Italian Sponge Cake (Pan di Spagna)

Italian sponge cake (Pan di Spagna) is a classic light, airy, and delicious sponge cake made with just 3 ingredients - eggs, sugar, and flour. It is perfect plain for your afternoon tea or to make numerous desserts, from simple layer cake to showstopping wedding cake.

This classic sponge cake is known as airy and light and the best sponge cake in the world, and I agree with that statement after making over 300 sponge cakes. 

I am a huge fan of sponge cakes, from Italian Pan di Spagna to classic Genoise cake and Japanese sponge cake.

Italian sponge cake is a perfect base and an essential preparation of Italian pastry, such as cassata, zuccotto, and Zuppa Inglese.

You can sprinkle it with confectioners' sugar for a simple, sweet delight and enjoy it on its own.

Or you can upgrade this airy sponge cake into a layer cake. Just slice and fill it with your favorite jam, homemade whipped cream, vanilla pudding, Italian pastry cream, creme Chantilly, chocolate ganache, or other cream fillings.

What is Italian sponge cake?

Italian sponge cake (Pan di Spagna) is a simple sponge cake with three basic ingredients: eggs, sugar, and flour. It is made without the use of yeast or any rising agents (baking powder and baking soda), where air and fluffiness are achieved through extended whisking of eggs with sugar.

The key to the perfect sponge cake is to incorporate and develop much air to prevent the cake from deflating during baking. Make sure to read all my tips to succeed in baking your Pan di Spagna.

Pan di Spagna recipe

• It is a classic Italian sponge cake recipe for beginners and experienced bakers: it works every time, and everyone will succeed in making the perfect cake.
• Pan di Spagna is an incredibly light cake with a unique soft and airy texture. It is a homemade sponge cake without baking powder and without butter.
• The basic sponge cake recipe could be altered and personalized as you desire: color, flavor it, or make it gluten-free.
• It is perfect for making cream- or jam-filled and layered birthday cakes.

Ingredients of sponge cake

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

Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge 45-60 minutes before you start. If you are short on time, soak whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

There is no need to separate egg whites from egg yolks: the recipe uses whole eggs.

Sugar: The recipe calls for granulated white sugar. You can replace it with superfine caster sugar if desired.

Flour: Use all-purpose flour, aka plain flour, in the UK. If you have store-bought cake flour, go for it: it contains less gluten, and you will have a very soft, fluffy cake crumb. But try to avoid self-raising flour.

I haven't tested the Pan di Spagna recipe with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend, but you can make gluten-free Pan di Spagna using cornstarch or a mix of heat-treated rice flour and rice starch.

Recipe variations

Although the Pan di Spagna recipe is straightforward, I want to suggest a few interesting variations.

Flavoring: Add ½ teaspoon of almond, coconut, or vanilla extract. Introduce some orange flower water and lemon zest if you want a subtly citrusy taste. Alternatively, give your cake a romantic twist by utilizing rose water to create a delectable treat perfect for Valentine's Day.

Coloring: Add a few drops of gel food coloring to the cake butter (at 5-7 minutes of beating) until the desired color. Easily customize the color of your cake to match any occasion. For a beautiful pink hue, take inspiration from the recipe for Lychee Cake.

Chocolate sponge cake: Replace ⅕ cup (25 g) of plain flour with cocoa powder to make a chocolate variation of Pan di Spagna.

Gluten-free sponge cake: Replace the AP flour with cornstarch or a blend of heat-treated rice flour and rice starch in a 4:1 ratio.

How to make Italian sponge cake

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Generously butter and flour an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan and set aside. Using a flour sifter, sift the flour in a large bowl and put it aside.

Pro tip: Another way to prepare the pan is to brush some softened butter on the bottom and sides of the pan and line them with parchment paper.

Step 2. Place eggs and granulated sugar in a separate large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and lightly beat with a hand whisk (photo 1).

