texture has often been attributed to the Victorians, in fact, the sponge cake finds its roots in Italy. Sometime in the early 18th century, a respected and wealthy member of the Pallavicini family in Genoa commissioned a cake that was as light and delicate as sea foam. The result was an airy and delectable confection that was known as the Pâte Génoise. This creation would soon come to be known as a ‘sponge cake’.
- During the renaissance, Italian cooks became famous for their baking skills and were hired by households in both England and France.
- The new items that they introduced were called “biscuits,” though they were the forerunner of what we now consider to be sponge cake. These sponge cakes were most likely thin, crisp cakes (more like modern cookies).
- In 2003, the sponge cake played a tiny role in the movie Calendar Girls starring Helen Mirren. In the scene, Mirren’s character, Chris, enters a baking competition. However, she forgets she entered, and instead of entering a sponge cake of her own making, she submits a store-bought Victoria sponge cake.
- The traditional sponge cake is easy to make since it consists of just three very basic ingredients: flour, sugar, and eggs. The key to the perfect sponge cake is in the technique. The batter must be beaten thoroughly in order to create volume.
- A sponge cake has a firm, yet well-aerated structure, similar to a sea sponge. That’s why it is called a “sponge cake.”
- Sponge Cake Makes for a Great Passover Dessert Because It’s Not Leavened With Yeast.
- The Victoria Sponge, Named After Queen Victoria, Is 1 of Britain’s Favorite Treats.
- The Victoria sponge is also known as the Victoria sandwich or Victorian cake. It usually includes raspberry jam and whipped or vanilla cream.
- The Chiffon Cake Is a Mix of Sponge & Butter Cakes. the cake was credited to Harry Baker, a Los Angeles insurance agent. He invented it in 1927 and started selling the cake at the Brown Derby Restaurant. It wasn’t until 1947 that General Mills bought Baker’s recipe and published it in a Betty Crocker pamphlet. The recipe also appeared in a 1948 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, where General Mills billed it as “The first really new cake in 100 years.”
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