Light and fluffy, this Sponge Cake (Banh Bong Lan) recipe is not overly sweet and so scrumptious! It’s a wonderfully basic cake that is simple to make and can be easily “dressed-up” for a more elegant dessert. Most of the time, I like to serve this airy Sponge Cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries. Yum! Enjoy the recipe!
Notes on the Sponge Cake Recipe (Banh Bong Lan), Tips and Tricks
The eggs should be at room temperature so the egg whites can be whipped successfully. Remove the eggs from the fridge and place on the counter for an hour. Alternatively, soak the cold eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 15 minutes.
When separating the eggs, be careful not to break the yolks and contaminate the egg whites. Any yolk in the egg whites will prevent the whites from getting airy when beaten. Use an egg separator to make it easier.
It helps to have a hand mixer to make the batter and a stand mixer to whip the egg whites. The stand mixer is powerful and gets the job done fast. Also, most stand mixers have stainless steel bowls which help to get fluffy egg whites. If you don’t have a stand mixer and plan to use your hand mixer to make the egg whites, make sure to wash and dry the mixers thoroughly before whipping the egg whites. Again, any egg yolks and/or water will contaminate the egg whites and prevent them from stiffening properly.
Regarding over-beating egg whites, it takes just seconds to turn egg whites from fluffy, white clouds to a watery, broken-down gray mess, so please be careful. If using a stand mixer, it only takes 3-4 minutes total to beat the egg whites. While beating, stop and check to see how the egg whites are forming every minute. Stop once you’ve achieved a firm to stiff peaks.
For reference, my hand mixer speed is 1-5 and stand mix is 1-10. I make notes on the speed in the recipe below.
Watch the video for instructions.
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Sponge Cake / Banh Bong Lan
Ingredients
non-stick baking spray
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup fine sugar, also called Baker’s or Caster sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup low-fat 2% milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Directions
Position the oven rack toward the lower portion of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 F (163 C).
Coat a 10 inch bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray. Use a pastry brush to coat the pan evenly.
Separate the eggs and place egg yolks into a large mixing bowl. Set aside the egg whites for now.
Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks on Low speed (setting 2) for 1 minute. Add 1 Tbsp sugar and increase the mixer speed to Medium High speed (setting 4). Mix for 30 seconds. Every 30 seconds add 1 Tbsp sugar and mix together. Continue until all the sugar is added. (Note the eggs become creamy and turn a pale yellow color. This step takes approximately 5 minutes.) Add the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract and mix on Low speed (setting 2) for 1 minute.
Add baking powder to the cake flour and then sift together. Add flour, in thirds, to the egg batter and mix on Low speed (setting 2) until well blended. (This step takes approximately 2-3 minutes.)
Add egg whites into a stand mixer. Mix egg whites on Low speed (setting 2) for 30 seconds. Increase to Medium speed (Setting 5) and mix for another 30 seconds. (Egg whites should be foamy now.) Add the cream of tartar. Increase speed to Medium High speed (setting 8) and beat the eggs until stiff peaks form (approximately 3-4 minutes total). Scoop a third of the egg whites and add to the batter. Gently fold egg whites into the batter. (Be gentle–avoid stirring too fast or beating the batter. This will deflate the egg whites.) Continue adding the egg whites and folding gently. (This step takes approximately 3 minutes. The batter may not be perfectly smooth. Little lumps or streaks of egg whites are okay.) Pour the batter into the bundt pan. Use a spatula to even out the batter and smooth the top.
Transfer into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake. When it comes out clean, the cake is done. Once done, turn off the oven and open the oven door. Allow the cake to cool down gradually in the oven for 20 minutes. (The cake will deflate a bit as it cools.)
To serve, run a knife around the cake to loosen from the pan. Invert the Sponge Cake onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Cover any remaining portions to prevent the cake from drying. Enjoy within 2-3 days. Optionally refrigerate for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Yields: 8 servings
Sponge Cake / Banh Bong Lan
Light and fluffy, this Sponge Cake (Banh Bong Lan) recipe is not overly sweet and so scrumptious! It’s a wonderfully basic cake that is simple to make and can be easily “dressed-up” for a more elegant dessert. Most of the time, I like to serve this airy Sponge Cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries. Yum!
