Wheat-Free Sponge Cake 无麸海绵蛋糕
Today I’m sharing with you a Wheat-Free Sponge Cake that I picked up from Australian Weekly Cookbook. I’ve never tried to use only corn flour to bake a cake before and I’m also really curious about the recipe with only eggs, sugar and corn flour (corn starch) and no baking powder or butter. As the recipe looked really easy to make, I just went ahead to bake this cake two days ago. After I put the cake pan in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes, I came back to check the cake in the oven after 10 minutes. I just couldn’t believe my eyes that the corn flour sponge had risen high and was a nice golden brown. So I waited for the timer to buzz, checked the cake and made sure it was cooked, immediately removed the cake from the oven and unmold the sponge to cool. WOW! The cake is so feathery light and soft! It wasn’t very sweet as I’ve reduced the sugar a little too much, so it tasted a little bland (without the dusted icing sugar) but you can add more sugar if you like. Anyway, we finished off half the cake immediately with fresh blueberries accompanied by a cup of English tea.
Wheat-Free Sponge Cake
Wheat-Free Sponge Cake 无麸海绵蛋糕
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Ann Low
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs (65g each)
- ½ cup (110g) Caster sugar (used 85g)
- ¾ cup (110g) Corn flour (starch), sifted twice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease with butter or cooking spray, 20cm/8 inch round cake pan; line base with baking paper.
- Beat eggs with 2 tsp vanilla extract at medium high speed for about 10 minutes or until thick and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved between additons at medium speed.
- Sieve in the corn flour little by little for the third time and fold well in with a rubber spatula. Pour mixture into pan and spread evenly; bake for about 20 minutes or skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Turn sponge onto a wire rack to cool.
- Dust with a little sifted icing sugar and top with some fresh blueberries or any berries you like. Can also spread some jam to go with it.
- 无麸海绵蛋糕
- 材料：
- 3 粒鸡蛋 （约一粒65克）
- 85克砂糖
- 2 茶匙 香草精
- 110克 玉米粉 （过筛两次）
- 做法：
- 烤箱预热至180℃。准备1个8寸圆形烤盘，旁边抹油，底部铺上油子纸。
- 把鸡蛋和香草精放入容器里，用中高速度打大约10分钟，或大致浓稠。分次加入砂糖继续以中速搅拌至糖溶解。
- 筛入（第3次）玉米粉，分次加入蛋糊内，用橡皮刀搅拌均匀的面糊倒入烤盘。烤大约20分钟，或用牙签插入蛋糕中间，取出牙签干净说明烤好了。
- 从烤箱取出蛋糕，脱模放在铁架上待凉。
- 撒上糖粉或涂点您喜欢的果酱即可享用。
Enjoy!
I will be submitting this post to Cook-Your-Books#5 organised by Joyce@Kitchen Flavours
Hi will the cake still rise without a baking agent. Will it still be okay
Hi, there is no baking powder in the recipe and you can see in the pic, the cake looks perfect.
this looks amazing thanks for sharing.
just one question, which one should I use corn flour or corn starch???
Hi Medy, I did mentioned cornflour (starch) in the recipe. Most Asian read cornstarch as corn flour but in the West, they consider corn flour as cornmeal.
I've been looking for a light and fluffy sponge cake recipe for a while and I think I've just found it! This sponage cake looks amazingly soft and light – exactly the way I like it. Thanks for sharing it and I can't wait to try it out!!
My hubby loves sponge cakes. Definitely going to try this one tomorrow 🙂 Yummy yummy
Hi Vonsakura, Looking forward to see your cake 🙂
Made with 100% cornstarch, no wonder the cake looks super light and airy. Well done, Ann!
Really a nice cake, have to try this next time.
wow! I have never tried baking with just corn flour alone too! This I got to try, it looks so fluffy!
3 ingredients only and a beautiful cake made…oh Ann, I have to try this! thks for sharing 🙂
Hi Ann,
Your cake looks so soft and delicious! Only three ingredients!! Fantastic!
Thanks for sharing with CYB!
Ann, can I use this cake to make birthday cake? To cream the cake with whipping cream or frosting?
