Banana Passover Sponge Cake

This Passover sponge cake skips wheat flour entirely, using cake meal and potato starch to keep it kosher for the holiday. Seven whipped egg whites do the structural work, lifting the cake into a tall, airy angel-food texture even without conventional leavening agents.

Mashed bananas in the yolk mixture add moisture and natural sweetness that flourless cakes often lack. The cake bakes in an angel food pan so it can climb the central tube during baking, then cools upside down to keep its full height before unmolding. Sliced bananas and walnuts piled on whipped cream finish each slice with classic Passover dessert elegance.

Pro Tips

• Whip the egg whites in a clean, completely dry bowl. Any trace of yolk, oil, or moisture prevents stiff peaks, and you’ll lose the lift that this cake depends on entirely.
• Fold the whites into the yolk mixture gently with a spatula, not a whisk. Aggressive mixing deflates the air bubbles and gives you a dense, sunken cake.
• Cool the cake upside down. This is the angel food trick. The cake clings to the pan as it cools, keeping the tall structure from collapsing under its own weight.
• Use ripe but not overripe bananas. Black bananas turn the cake gray, while yellow bananas don’t give enough flavor. Brown-spotted is the sweet spot.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of grated lemon zest to the yolk mixture for a brighter citrus note alongside the banana.
• Stir half a teaspoon of cinnamon into the dry ingredients for a warm spice version.
• Top with sliced strawberries and bananas for a tropical fruit topping.