45 sponge recipes

Homemade steamed sponge cake, no oven needed: a light, eggy batter sweetened and colored with coconut treacle and warm cinnamon, then steamed soft and spongy. A moist Sri Lankan treacle cake for tea time.

Diabetic-friendly sponge cake sweetened with artificial sweetener, flavored with pineapple juice and orange. Light, airy tube cake with no added sugar.

Fruit sponge whips gelatin-set sour milk with crushed fruit and beaten egg white into a light, mousse-like vintage dessert. Old-fashioned chilled treat with cloud-soft texture.

Orange sponge gelatin dessert made with fresh orange juice, lemon juice, and unflavored gelatin beaten until fluffy. A light, airy vintage dessert with no dairy and no baking.

A simple overnight yeast sponge starter made with just flour, water, and active dry yeast. The base for flavorful homemade bread with better texture and deeper taste.

A classic vanilla sponge cake that gets its lift from 10 whipped egg whites and cake flour with no butter or oil. Tall, airy, and springy with a delicate vanilla crumb.

A fat-free marbled sponge cake with swirled vanilla white and lemon-yellow batters baked in a tube pan. Feather-light and elegant for any occasion.

Traditional Vietnamese herb and vegetable platter with fresh mint, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, cucumber, and tropical fruits. The essential accompaniment for pho, banh mi, and spring rolls.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Homemade lady fingers piped from a light egg white and cake flour batter with vanilla and orange flavoring. Delicate sponge cookies for tiramisu, trifle, or eating on their own.

Smores cake layers fluffy graham cracker sponge with toasted miniature marshmallows and mini chocolate chips broiled until bubbly. Low-fat campfire-flavored cake without leaving the kitchen.

Mary Rogers's sourdough biscuits use an overnight starter sponge for a tender, tangy biscuit with a soft crumb. A pioneer-style overnight rise that beats any quick biscuit hands down.