Biscuit de Savoie (Sponge Cake): A French Classic for Any Occasion

Light, airy, and subtly sweet, Biscuit de Savoie is a traditional French sponge cake that melts in your mouth with every bite. With a hint of vanilla, this versatile dessert pairs beautifully with chocolate, fruit coulis, or even a classic crème anglaise. It’s also delightful on its own as a mid-morning treat or a satisfying dessert.

This Biscuit de Savoie cake was one of my favorite recipes at Le Cordon Bleu. In fact, after the demo, I helped polish off many hunks (pulling off pieces with my fingers since there were no knives, only dull, plastic spoons). I dipped my pieces into the fresh, sweet crème anglaise the chef had made. I'd made this cake once before, and it was popular then too.

When you take a bite, it makes a squishy, bubbly sound. With its hint of vanilla, it adapts well to dipping into chocolate or fruit coulis, but stands on its own as a mid-morning grumble-stopper.


I'm hoping to add this to my holiday menu as part of a dessert fondue. Plus, it's so easy to make (except for the whisking). I tried whisking the meringue by hand and ended up reverting to my KitchenAid stand mixer who felt lonely on the counter.

Recipe: Sponge Cake

Makes: 2 8x8 pans


(Note that it's best to use metric measurements and a good scale, but I've tried to provide the equivalents in cups and spoons.)

Ingredients:

7 egg yolks

250 g sugar (about 1 1/3 cups)

100 g cornstarch (about 2/3 cup)

100 g flour (about 3/4 cup)

2 ml vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon)

7 egg whites

pinch of salt

30 g confectioners' sugar (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the oven: Preheat to 375°F. Center a rack in the oven. Butter your pan(s) and line with parchment paper. Suitable molds include:

• Brownie pop molds - Wilton Brownie Pops Mould - Silicone (affiliate link)
• Mini loaf pans - Wilton Mini Loaf Pans (affiliate link)
• Mini charlotte molds

2. Whisk the egg whites: Separate the eggs and whisk the whites with a pinch of salt. Once foamy, gradually add half the sugar. Whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Mix the yolks: In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture becomes pale yellow and smooth (a process called blanchir).

4. Combine mixtures: Gently fold the yolk mixture into the meringue.

5. Sift dry ingredients: Sift the flour and cornstarch together onto parchment paper. Sprinkle the mixture over the meringue and yolk mixture. Gently fold until combined.

6. Add vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract.

7. Fill molds: Pour the batter into the prepared molds until they are two-thirds full.

8. Bake: Bake until the cakes begin to puff (about 10 minutes). Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking:

• 10 minutes for brownie pops
• 20 minutes for small loaf pans
• Until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean

9. Cool: Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Here is Chef's version of Biscuit de Savoie:

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