Why it works: Sugar and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 92,116 recipes. Both carry phenylacetaldehyde, which smells hawthorne, honey. The science ↓
Basic Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 180°C.
To prepare baking pan, brush lightly with oil. Cut out brown paper to fit base, place at the bottom of the pan and then brush paper with oil.
Make the batter
Using a deep, dry bowl beat egg whites until stiff.
Add the sugar gradually and continue beating until thick.
Add the yolks and beat lightly.
Sift the dry ingredients gently over and mix in lightly.
Fold in the margarine and water.
Bake and serve
Pour into two prepared tins and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Fill and sandwich with jam and cream.
Sift icing sugar on top of cake.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whipped whites trap air, giving the sponge its light, open structure.
- Caster sugar
- Sweetens the cake and stabilises the whipped egg whites.
- Self-raising flour
- Forms the cake's structure once set, with raising agents helping it rise.
- Melted margarine
- Adds fat, contributing softness and a tender crumb.
- Hot water
- Adds moisture and helps the batter loosen for a tender texture.
The step that matters
Folding in the dry ingredients and liquids. Overmixing knocks air out of the whipped egg whites, so the cake turns dense and flat. Sift and fold gently, just until combined.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More sponge cake recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.