Ingredients
- non-stick baking spray
- 5 large eggs , at room temperature
- 1/2 cup fine sugar , also called Baker’s or Caster sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup low-fat 2% milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
-
Position the oven rack toward the lower portion of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 F (163 C).
-
Coat a 10 inch bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray. Use a pastry brush to coat the pan evenly.
-
Separate the eggs and place egg yolks into a large mixing bowl. Set aside the egg whites for now.
-
Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks on Low speed (setting 2) for 1 minute. Add 1 Tbsp sugar and increase the mixer speed to Medium High speed (setting 4). Mix for 30 seconds. Every 30 seconds add 1 Tbsp sugar and mix together. Continue until all the sugar is added. (Note the eggs become creamy and turn a pale yellow color. This step takes approximately 5 minutes.) Add the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract and mix on Low speed (setting 2) for 1 minute.
-
Add baking powder to cake flour and then sift together. Add flour, in thirds, to the egg batter and mix on Low speed (setting 2) until well blended. (This step takes approximately 2-3 minutes.)
-
Add egg whites into a stand mixer. Mix egg whites on Low speed (setting 2) for 30 seconds. Increase to Medium speed (Setting 5) and mix for another 30 seconds. (Egg whites should be foamy now.) Add the cream of tartar. Increase speed to Medium High speed (setting 8) and beat the eggs until stiff peaks form (approximately 3-4 minutes total). Scoop a third of the egg whites and add to the batter. Gently fold egg whites into the batter. (Be gentle–avoid stirring too fast or beating the batter. This will deflate the egg whites.) Continue adding the egg whites and folding gently. (This step takes approximately 3 minutes. The batter may not be perfectly smooth. Little lumps or streaks of egg whites are okay.) Pour the batter into the bundt pan. Use a spatula to even out the batter and smooth the top.
-
Transfer into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake. When it comes out clean, the cake is done. Once done, turn off the oven and open the oven door. Allow the cake to cool down gradually in the oven for 20 minutes. (The cake will deflate a bit as it cools.)
-
To serve, run a knife around the cake to loosen from the pan. Invert the Sponge Cake onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
-
Cover any remaining portions to prevent the cake from drying. Enjoy within 2-3 days. Optionally refrigerate for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Video
Notes, Tips & Tricks
- The eggs should be at room temperature so the egg whites can be whipped successfully. Remove the eggs from the fridge and place on the counter for an hour. Alternatively, soak the cold eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 15 minutes.
- When separating the eggs, be careful not to break the yolks and contaminate the egg whites. Any yolk in the egg whites will prevent the whites from getting airy when beaten. Use an egg separator to make it easier.
- It helps to have a hand mixer to make the batter and a stand mixer to whip the egg whites. The stand mixer is powerful and gets the job done fast. Also, most stand mixers have stainless steel bowls which help to get fluffy egg whites. If you don’t have a stand mixer and plan to use your hand mixer to make the egg whites, make sure to wash and dry the mixers thoroughly before whipping the egg whites. Again, any egg yolks and/or water will contaminate the egg whites and prevent them from stiffening properly.
- Regarding over-beating egg whites, it takes just seconds to turn egg whites from fluffy, white clouds to a watery, broken-down gray mess, so please be careful. If using a stand mixer, it only takes 3-4 minutes total to beat the egg whites. While beating, stop and check to see how the egg whites are forming every minute. Stop once you’ve achieved a firm to stiff peaks.
Nutrition FactsSponge Cake / Banh Bong LanAmount Per ServingCalories 200 Calories from Fat 90% Daily Value*Fat 10g15%Saturated Fat 6g38%Cholesterol 116mg39%Sodium 48mg2%Potassium 159mg5%Carbohydrates 22g7%Sugar 13g14%Protein 5g10%Vitamin A 175IU4%Calcium 55mg6%Iron 0.7mg4%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Hi Trang,
This is a beautiful sponge cake. I am going to make this cake for my brother this weekeend. If I replace orange juice in your recipe, does it make the cake dry?
Thanks
Hi Phuong,
Are you replacing the milk with orange juice? If yes, this would be just fine. If you like orange flavor, you can substitute vanilla extract with orange extract as well. It adds a lovely aroma. I hope your brother likes the cake!
