Knowing All About Eggless Sponge Cakes

As Mary Berry said, "It's so comforting to have a small piece of cake. Just one slice." Cake goes with every sweet memory, and if it's a right sponge cake of choice, then nothing can be more palatable.

History of Sponge Cake

It was during the time of Renaissance most possibly in Spain, when the sponge cake originated. However, at that time, it was more like cookies, thin and crisp. It got its recognition as to how we know it today when beaten eggs used as a raising agent in the cake batter in the mid-18th century. Even later another Victorian creation made the cakes rise higher than those made earlier, and that is baking powder resulting in the Victoria sponge. Various names are used to denote sponge cakes in different countries such as British pound cakes, Italian génoise, Southeast Asian Pandan cake, American chiffon cake, the Latin American tresleches cake and the Portuguese pão-de-ló.

Why Sponge Cakes Go Eggless?

Globally there are substantive numbers of people who do not prefer eggs. Currently, the vegetarian options are available for almost every kind of food, including cakes. Therefore sponge cake is also made without egg to allow non-eggetarians to savor its delicacy.

How Are Eggless Sponge Cakes And Their Variations?

The eggless sponge cakes turn out only what the word sponge refers to. Thus, it is very soft, light, fluffy, buttery, moist, airy, and cloud-like texture that melts in the mouth. There are plenty of variations available in these eggless sponge cakes like vanilla cake, chocolate cake, truffle cake, Le Turinois (Chocolate Chestnut Cake), banana cake, date cake, pineapple cake, almond and cashew cake, marble cake and many more. The variations in icing also make the varieties in cakes innumerable. Shapes can also be as many as you can imagine in cakes.

The Egg Substitutes

Although egg is one of the key ingredients in the sponge cake, still, it can reasonably go eggless well. However, it is the art how these can be made the same spongy without using egg, ensuring the cakes turn out to be delectable. Egg substitutes are readily available in the market and can be replaced with yogurt or curd, mashed bananas, applesauce, condensed milk or powdered milk, vinegar with baking soda, baking powder, and silken tofu as the recipe demands. These give the cakes the much desired spongy and lustrous texture and similar palatable taste.

Tricks That Work

There are always some baking secrets that give satisfactory results. The mastery in making eggless sponge cakes considers certain things like:

• The making of a perfect cake texture needs extra time. Mix the fat (butter or oil) and sugar and beat till it is light, airy and fluffy. But not to overbeat else it will sink in the middle of the baking.

• Combine dry ingredients separately, add to the mixture little by little and fold it gently.

• Remove it from the mold after taking the cake out of the oven.

• If using vinegar or lime juice, add at the end.

• Use raising agents in moderate amount; otherwise, the cake will droop and dip.

• Cool the cake and allow the flow of air so that it doesn't collapse.

The eating and baking cakes are all about knack and love for cakes, and the eggless sponge cakes can satisfy your taste buds to the fullest.