Best Three Ingredient Italian Sponge Cake Recipes

ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE (PAN DI SPAGNA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 338°F (170°C).
• Butter and flour (or spray with baking spray) an 8 inches (20 cm) pan.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and lemon zest until very fluffy and pale yellow (about 10/15 minutes on medium/high speed). To test that it has been beaten enough, let a small amount of batter fall into the bowl. If it remains "sitting" on top, it means that it's ready.
• Sift the flour on top of the egg mixture, a little at a time, and fold it gently with a wooden spoon or a spatula just until incorporated. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Don't smooth the top or bang the pan on the counter, leave it as it is!
• Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Remember: do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes!)
• Turn off the oven but leave the cake inside (keep the door slightly open using a wooden spoon) for 5/10 minutes so it can cool down slowly.
• Remove the sponge cake from the oven, let it cool for 10 more minutes, then loosen around the edges with a knife, and flip it on a wire rack upside down (without the pan) to cool completely.

ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE (PAN DI SPAGNA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F/180 degrees C. Generously butter and flour an 8-inch/20 cm round cake pan and set aside. Place eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl and slightly beat with a hand whisk.
• Continue to whisk and bring the bowl over a bain-marie/water bath to warm the mixture up to 104 degrees F/40 degrees C (warm to the touch). Remove the bowl from the bain-marie/water bath and beat the eggs/sugar mixture with an electric mixer until the volume is doubled for about 12 to 15 minutes. Add sifted flour and mix with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the dough into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check the readiness of the biscuit with a toothpick or a cake tester: once it comes out clean out of the sponge, the biscuit is ready.
• Let it cool for 10 minutes in the oven off (keep the door slightly open using a wooden spoon) to prevent deflating the sponge cake. Next, remove the sponge from the oven, let it cool for the other ten minutes. Then remove it from the pan by flipping it upside down and cool on a cooling rack, also known as a wire rack.

THREE INGREDIENT ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Cut wax paper to fit two 9" round cake pans.
• Separate eggs, putting whites in large mixer bowl and yolks in small mixer bowl.
• Add 1/2 c sugar to whites and beat until very stiff.
• Add 1/2 c sugar to yolks and beat until very thick and light yellow in color.
• Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites.
• Fold flour in using 1//3 c each time until well mixed.
• Do not overmix.
• Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out dry.
• Cool for a few minutes, remove from pan and remove waxpaper.
• Cool completely.
• Fill with a custard cream filling (See one I use posted on Recipezaar) and frost all over with whipped topping or whipped cream.