I made this sponge cake and it came out very delicious. If I want to make two of these cakes at one time and bake in the same oven, how would I go about this? Would it still be the same temperature, or would it change if there are two cakes in the oven? Thank you!
Hi Vanna,
Keep the oven temperature the same. If baking the cakes on two separate racks, stagger the pans so they’re not directly on top of each other. Rotate the cakes after baking for 2/3 of the total cooking time so approximately 17 minutes. This gives the cakes time to set so they don’t fall when you rotate them. Be gentle but rotate the pans as quickly as possible and then close the oven door. The total cooking time should be about the same but check for doneness using a toothpick. Good luck and let me know how it turns out for you!
This cake recipe was very good. My cake turned out delicious. Thank you for providing this recipe. When you have time, may you please upload more tutorials? I would like to see a cake like banh cuon trang hoi recipe. Thank you!
Hi Vanna,
Glad you like the recipe! 🙂 I upload videos weekly on Thursdays. I just made banh cuon this weekend for my family and they also suggested I share the recipe. It’s now on the list of upcoming videos so please stay tuned. Thanks!
Trang
I have made the cake and it’s in the oven now! It looks beautiful and I’m sure it will be tasty as well:)
Hi Pam, I hope it turns out great and you love the recipe 🙂
Thank you for this great recipe! I have made many batches and they have all come out super delicious.
Hi Paula,
Yeah! I am glad you like the recipe. This recipe is a favorite at my house and I usually make a double batch because it goes so fast!
Hi, is this the same type of cake that is decorated and sold at Vietnamese bakeries as birthday cake? If so, do you have recipe for the vietnamese type of icing? I only see recipe for butter cream icing on the web but I don’t think it’s the same. I will try your cake recipe tonight. It looks easy enough for a newbie like me lol. I don’t like the American type of cake at all. If you know how to make the icing, I would love to learn it too.
Hi Stacey,
The birthday cakes are delicious but I don’t think this is the same recipe. I find the birthday cakes are denser than this sponge cake. Please let me know what you think of the texture after you try the recipe. If you’re willing to experiment I have several icing recipes I can send to you.
I tried your cake recipe. You’re right about the birthday cakes being denser but I like your recipe 🙂 My first attempt failed. I didn’t have the bundt pan so I used one 2″-high round pan and somehow the middle didn’t cook all the way. The 2nd time I tried using 2 round pans with 1″ high and it turned out much better. My cake was rising to 2″ right off the oven but when it cooled down, it was only a little over 1″ high. Is that how it’s supposed to be?
If you can share your icing recipes with me, I would love to try it. Pls email them to me at stacey_chu@yahoo.com
Thanks.
Hi Stacey,
That’s great! The cake shrinks a bit when it cools. Did you try cooling it in the oven rather than setting it on your cool counter right away? Often a rapid change in temperature causes the cake to deflate. I will send my icing recipe to you shortly. Thanks for sharing your comments on the recipe!
Great recipe great cake. Love it! Great textures, moist, and fluffy. My whole family love it! Thanks chi Trang for a great recipe. Love your youtube channel. Easy to followed. Please more recipes.
Hi Cheri,
Awesome! That’s wonderful that your whole family loves it! Thank you for sharing your comments. I appreciate the support. 🙂
Cake was light and, and not too sweet. Powdered sugar is good, fruit is even better! Looking forward to trying more recipes.
Hi Donna,
Yes to the fruit! I love piling it with strawberries and a little (ok, maybe more than a little) whipped cream 🙂 Yum!! Thanks for your comment and I am happy to hear you liked the recipe.
Sorry, there are some typo in my comment. Very delicious not fast delicious ;p
Wow!! Thanks Trang for the recipe. Did cupcakes instead of the bundt cake pan, they look good and fast delicious, very moist, soft, and fluffy! Thanks again! I wanted to post some pictures but I don’t know how.
Hi SushiGirl,
Glad to hear you like the recipe! Great idea with the cupcakes. I’d love to see pictures. Feel free to email to me at runawayrice@gmail.com or post on my Facebook page http://facebook.com/therunawayrice