Lemon Sponge Cake

Lemon sponge cake is a delicious, light, and airy dessert full of tangy lemon flavor and sweet whipped cream.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Sponge Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 272kcal

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans and set aside (you can also line the bottoms with parchment paper).
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, and lemon extract/oil for 5 minutes until the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
Mix in the lemon zest.
Use a spatula to gently fold the flour, ½ cup at a time, into the egg mixture.
Transfer the batter, divided evenly between the two prepared pans.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Just before assembling, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form - do not overbeat, or the whipped cream will turn to butter.
Assemble the cake by setting out the first layer of cake. Top with a layer of lemon curd and a layer of whipped cream. Place the second layer on top of the filling. Add another layer of lemon curd and swirls of whipped cream, or simply a layer of whipped cream.

Sponge cakes are made with no fat in the batter (except for eggs) and resemble an angel food cake in texture. This cake is made with just sugar, eggs, and flour with some lemon flavor added in, and it is very light and airy, slightly sticky like an angel food cake.
Whipping the eggs and sugar together is the key to creating enough volume in the cake, as we do not use any other leavening ingredients. The egg/sugar mixture triples or quadruples in volume in the mixer.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.