Step 3. Continue to whisk and bring the bowl over a bain-marie or water bath to warm the mixture up to 104°F (40°C) or warm to the touch (photo 2).

Pro tip: Whisk the egg and sugar mixture the entire time. Do not overheat the mixture; otherwise, beating air into the mix will make it impossible.

Step 4. Remove the bowl from the bain-marie or water bath. Beat the eggs and sugar mixture with an electric or stand mixer with a whisk attachment for 12-15 minutes until the volume is doubled and the ribbon stage is reached.

Step 5. Perform the ribbon stage test to determine if the cake batter has reached the right consistency. Simply lift a small amount of batter with your whisk and create a figure-eight pattern using the batter that drips off (photo 3).

If the figure maintains its shape for a duration of at least 3-4 seconds, you have achieved the desired texture. However, additional beating is necessary if the figure-eight pattern sinks into the batter swiftly.

Step 6. Add half of the sifted flour and gently mix with a rubber spatula, making movements from top to bottom. Then add the remaining flour and gently fold it until combined (photo 4).

Pro tip: You can sift the flour over the egg mixture, little by little, and gently fold it with the spatula. Work in a circular pattern, going over and under, slightly rotating the bowl.

Step 7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin (photo 5) and smooth the top with a silicone or offset spatula. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown for 25-30 minutes (photo 6).

Pro tip: Check the readiness of the cake with a toothpick, a cake tester, or a wooden skewer: once it comes out clean out of the center of the cake, it is ready.

Step 8. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the switched oven (keep the door slightly open using a wooden spoon) to prevent deflating the sponge cake.

Step 9. Remove the sponge from the oven, and let it cool for the other ten minutes. Then, remove it from the pan by flipping it upside down and cool it on a cooling rack, also known as a wire rack.

Step 10. Turn it over in 10 minutes, and let it cool completely. Dust the top of the cake with icing (powdered) sugar if desired.

Expert Tips

1. Weigh the flour with a kitchen scale or use a spoon and level method.
2. Add a pinch of salt to the flour to enhance the cake flavor and prevent the taste of eggs.
3. Do not overbeat the egg and sugar mixture: stick for 12-15 minutes. Otherwise, the sponge cake will crumble while cutting.
4. Opt for an 8-inch (20cm) round pan or springform pan. If you choose a cake ring wrapped in aluminum foil, adjustments to the baking time will be necessary. To recalculate the ingredients for a different size of the baking pan, use this simple cake pan calculator.
5. Keep the oven door closed until the baking is complete. The rule of thumb is not to open the oven door for at least the first 30 minutes of baking. Otherwise, the cake will deflate.
6. Adjust the baking time if the cake is too dark outside but still not perfectly cooked inside.
7. Slice the sponge cake with a long serrated knife, a nylon thread, or a cake leveler.
8. Make-ahead option: Make the cake one to two days in advance if you plan to cut and decorate it. Wrap it in plastic film (aka cling film) and refrigerate it.

Storing and freezing

Store Italian sponge cake covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days.

Can you freeze Italian sponge cake? You can freeze Pan di Spagna for up to 1 month.

Wrap the cake with plastic film, then a freezer bag, and freeze it for up to a month. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.

What to make with a sponge cake

The airy Italian sponge cake is a light dessert with a unique fluffy texture. That sets it apart from other cakes that use butter, oil, or other ingredients that make a cake moist.

However, this dry-textured feature allows it to absorb any liquid you choose to infuse it with, from a simple sugar syrup to alcohol and coffee. Even the subtle sweetness of orange juice or milk complements the cake beautifully.

Enjoy some delightful cakes inspired by the delectable Pan di Spagna recipe:

• Italian Mimosa cake
• Vanilla meringue cake
• Lychee cake
• Uruguayan cake Torta Chaja
• White Forest cake
• Or browse all the cake recipes

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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 originally published on February 04, 2019. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.