Strawberry Sponge Cake (Italian Pan di Spagna)
A simple and delicious spring sponge cake. Fluffy and soft sponge cake topped with raspberry jam and fresh strawberries makes the most perfect dessert or even breakfast cake.
Servings: 1 9-inch round cake
Calories: 1341kcal
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cups sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 jar of raspberry jam
- 1 pint of strawberries hulled and sliced in long pieces
- zest of one organic lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or spray with baking spray) two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat the eggs all at one time with the sugar on high speed until it is nice and frothy. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
- Beat in the sifted flour on medium speed in small doses.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake the pan di Spagna for 25-30 minutes, until it is well risen and feels firm when pressed gently with the palm of the hand. Check the cake after the first 20 minutes to make sure it isn't getting too brown. Every oven is different. If needed, lower the temperature to 325 for the rest of the baking time. Let the cakes cool on a rack. When the cakes are cooled, spread the jam onto the cake. Decorate with the sliced strawberries and the lemon zest.
Notes
- Beat the eggs and sugar for the full 4 to 5 minutes — this is what creates the lift in the sponge. Do not rush this step.
- Use room temperature eggs. They whip to a much higher volume than cold eggs.
- Cool the cake completely before adding the jam — even slightly warm cake will cause the jam to slide off.
- For a two-layer version, slice the second sponge in half, add jam between the layers, and dust the top with powdered sugar.
- This cake is best the day it is made. Bake the sponge layers ahead and add the toppings just before serving if prepping in advance.
Nutrition
Calories: 1341kcal | Carbohydrates: 254g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 818mg | Sodium: 1593mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 156g | Vitamin A: 1188IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 1011mg | Iron: 12mg