I think not many people will enjoy this cake very much as a birthday cake because it has a powdery after taste. Suitable to go with jam or berries.
This is the best cake ever, my son is coeliac and this is his favourite treat. We cover the cake with rasberry sauce made with frozen rasberries and a bit of sugar. Absolutely delicious and so light it melts in your mouth!!
Hi Anne, it is nice to see this old cake-making method (called the Genoise method by the French) becoming more popular. I like to use this method for all kinds of flourless cakes. Here are some tips that may help your readers.
* First, the eggs must be very fresh because they are providing all of the structure and the leavening. Of course you MUST beat them for the full 10 minutes until soft peaks form. You can add the sugar to the eggs all at once at the beginning if you wish.
* After you have beaten the eggs to the Soft Peaks stage, use a flexible spatula to scrape up any remaining liquid egg from the bottom of the bowl and beat it for a few more moments.
* It is important to fold in your ingredients and place the cake in the oven immediately after beating the eggs. If you let them sit they will lose their strength and ability to hold trapped air, and the cake will fall.
The nice thing about a Genoise cake is that you can fold in any ingredient you wish for the ‘flour!’ It can be the cornstarch (as we call it in the USA) that you used, or cocoa powder, finely-ground almond or hazelnut flour, or a combination. Here are some combinations I like:
* Ground hazelnut flour/meal and cocoa powder.
* Ground almond flour/meal and some almond extract.
* Ground walnut flour/meal and lemon and orange zest, sweetened with honey instead of sugar.
Coarser flours and nut meals give the cake a coarser texture but it is still lovely and moist and delicious.
Hello Jess, Thank you very much! I’m sure my readers will appreciate your useful tips 😀
I just tried this cake and it turned out super dry and there’s a hard layer at the bottom that i had to slice it off. What could have caused it?
Just baked this cake for my niece’s birthday and found it to be EXTREMELY dry. Is the recipe missing a wet ingredient…….milk, oil, or water? I also found with your other recipes, there are no wet ingredients???
Hi JLo, This cake is on the dry side because no liquid is used that was why I said this cake is bland.
Hi Low, you need to fold the batter gently well, otherwise the the flour will sink to the bottom if it not well mixed.
is that the weight of the eggs in the shell or without?
thanks!
-zosia
Hi Zosia, The 65g egg is with shell. Don't have to be too exact, slightly more or less would be ok.
Hi ann,Just tried this recipe. When out from the oven it looked to nice as it rise so well. After a few minutes when I turned it to cool down, it was so wet at the side facing down.Pls advise.Thank you
Hi Melinda, I think your cake is not fully baked yet. As oven temp varies, you may need to bake the cake for a few minutest longer.
Hi, ann.Noted. Will give another try. Tqvm
Why I need more baking time than stated in your receipt,it take more than 20 mins and I 'm baking them in small cupcakes form.it raises very well but it hallow on the top layer inside and it tastes very sweet n sticky to touch.I try twice and both failure.please advise me thanks
Hi Elyn, I don't understand why your cake wasn't cooked even though you made it into cupcake size. It might be probably due to the eggs were not beaten thick enough. By the way, what type of oven are you using?
Just tried this amazing recipe and it turned out great! Thank you so much you are awesome Ann!Kind Regards,Dee
Hi Ann, thank you for sharing this recipe with us. Can you please specify whether you use corn starch or corn flour? I am from the US and a bit confused. Looking forward to your reply, can't wait to try this!Mira
Hi Mira, Corn starch and corn flour (here in Singapore) are the same, unless you mentioned corn meal. Happy Baking 🙂
dear Ann, love all your recipes. but, its so confusing about the corn flour and corn starch issues. All I know that they are two different things, like some readers already mentioned too in the past. Most Asian countries are only familiar with corn starch. Here in Indonesia, we call it MAIZENA. But since i am a US citizen, I am also familiar with corn flour. I use it when I make corn bread, corn torilla, etc.
If this cornstarch/corn flour issue confuses anyone else, I’ve lived in the US my whole life so I can say that corn flour = cornstarch (white super fine powder). Corn MEAL (yellow or white, coarse and gritty) is used in cornbread but should not be confused with masa mix/flour (speckled white medium grind corn with mineral lime) used for corn tortillas and tamales. I hope this helps anyone who may be confused.
