What is a Sponge cake
A sponge cake is based on flour, sugar, melted butter and eggs, and it is sometimes leavened with baking powder. It is a very light cake with a spongy texture and a buttery flavor. What is so great about a sponge cake is that you can give it any flavor you want! This sponge cake mixes the tartness of the lemon and the freshness of the basil. Cover this cake with a sweet lemon cheese sauce, there is nothing like it!
How do you make a Lemon Basil Sponge Cake
First off, place the rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Secondly, line the bottom of one spring-form baking pan with parchment paper. Don’t put butter on the sides, this way your cake will raise nicely. Before mixing the eggs, it’s time to sifted the flour and the baking powder together, place them into a bowl and set aside. Now it’s time to beat the eggs for about 5 minutes, add the sugar, the finely chopped basil and the lemons zest until the mixture is light and fluffy. You should mix it for about 10 minutes for the best results. The mixture will be light yellow in color and will have doubled in height in the bowl. After 10 minutes fold in the melted butter using a spatula or a wooden spoon. When the butter is well incorporated add the sifted flour and baking powder and delicately folded in with a wooden spoon.
How do you cook a Lemon Basil Sponge Cake
First thing, pour the batter into the spring-form baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
How to properly cool a Lemon Basil Sponge Cake
In order for the sponge cake not to collapse in height, you must cool it down upside down! A trick just takes the springform baking pan to turn it upside down on a cooling rack. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife blade around the cake to detach it from the pan. Now place the cake on a serving dish.
How to make a Lemon Cream Cheese Sauce
Put the cream cheese into a food blender, add the cream, the sugar, the lemon juice, and the lemon zest. Mix carefully with the blender until all ingredients get to a liquid form. If you find that the sauce is to thick you may add a little bit more cream, until the desired texture. Keep the sauce into the refrigerator until serving.
How to store a Sponge Cake
You can keep your sponge cake onto the kitchen countertop for up to 5 days. Just make sure that the cake is well covered with a plastic lid. You can use a plastic cake carrier or a simple plate covered with a plastic wrap.
Lemon Basil Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Lemon Basil Sponge Cake
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 lemons (zest)
- 1/3 cup fresh basil (finely chopped)
Lemon Cream Cheese Sauce
- 2 cups cream cheese
- 1/2 cup cream (15%)
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup confectioner sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Lemon Basil Sponge Cake
- Place the rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
- Line the bottom of one spring-form baking pan with parchment paper. Don't put butter on the sides, this way your cake will raise nicely.
- Before mixing the eggs, it's time to sifted the flour and the baking powder together, place them into a bowl and set aside.
- Beat the eggs for about 5 - 10 minutes, add the sugar, the finely chopped basil, and the lemons zest until the mixture is light and fluffy. You should mix it for about 10 minutes for the best results.
- The mixture will be light yellow in color and will have doubled in height in the bowl. After 10 minutes fold in the melted butter using a spatula or a wooden spoon. When the butter is well incorporated add the sifted flour and baking powder and delicately folded in with a wooden spoon.
- Pour the batter into the springform baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Lemon Cream Cheese Sauce
- Keep the sauce into the refrigerator until serving.
Notes
The directions don’t include the basil, the sugar, or the lemons. So, if you follow them you end up with a baked, risen, floury omelette.
Hello Simon, sorry for the mistake, something got lost when I exported the recipe into the WP plug-ins. It is well explained into the post, otherwise, now you can find it into the short recipe plug-in below. It is a cake to try, it is very light and good for all occasion:) Sorry about the confusion and thank you for telling me:) Melanie
The ratio flour to eggs is wrong. This ends up a horrible basil frittata.
Hello Dakota, I am sorry that the recipe did not work for you. Did you whisk the eggs like said in the recipe for almost 10 minutes? The eggs will double in size, very pale light color, then you can add the flour gently, it is important to fold the sifted flour, otherwise, you will lose all the air that went into your eggs and yes you will end up with a flat cake:( I hope you will give it another try, I am sure it will be a success next time:) If you have more question it will be my pleasure.
Best of luck
Melanie
What type of sugar are you supposed to use
Hello Ophelia, you can use regular granulated white sugar.
Melanie