What Is Sponge cake and How Can I Use It?

Sponge cake is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 22 recipes to get you started.

Recipes using sponge cake

There are 22 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Sherry Trifle

Classic British sherry trifle layered with jam-spread sponge cake, raspberries, bananas, homemade egg custard, whipped cream, and toasted almonds. A make-ahead showpiece that chills for hours.

Classic Tiramisu with Zabaglione

Authentic Italian tiramisu with zabaglione, mascarpone, and espresso. Marsala-based custard layered with rum-soaked sponge cake in wine glasses. Serves 8, chill 3 hours.

Bananan Cream Cake

Banana cream cake with a three-layer sponge cake filled with vanilla pudding and sliced bananas, frosted with sweetened whipped cream, and topped with toasted coconut.

Cappucino Cake

Coffee-soaked sponge cake set with gelatin and sweetened condensed milk for a chilled, custardy coffee dessert. Four ingredients, no baking required if you start with a store-bought sponge.

Trifle

Classic English trifle with raspberry-jam-soaked sponge cake, brandy, sherry, silky vanilla custard, and whipped cream. A showstopping layered dessert served in a glass bowl for maximum visual drama.

Chayote Relleno

In this recipe, chayote's delicate texture and taste combine with almonds, sugar, brandy, eggs, cream, raisins and sponge cake to make an elegant pudding-like filling for the pale-green shells.

Godiva Strawberry Torte

Godiva strawberry torte with a chocolate liqueur-soaked sponge cake topped with whole strawberries and a strawberry mousse filling. An elegant no-bake dessert.

Mocha Mousse Slice

Layered no-bake mocha mousse slice with coffee-soaked sponge fingers, white chocolate cream, and a dark chocolate Kahlua mousse top. An Australian tiramisu cousin that slices clean and cold.

White Chocolate Mousse Cake

A three-layer sponge cake filled with mandarin oranges and orange liqueur, frosted in whipped white chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate curls. Elegant, citrusy, and no-bake assembly.

No Bake Rum Cake

No-bake rum cake layers milk-soaked sponge cake with vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, whipped topping, almonds, and cherries. A retro icebox cake assembled the day before for stress-free entertaining.

Springtime Pudding Cake

A four-layer sponge cake with three different pudding fillings: cherry-almond, crushed pineapple, and chocolate-pecan, all wrapped in fresh whipped cream. A showstopping no-bake dessert that chills overnight.

American Trifle

Italian-inspired layered dessert with sponge cake soaked in rum and orange liqueur, sweetened ricotta cream, and fresh berries. A boozy, elegant trifle for special occasions.

Red Soaked Fresh Fruit Cake

Summer pudding-style fruit cake lined with sponge cake and packed with kirsch-soaked strawberries, blackberries, cherries, and currants. Chilled overnight and unmolded.

Florida Keys Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

Florida Keys bread pudding made with homemade coconut milk, day-old sponge cake, crushed pineapple, and a silky dark rum sauce. Tropical Caribbean comfort dessert.

Tirami Supick Me Up Cake

Tiramisu-style cake with three sponge layers soaked in espresso-rum syrup, filled with mascarpone cream, and finished with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings. A classic Italian pick-me-up.

Cassata Napoletana

Cassata Napoletana layers thin sponge cake with cherry preserves, rich Neapolitan custard, chopped walnuts, and candied fruit. A no-bake Italian celebration cake that chills to set.

Simple Tiramisu with Cream Cheese

Simple tiramisu with sponge cake soaked in coffee and brandy, layered with sweetened mascarpone or cream cheese, dusted with cocoa. No-bake Italian dessert for 6.

Amaretto Cream Filled Cake (Zuccotto Ripieno)

Italian dome cake with amaretto-soaked sponge and whipped cream filling studded with toasted hazelnuts, almonds, and chocolate. No-bake showstopper.

Olive Garden Tiramisu Dessert

Olive Garden-style tiramisu with sponge cake layered with coffee-brandy soak, sweetened mascarpone or cream cheese, and dusted with cocoa powder. A no-bake copycat dessert.

Tirami Su Pick Me Up Cake

Italian tiramisù cake with three layers of sponge brushed in espresso and rum, layered with mascarpone cream, and dusted with cocoa. Make-ahead Italian dessert.

Raspberry Truffle Trifle

Raspberry truffle trifle layered with sponge cake, homemade custard, raspberry sauce, and chocolate truffle sauce. A showstopping make-ahead dessert for 16.

Bianco Mangiare

Bianco Mangiare is a layered Italian dessert with sponge cake, vanilla-cinnamon milk pudding, chocolate sprinkles, pecans, and cherries. Served cold, this elegant no-bake treat is pure old-world charm.

All 22 recipes