Sponge Cake Challenge

It may have taken the efforts of four generations of mums, but I finally managed to bake a Sponge Cake that doesn't sink.

This Sponge Cake recipe has been taunting me for a few months. Until now – I've finally found the courage to give it a go.

Sponge Cakes: the most intimidating recipe for home cooks?

Eating sponge cakes is easy peasy. But baking them is a whole other matter.

The reason why I find sponge cakes so intimidating comes down to two things.

First, they're tricky – like many home cooks, I've had a few sponge cake fails.

Second, I have a hard act to follow.

My Nan Mac (Nana Ling's daughter) was the master of sponge cakes. When she arrived at a family gathering you could be sure she had two things: Mock Chicken and a perfectly baked and decorated sponge cake.

As a child, I was in awe of her sponge cake creations. As an adult, after attempting a sponge cake on several occasions without success, I'm baffled. I really don't know how she made them so perfect time after time.

The Sponge Cake challenge

I like a challenge, though, so despite my earlier fails I decided to put all my efforts into creating a sponge cake that would at least get a "pass" grade.

I had a head start – a recipe written by Nana Ling with side notes by Nan Mac. I had my mum, a pastry cook, on the end of the phone for troubleshooting.

That's four generations of mums making one little sponge cake. 

I also enjoy the benefits of technology, with Google delivering many ideas when I asked it for tips on how to make a sponge cake. And I have my little daughters, Miss Z and Miss Y, my cheer team in the kitchen.

Seven generations in two photos (Nan Mac, sponge-making extraordinaire, is in both photos)

Let's bake this Sponge Cake!

So, I did my research, read through the recipe a few times, and set to work.

I found these sponge-making tips helpful along the way:

• make sure your eggs are at room temperature
• use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour
• consult your oven's guide to determine the exact temperature at which you should cook your  sponge cake
• don't use a stand mixer, use a hand held mixer
• don't open the oven door during cooking and don't pierce the cake with a cake tester
• if the cake is still cooking, it will make a sizzling/crackling sound if you put your ear close to the cake
• press the top of the sponge lightly and it should spring back if cooked properly
• the cake will lift from the sides of the pan once it's cooked
• turn the cake onto a cooling rack covered with two tea towels (to avoid marking bottom of sponge) and cool right way up.

The results of the Sponge Cake challenge

After much beating, sweating and praying...

After much nervous oven-watching...

We breathed a huge sigh of relief...

We did it!

The sponge cake rose.

It didn't sink.

So, it was time to cool off – me and the cake – ready for the next step.

The icing on the Sponge Cake

I was tempted to add a modern twist and decorate the Sponge Cake in the new "naked" fashion. That was until I imagined explaining this new trend (which involves icing only half the cake and leaving bits of it showing through) to Nan Mac. I could see her puzzled look.

So, I decided to go completely old school (and a little fancy) instead.

I decorated the top of the Sponge with mock cream stars and condensed milk filling, just like Nan Mac used to. I then went all out and purchased some sugar flowers from my local cake decorating store to add the final touches to my first ever sponge cake.

Winning the Sponge Cake challenge

The result? Well, they says a picture tells a thousand words. So, here's 2,000 words for you:

And after offering a neighbour a slice, he asked for a second.

I'm declaring that a win.

I give myself an A for effort and a B for the overall result.

I don't imagine ever reaching have Nan Mac's A+ sponge cake standards, but overall I'm chuffed with the results and can't wait to bake another.

Are you ready to you take up the Sponge Cake challenge?

The original recipes are below, but you'll need to keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked recipes for Sponge Cake, Mock Cream and Condensed Milk filling. I've added as much detail as possible to help you find your own Sponge Cake success.

If you take up the challenge, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

Nana Ling's Sponge Cake recipe

Keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version.