sponge cake

IPA/ˈspʌndʒ keɪk/
IPA/ˈspʌndʒ keɪk/

sponge cake — noun

1. A soft, sweet cake prepared by combining eggs, flour, and sugar with butter or a

1.名詞B1
釋義

A soft, sweet cake prepared by combining eggs, flour, and sugar with butter or another cooking fat. It is often split into layers and filled with cream, jam, or pieces of fruit.

例句

Arjun baked a sponge cake with butter and vanilla for his mother's birthday party.

common collocation: bake a sponge cake

The recipe calls for a simple sponge cake layered with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

collocation: layered with [ingredients]

同義詞
  • butter cake

    A similar cake but with a denser texture and a higher butter-to-flour ratio; not exactly the same as sponge cake.

  • Victoria sponge

    A British classic that is a type of butter-containing sponge cake, always filled with jam and cream.

文法句型

a sponge cake

sponge cake (uncountable)

用法筆記

In everyday conversation, 'sponge cake' most often refers to this buttery version. It may be used as a countable noun ('I baked two sponge cakes') or uncountable ('Would you like some sponge cake?').

常見錯誤

❌I ate a sponge for dessert.
✅I ate a slice of sponge cake for dessert.
💡'Sponge' alone is not the standard name for the cake; always say 'sponge cake' or just 'cake.'
❌This cake is very spongy' (when complimenting).
✅This cake has a lovely light and spongy texture.
💡In Taiwan, 'spongy' is less common; phrases like 'soft and fluffy' (鬆軟) are more natural.

2. A very light, airy cake that uses only eggs, sugar, and flour, with no added fat

2.名詞B2
釋義

A very light, airy cake that uses only eggs, sugar, and flour, with no added fat. The egg whites are beaten separately from the yolks to create a fluffy texture that rises without baking powder.

例句

Ingrid whipped the egg whites separately to make a light sponge cake for the trifle.

technique: egg whites whipped separately

A fatless sponge cake rises from air beaten into egg whites, not from baking powder.

key concept: air in egg whites provides rise

同義詞
  • genoise

    The French name for a fatless sponge cake; used especially in professional baking contexts.

文法句型

a sponge cake

fatless sponge cake

用法筆記

This type is also called a 'genoise' in French baking terminology. The texture depends entirely on properly beaten egg whites — no chemical leavening is used. Because it contains no fat, it dries out faster than a butter-based sponge cake.

常見錯誤

❌I added butter to make the genoise fluffier.
✅A genoise has no butter
💡the fluffiness comes from beaten egg whites.' — Adding fat to a fatless sponge cake changes it into a butter sponge.
❌Use baking powder to help the genoise rise.
✅A genoise rises from air in the beaten eggs, not from baking powder.
💡Baking powder is not needed and can affect the fine crumb texture.