Hi Ann..i just tried your recipe and it come out great. However it smell like raw egg. But its cooked. Maybe i need to add more vanilla? Thanks
Hi, The smell is from the corn flour. Can add more vanilla or orange zest.
I will definately be trying this out soon. My husband is gluten free, so I am used to gf cooking but our 9 month old daughter is allergic to every grain we have tried so unfortunately we are limited to corn flour with her, but I have already been thinking of birthday cake options for her. I am excited to try this out to see if it will work for her 1st birthday!
Hi, Thank you for leaving your comment. Hopefully your daughter will enjoy this cake 🙂
Hi Ann, thank you for sharing recipe. Its so easy to do n follow . Butmine has this floury after taste . Wonder if I did it correctly …?Connie?
Hi Connie, Thanks for trying this recipe. Yes, the floury after taste is came from the cornflour. That was why I mentioned to go with some berries or jam.
must we use a electric hand mixer or can we just use a regular whisk?
Yes, of course you can but you'll need a good strength to whip up the batter.
I tried it out..but beat it all by hand and replaced the vanilla with lemon extract. The batter was really really watery!! What should I do?
Hi, you must beat the egg till thick before adding the sugar and corn flour into it. Is better to use an electric mixer than by hand.
hello ann, thank you so much for sharing your recipe. :)can I ask what brand of corn flour did you use? :)is it possible for you to post the picture of the corn flour you used?thank you so much.cheers!!
Hi Miss Homecook, Sorry thatI don’t have the packet of the corn flour on hand now. You can use those cornflour (corn starch) for thickening soup in this recipe..
I tried the cake, it was easy to make and tasted ok. Personally, I found it to be too dry for my liking, still prefer the taste of chiffon cake. Just leaving a note for reference in case you decide to make this but don't like dry cakes.
I will try this recipe!
I love this recipe. I've baked it three times, still not with a consistent result but it's so versatile. I didn't have vanilla extract the first time so I replaced part of the solids with some powdered chocolate. It turned out soooo perfect. Second time around, I didn't whip the eggs enough cause I don't have a mixer but did it by hand and it ended up soggy but I cut off those parts and it still tasted great. It's in the oven now for the third time (I've baked once every month), in cupcake liners, they've risen nicely but they seem so soft and I'm worried they deflate too quickly. Either way, I'm sure I'll be making this over and over with many other variations.
I guess it just needs an electric mixer, I don't know. The cakes deflated and the bottom half was like hardened glue. I manage to pry off the top portion and they were so light and spongey and kept their shape. I cut them in half and spread some jam on them so we could have them with tea. Not sure what made the bottom cement like that. The chocolate version was the best so far. And I beat the eggs in the same way.
Thank you very much for trying this recipe many times :)Yes, Hope you can a electric mixer soon. You can buy a hand electric mixer, that is cheaper and handy.You must fold the mixture well with a rubber spatula. Please don't push yourself too hard, just take it easy when comes to mixing the batter.
hi there, just wanna clarify something…'thick n creamy' is refer to soft peak stage? or stiff peak stage? before adding corn flour and the sugar in?? thanks..
Hi Dream, With the whole egg used, the batter usually comes in double volume, thick and soft peak stage.
thanks.. Have a wonderful day.. God bless 🙂
sorry, i got another question again.. how much is the protein content in the cornflour that you used?it is because i saw there are 2 types of different protein content for the cornflour….one is 8.6g and the another one is 0.6g…so is it okay for me to choose that contains 0.6g protein content cornflour? thanks.
Hi Dream, I didn't look at the percentage of the content in the cornflour. Just bought the ordinary cornflour from the baking ingredients shop. The cornflour that I'm using is also for thickening in the soup.
Dear Ann, Thanks for your recipe. i tried and i like it ^^http://kinokoandyou.blogspot.com/2013/11/wheat-free-sponge-cake.html
Wah … very nice cake – looks soft. I also want to try … 🙂
Can't wait to see your post 🙂
Cant believe too that just using corn flour can make such a beautiful cake. I just got to try this out too.
