This cake is light, soft and fluffy. It only needs 3 ingredients and doesn’t require any dairy, butter or oil. The unique cake has a delicate crumb. It is an easy dessert to make for brunch, afternoon tea and more.
I really enjoy the texture of this cake. It is similar to a sponge cake, but has lighter crumb than classic sponge cakes. It also has a delicate crispy layer at the bottom of each slice which is my favorite part. The cake is a variation of French Savoie cake except this version is made with only flour and traditional French Savoie cake is made with a combination of flour and starch to achieve its airy and feathery light texture. I love to eat this cake with some fresh cream and fruit.
Ingredients
- Cake flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
Cake flour: Cake flour is a low protein flour. Make sure to use cake flour and not regular all purpose flour. All purpose flour contains too much protein and will cause the cake to be too dry and dense. Cake flour will keep this cake very light.
Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar is used to sweeten this cake and provide moisture.
Eggs: Eggs are used to create the structure and delicate light crumb for this cake. It also provides the necessary fat so that the cake is not dry.
How to Make this Cake
- The egg whites are beaten with half of the sugar until they form stiff peaks. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture doubles in volume. When it is ready, when you lift the whisk, the batter should ribbon off of the wire beater and the should hold its form on top rather than sinking in immediately.
- Sift and fold the flour into the egg yolk mixture. Then fold in the egg whites.
- Transfer your batter to your prepared pan and bake cake until done.
- If desired, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving. I also like to serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Texture
This is a type of sponge cake but the crumb is very light and it has a delicate crispy bottom layer.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to use cake flour which is a low protein type of flour. Also make sure your cake flour is low protein because there are some brands that sell high protein cake flour.
- You can also make this cake without any wheat flour.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake is baking. Even briefly opening the oven door will result in a change in temperature which will cause the cake to collapse.
More Easy Cake Recipes
3 Ingredient Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1 cup (227 g) granulated white sugar, divided
- 2/3 cup (79 g) cake flour see note before starting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously spray the interior of a 10 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the wire whisk attachment, beat at medium speed until the eggs are foamy. With the machine still running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the sugar (1 tbsp at a time). Increase speed to high and continue to beat until mixture is thick, glossy and stiff peaks form. Transfer the meringue to a clean bowl and set it aside.
- Clean the mixing bowl and add the egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk at high speed until the mixture is very thick, has more than doubled in volume, about 4 minutes. When you lift the whisk, the mixture should ribbon down and hold its form on top of the mixture for several seconds before sinking in. See photo in post for reference.
- Sift the flour with a fine mesh strainer into the egg yolk mixture and mix with a spatula until evenly combined. At first it may seem like your batter is too dry and there isn't enough liquid, but the egg yolks will slowly incorporate all the flour. The final outcome will be thick but should still look like batter and not dough.
- Add in 1/3 of the egg whites, gently folding the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until just combined and no egg white streaks remain. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites too much. Repeat with the next 1/3 and then the final 1/3 of egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you apply light pressure to the surface it should not completely sink in. Do not open the oven until the cake looks done. If you open the oven anytime during baking, even briefly to put something in or to check on the cake, the change in temperature will cause the cake to collapse.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes. Then invert the cake pan onto a wire rack to unmold the cake. Allow the cake to finish cooling on the wire rack. Cake can be kept at room temperature for 1-2 days and longer in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Cake flour note: Make sure to use a cake flour with 2 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (28 g) serving. There are a few brands of cake flour, like King Arthur, that sell a high protein cake flour which will not work well for this recipe. This recipe uses cake flour because it is low protein.
- Cake flour cup measurement: When measuring the cake flour with a measuring cup, make sure you first fluff up the flour in the bag with a spoon. Then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off with a spoon. This will prevent adding too much flour.
- I used Swan's Down cake flour.*
- I recommend using a 10 cup bundt pan and not a 12 cup bundt pan because the cake will be much shorter if you use a 12 cup bundt. I used a Nordic Ware Bavaria Bundt Pan.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Make sure you don't open the oven door before the cake is done baking. Even opening it briefly will change the temperature and that drop in temperature will cause the cake to partially collapse during baking.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
AWESOME THANKS!
You’re welcome! We hope you enjoyed this cake!