Savoy Cake (Traditional Victorian Savoy Sponge Cake)

Quick Summary: Savoy cake, also called biscuit de Savoie, is a light, fatless French sponge cake dating to the 14th century. This traditional Victorian favorite uses whipped whole eggs for lift, contains no butter or oil, and bakes in about 45 minutes for an airy crumb and a delicate sugar crust.

What is Savoy cake?

Savoy cake is a fatless sponge cake traditionally baked in a copper mold and sprinkled with icing sugar. The cake was invented in the 14th century and named for the Savoy region of France. It is believed to be one of the oldest Western pastries enjoyed today.

This Savoy sponge cake, also known in French as biscuit de Savoie, rises entirely on whipped eggs, with no butter, oil, or chemical leavening in the traditional version.

The Savoy region is actually shared between France, Italy, and Switzerland. So it is tough to claim a country of origin for the cake, although the Savoy cake, or Gâteau de Savoie, is more often considered a French dessert.

It used to be baked in copper molds, but nowadays it is baked in metal bundt pans and Kougloff molds. I have made the cake in different bundt cake molds, but I have never used silicone molds. Unfortunately, they just do not work for this type of cake.

What is a Victorian Savoy cake?

A Victorian Savoy cake is the elegant, fatless sponge that became a centerpiece of grand tables in 19th-century Britain, where the older French Gâteau de Savoie was embraced and elaborately molded.

Cooks of the Victorian era prized it for its towering height, feather-light crumb, and dramatic decorative shapes, achieved by beating whole eggs to a foam and folding in flour and starch without any butter or oil.

The result is a pale, delicate cake with a crisp sugared crust, often served plain with fruit or a dusting of powdered (icing) sugar.

The history of Savoy cake

The history of Savoy cake dates back to the 14th century, when it is said to have been created for the House of Savoy, the ruling family of the Alpine Savoy region, which is shared today by France, Italy, and Switzerland.

It is often cited as one of the oldest sponge cakes in Western baking, predating many butter-rich cakes because it relied on whipped eggs rather than chemical leaveners.

Over the centuries, the recipe traveled across Europe, gaining popularity in Britain during the Victorian period, where it was baked in tall fluted molds and served at celebrations. Its enduring appeal comes from a short ingredient list and an airy texture that has changed remarkably little over 700 years.

You'll love Savoy cake recipe

• As a light, fat-free cake, it is perfect for kids and adults.
• Savoy cake recipe is easy and quick: it takes about 25 minutes of hands-on time.
• The cake does not require decoration: sprinkle the cake with powdered (icing) sugar and serve.
• Different bundt cake pans let you customize and personalize the cake for birthdays and any holiday.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Eggs: The recipe calls for large eggs. Use an egg separator to separate the egg whites from the yolks while the eggs are chilled. Then, bring them to room temperature.
• Sugar: Use caster or superfine baker's sugar. If unavailable, use granulated sugar instead.
• Flour: The recipe calls for regular all-purpose flour.
• Corn and potato starch: Adding starches to the recipe facilitates gluten development and creates the most tender cake texture.
• Baking powder: Use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.
• Vanilla beans: Use top-quality Madagascar vanilla beans for the most flavorful results.
• Oranges: Opt for organic, untreated oranges, and use a zester grater to make fresh zest. Replace orange zest with lemon zest, a common flavoring for Savoy cake.
• Salt enhances the cake's flavors.
• Cream of tartar helps stabilize egg whites. Replace ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar with ½ teaspoon of lemon juice.

How to make Savoy cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C). To prepare the mold, use a pastry brush and well-softened unsalted butter to grease a bundt pan (a decorative fluted tube pan).

• Pro tip: Make sure to grease the sides of the pan with its intricate patterns (little nooks and crannies) and the central funnel.

Step 4: Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture and mix on low speed. Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds and orange zest, and mix again.

Step 9: Let the cake rest in the pan for a few minutes, then unmold it onto a wire rack to cool.

To serve, sprinkle the cooled Savoy cake with powdered (icing) sugar. 

Expert Tips

• Choose a metal bundt cake and make sure it is well prepared. This will result in an impeccable sugar crust.
• Grease the cake mold with clarified butter, which does not contain milk solids. It will provide an even biscuit-like crust while baking the cake.
• Make the baking time adjustments as needed. It may vary based on your oven and the quality of the mold.
• If the cake turns brown quickly, cover it with buttered parchment or foil during baking.
• Do not open the oven door during baking; otherwise, the cake will collapse.
• The recipe is for a 10-cup bundt cake mold, which will fit into a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan.

Recipe variations

• Flavorings: Replace orange zest with other citrus zests (lemon, lime, grapefruit) or add vanilla extract, rose water, or orange blossom water to the batter.

• Fillings: Cut the cake into two layers and fill with French pastry cream, mascarpone frosting, jam, chocolate ganache, or Chantilly cream with fresh fruit.

How to serve it

• Sprinkle Savoy cake with icing sugar, or serve it with creme Anglaise, French pastry cream, jam, hazelnut praline paste, or your favorite spread.

• Fill the center of the cake with Chantilly cream and decorate with fresh berries. Then enjoy a slice of cake, surrounded by airy light cream, and half a strawberry or other red fruit on the side.

• Cut the Savoy cake in half and spread your favorite fruit jam and Chantilly cream. Arrange halved strawberries, and place the second half of the cake on top.

Storing and freezing

The cake is best eaten on the day of baking. Store Savoy cake, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, at room temperature for 1-2 days. Bring it to the refrigerator to store longer, up to 4-5 days.

Refrigerate the Savoy cake immediately if it is garnished with cream filling.

Can you freeze it? You can freeze the whole Savoy cake or individual slices. Wrap the cake or slices in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for 3 months.

Recipe FAQ

What is a Savoy cake?
A Savoy cake is a light, fatless French sponge cake made by whisking whole eggs to a foam, then folding in flour and starch, with no butter or oil. It bakes into an airy, tender crumb with a delicate sugar crust.

What is a Victorian Savoy cake?
A Victorian Savoy cake is the same classic sponge as it was served in 19th-century Britain, baked tall in fluted decorative molds and dusted with powdered (icing) sugar. It was prized for its height, its feather-light texture, and its elegant presentation.

Is Savoy cake the same as Angel food cake?
No. Savoy cake uses whole eggs, while Angel food cake uses only egg whites. This gives the Savoy sponge a slightly richer color and flavor, though both are fatless and rely on whipped eggs for their rise.

What is a characteristic of the Savoy cake?
Savoy cake is a fat-free molded sponge cake with an airy, light texture and a beautiful sugar crust. It contains no butter or oil, so all of its lift comes from well-beaten eggs.

Can you bake Savoy cake in a silicone mold?
If you do not have a metal mold, you can use a Kougloff-style silicone mold instead. Keep in mind that the crust may not be as crisp or as perfectly formed as it would be in a metal or copper pan.

Why is it called a Savoy cake?
It is named for the Savoy region and the House of Savoy, where the cake is said to have originated in the 14th century. In French, it is known as Gâteau de Savoie or biscuit de Savoie.

Love cakes? Try these next!

• Banana bread with streusel
• Apple sponge cake
• Quatre-quarts (French pound cake)
• French yogurt cake
• Or browse all the cake recipes

Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for my latest updates. If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below!

Print

Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/ and originally published on April 15, 2019. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.