Vanilla Sponge Cake Layers

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Medium

Two bare, level rounds of vanilla sponge cake layers stacked on a cooling rack with one slice cut to show the crumb

Light genoise-style layers that drink up syrup and hold whipped cream and fruit without weighing them down. The base for strawberry shortcake and fraisier-style cakes.

Prep 25 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 1 hr 50 min

Yield 12 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

6.0 (300.0 g)large eggs
1.0 cup (200.0 g)granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g)fine sea salt
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (140.0 g)cake flour, sifted
¼ cup (57.0 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl set over barely simmering water until warm to the touch (110°F, 43°C). Move to the mixer and whip on high 8 to 10 minutes until tripled and ribbony; whip in the vanilla.
Sift a third of the flour over the foam and fold gently with a spatula; repeat twice. Fold 1 cup of the batter into the melted butter, then fold that back into the bowl.
Divide between the pans and bake 22 to 25 minutes until golden and the tops spring back.
Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

Tips

Whip the eggs until the batter falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon that sits on the surface for 3 seconds.
Fold the flour in gently in three additions; overmixing deflates the foam.
Sponge dries out faster than butter cake; brush the layers with simple syrup before filling.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla sponge cake layers?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to rest. The recipe makes two 8-inch layers (12 slices).

How should I store vanilla sponge cake layers?

Wrap cooled layers tightly and keep at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months; frost them cold from the freezer for the cleanest crumb.

Can I make vanilla sponge cake layers ahead?

Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap and chill; cold layers are easier to fill, stack and frost.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Light genoise-style layers that drink up syrup and hold whipped cream and fruit without weighing them down. The base for strawberry shortcake and fraisier-style cakes.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

181 Calories / serving

8.0g Fat

23.6g Carbs

3.7g Protein

20.9g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~2172 cal · 96g fat · 283g carbs · 44g protein · 251g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.