Easy Sponge Orange Cake
This easy orange sponge cake is made by blending eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt, and vanilla, then adding orange juice and zest, followed by flour with baking powder, then a vinegar and baking soda mixture for extra lift. It is baked in a 22 cm pan at 170°C with bottom heat for 45 to 50 minutes, and the top can be browned with top heat only during the final 5 minutes. The original recipe in the description is the most reliable source for the quantities, while the chef added parchment paper and greasing the pan with butter.
A light orange sponge cake made in a simple, reliable way.
Like a classic homemade orange loaf cake, but lighter and fluffier.
Beat the eggs well for a airy texture, and fold the flour gently to keep the cake soft.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (approximately 450 g) Flour
- 4 Eggs
- 300 g (1½ cups) Sugar
- 1 cup Orange juice
- ½ cup (100 ml) Oil
- ½ cup Yogurt
- 1.5 tablespoons Vanilla
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder
- 2 tablespoons Orange zest
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 tablespoons Vinegar
- Slivered almonds
- Butter for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C with bottom heat only.
- Line a 22 cm pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter.
- Place the eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt, and vanilla in a blender, then blend until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the orange juice and orange zest to the blender, then blend again.
- In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the blender or to the batter in batches, stirring until all the flour has been incorporated.
- Mix the vinegar with the baking soda until the reaction subsides, then add the mixture to the cake batter and combine.
- Pour the cake batter into the pan.
- Tap the pan twice to release air pockets.
- Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top of the cake, if desired.
- Bake the cake in the oven on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes.
- If the top of the cake needs browning, turn on the top heat only during the final 5 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and leave its door half open for 5 minutes after baking is finished.
- Remove the cake from the pan after it has cooled slightly.