Mel, Please have a try. You'll be amazed how soft is this cake with only 3 ingredients.
Great recipe! I used it to make a jellyroll and it came out perfect. I used coconut sugar instead of white which gave it a wonderful caramel flavor and I added vanilla. I subbed the cornstarch for tapioca starch and used a whisk to fold it in instead of the usual rubber spatula, which helped incorporate the starch without deflating the batter.
If your readers find it dry, I suggest lightly brushing it with a soaking syrup or diluted jam, or placing macerated berries on top. My jelly roll cake was better after a few days of the syrup and whipped cream really moistening the cake. I wrapped it in plastic or you can put it in a covered container.
The flavor possibilities are endless!
Hi Ruth, Sounds great to use tapioca flour and you made it into jelly roll cake. If it is possible, can you can add a picture of your cake in the comment box to share with my readers? Just click on the camera icon on the below left and upload your pic. Thank you 🙂
Hi AnnCan I used 17cm chiffon cake tin instead of 20cm round tin to make this sponge cake?Pls advise. Tks
Noted & tks for advise. I'll share this recipe with my relatives, friends & colleagues.
Tks & noted. Will look out at the nearby hardware store tonight and try it tmr 🙂 will update u e result, hope it turn out successful..wish me gd luck huh ;p
Selina, hehee… thanks for trying! Next time when your cake is browning too quickly in the oven, you can cover the cake loosely with an aluminium foil. Try not to touch the cake with the foil to prevent it sticks.
Selina, One of my readers here mentioned she used cupcake liners and the outcome was good. Your can that too 🙂
Ann, I bake e cake at last cuz can't wait till tmr lol. I separated into two aluminium loaf tin & It turn out successfully, but e problem is I need to keep adjusting e temperature cus it brown too fast on top, dont know isit bcos of e temperature. But after all the cake is light & tasty & e sweetness is just right for my family to go with tea. Tks so much for sharing this easy, healthy & oil-free cake recipe. Mmm..yummy
Hi Selina, I'm afraid the 17cm chiffon pan is rather too small.:(
Hi Selina, you can use a 7 inch square pan. As long as the batter is about 3/4 full of the pan, then it should be OK.
I've bought e ingredients last night thot can bake today:( btw how abt using loaf tin or square pan(220mmx220mmx50mm) instead? So eager to try out right now…
hi Ann,I am thinking of adding matcha to it, do you think it will work? Thanks
Hi, I think you can add 1-2 tsp of matcha powder into it but I'm not sure about the texture. Please feedback to me after trying out.
Hi Ann, made the cake yesterday for father’s day as my husband is gluten free, it has the characteristics of an angel food cake, so I served it with some strawberries and whipped cream and it was delicious, light and fluffy. I noticed that it took a long time for the eggs to get to soft peak stage, is it because I used a hand mixer? Eggs not at room temp? The top of my cake deflated slightly so after it cooled, it looked cracked like the top part of a brownie, how do I get it to look smooth like yours? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, It’s always good to use room temperature eggs unless otherwise stated. Cold eggs are moist and heavier. Most important is to use fresh egg.
For the uneven topping of the cake was probably due to the inconsistent heat in the oven. You can usually see this happen in muffins or chiffon cake after baking. If the top of the cake is getting too brown, just place a piece of aluminium foil over it and continue baking.
Hi there! I'm a little confused, is corn flour the same thing as cornstarch?
Hi, just wanted to mention that cornflour is not the same as cornstarch. Cornflour is finely ground corn, like the name suggests, a flour made of corn. Constarch is only the starch separated from the corn, this is why its used as a thickener. It gets confusing because of common usage in the UK vs US. In the UK they call cornstarch, cornflour. I'd really like to know which one you used for this cake! Looks delicious (:
Hi Cindy, Oh, I didn't know there are the differences between cornflour and cornstarch as I always used cornflour for thickening. The packaging that I bought was cornflour.Thank you.
Hi Cindy, Corn flour is cornstarch.
Three ingredients? I would have never though corn flour would make something so smooth and bouncy – love it!
Ann , it looks fantastic ! 3 ingredients ?! The texture reminds me of Japanese cheesecake 😀
Wow! I must try out this Saturday!! Ann, you mention to use 3 eggs of 65g each….what happens if my eggs are too big and how to adjust? Eg total weight of 3 eggs at 65g each is 195g but I am using 70g big eggs so I only need 2+ eggs….so what should I do? Hope you understand what I am saying…Thanks!
Ai Li, no problem to use 70g egg. Just use a 8 inch round cake pan with 3 inches high. The cake will definitely rise above the rim. Remember to fold the cornflour well in the egg mixture.
Hi Ai Li, Thank you for trying this recipe. Yes the cake is a little crumbly and the chewy texture is probably you've over baked the cake a little.
Thanks, Ann! I think to be safe I will go and buy 65g eggs. I want to follow the recipe to a T. Definitely trying out this Saturday. By the way, can I grease the pan with butter or oil? How do I check that the sugar is totally dissolved in the batter? Thanks for your help!
Hi Ann! I baked this today. Indeed it is very soft. I burnt the top a little thus it is a little crispy….its a little crumbly and chewy. Is it how the texture should be? Nonetheless, it is a nice cake!
Ai Li, yes you can grease with butter. I also not very sure whether the sugar is totally dissolved or not. Just add little at a time and whisk a little longer after each addition.
Thank you Ann! I already got the eggs (not exactly 65g though) and so I will baking them this Saturday. Will let you know how it will turn out under my hands. Thanks again!
Thank you Ann for sharing this very healthy recipe. Certainly in my bake list because I am always on the lookout for butter and oil free bakes.Will feedback to you on once I have tried out your good recipe.BlessingsPriscilla PohSingapore
Hi Priscilla,I can't wait to hear your feedback 🙂
I trust you wholeheartedly, Am going to bake this real soon. I think I am running low on corn starch now.
Could this be the winning recipe that Li Shuan mentioned b4? Anyway, this is definitely a very special recipe. And eating it with fresh fruit is also my favourite choice. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe, Ann!
Jessie, I don't quite remember which recipe Li Shuan mentioned. Must check her post about it.Right, I also love to add fresh fruits on cake, makes the cake moist and delicious.
Hi Ann, your sponge cake look so cottony soft and delightful. Thanks for sharing your recipe.Have a nice day.
Oh, I love the texture of this cake. I had bookmarked this recipe. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
My pleasure 🙂
真没想到只用corn flour就能做出那么细腻的蛋糕,赞 🙂
Hi Ann! Your sponge cake looks so good even without the sugar icing and berries! I can eat it just like that! 😀
Thank you Alvin. My cake wasn't very sweet so with some icing sugar will balance the sweetness.
something need to try with just corn flour..corn flour is added to lighten up the cake…soften the cake..and there u go a beautiful soft cake is here to share…loving it
Thank you Jong for your comment 🙂
Thank you, Ann for sharing this wonderful recipe. Please advise which kind of corn flour to use. I baked as directed and the results were disappointing – very dense and hard. What did I do wrong? However, will try again to 'find' my mistake. :(Regards,Sharon
Good morning Sharon, Sorry to hear that 🙁 I'm using the ordinary cornflour/cornstarch. I've 4 readers from Facebook tried this recipe and it was a success. You can also refer to this Jess's blog. She tweaked my recipe with mixing of rice flour. http://closeto-u.blogspot.sg/2013/10/wheat-free-sponge-cake.htmlnote: the beating of eggs must be thick and fluffy.
Ann, perhaps it helps to mention in the article that Australian/British cornflour is known as cornstarch in North America? I believe the people who end up with a dense and hard cake are using cornflour in the US, which is a rather different thing (US Cornflour = very finely ground cornmeal).
在試做你的蛋糕:P
Jess, 看到你的美美的蛋糕了。原来还可以加粘米粉。我可没想到,真的很厉害!
Wow, I sure want to try this cake…looks very light and fluffy…only 3 ingredients! Beautiful!Have a great week my dear 😀
Thank you Juliana. Happy Sunday!