Orange Sponge Cake

Happy Easter to those celebrating! I think this orange sponge cake would make a lovely addition to your festive table this weekend or, alternatively, just a lovely treat for tea!

I am not a pastry chef and am, generally, more about all that is savory. But this cake is so simple and also simply customizable – i.e. you can use lemon instead of orange or flavor the whipped cream with berries – that anyone can handle it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

And I do love decorating with spring or other seasonal flowers. It’s such a beautiful way to dress up a cake and extra appropriate for springtime.

For more fun ideas on using edible flowers (like infusing honey!) click here.

{p.s} For more Easter eats, check out these posts: Hot Cross Buns & Happy Paskha!

Orange Sponge Cake

AuthorAuthor: Saffron & Honey

A light orange-infused sponge cake perfect for spring.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep TimePrep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook TimeCook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total TimeTotal Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients  

• 6 eggs at room temperature
• 1.5 cups AP or cake flour + a little more for pan
• .75 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• zest of one orange
• juice of half an orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter
• pinch of salt
• whipped cream optional

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 340F. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan.
• Combine eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, salt, and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Beat at medium-high speed for at least 15 minutes until the mixture is very pale and frothy and has some body to it.
• Gently sift and fold in the flour a little bit at a time, making sure it is combined well. Try not to deflate the batter.
• Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake for 35- 40 minutes. Check the middle of the cake, turn off the oven, but leave the cake in the oven to cool gradually, with the oven door propped open.
• Once the cake is cool. Invert it and take it out of the springform. Cut it into two layers. Pour orange juice over the cake layers.
• If you are using whipped cream, use a spatula to spread some cream between the layers before reassembling the cake, then top with more whipped cream and orange zest (and flowers!).

Good crumb on this cake: