Conquer Your Fear of Homemade Cakes with Our Secrets to Baking the Perfect Fluffy Cake: Tips on How to Make Cake Spongy & 4 Cake Recipes to Blow Everyone's Mind!

Conquer Your Fear of Homemade Cakes with Our Secrets to Baking the Perfect Fluffy Cake: Tips on How to Make Cake Spongy & 4 Cake Recipes to Blow Everyone's Mind!

We all know how easy it is to buy a box of cake mix, but let’s be honest—we are sacrificing flavour and freshness for convenience. If you have never baked a cake from scratch you may be surprised at how simple it is, and that you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. It is thus beneficial for you to know exactly what you want to achieve for the rules below to guide you. Let’s look at the points as categorized below.

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Cake Baking Tips to Make Fluffy Cakes

The Temperature Must Be Right

If you want to know how to make cake fluffy then the first step is all about learning the technicalities of cake baking. Right temperature is something which gives the much-needed fluff to the cake. And this is not just about the temperature of baking but the temperature of ingredients too.

A little warm butter would be great but eggs and flour should be at room temperature only. The milk also must not be too chilled. This will make cake quite spongy.

Preparation is Necessary

Making preparations is an important part of baking cakes and it must be done properly before you even begin.
  • Heating the oven is the first thing to do
  • And then lining the baking pan should be the next thing to do.
  • Once you are done with making the batter, immediately pour it in the baking pan as letting the batter rest for too long can cause big holes in it.
  • Setting the oven and baking pan keeps the flow going.

Know the Type of Cake

Before you try out light and fluffy sponge cake recipe, you should know what type of cake you want to bake.

Some cakes like red velvet and carrot cakes are already quite moist and soft. Vanilla cakes are the one which is not fluffy enough and hence you need special ingredients to make it fluffy and soft. So, do not put additional efforts into the cake when it already has high liquid proportions.

Flour Folding Technique

Did you even know that there is a special way to mix the ingredients? Well, neither did we but this folding technique can be life-changing for noob bakers at home.

Always keep in mind that you are supposed to mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients that too gradually to avoid any lumps. Also, always fold the mixture in figure 8 motion. Make sure that you do not over mix as it can kill the bubbles which make the cake hard.

Take It Easy with Eggs

To learn how to make cake fluffy, you need to focus on little things as it can make a huge difference in the outcome for the cake. No matter how many eggs a recipe calls for, resist the urge to dump them all together; beat in one egg at a time, adding the next one only when the previous one has been fully incorporated into the batter.

Beating eggs slowly with butter and sugar add more air into it. However, make sure that you beat it for only a few minutes as it must not split. Also, add the yolks one after the other gradually as it creates a great mixture and produces soft batter which leads to a spongy cake.

Types of Ingredients Chosen

The types of ingredients chosen play a huge role in deciding how the cake is going to turn out. You can use special cake flour instead of all-purpose flour as this cake flour has corn starch mixed in it which makes the cake lighter. Gluten, the protein in flour, is responsible for making dough stretchy and is particularly useful in making rotis and bread, but this same property can wreck havoc on the cake. Hence cake flour has a very low gluten content and can make your cake nice and airy.

Also, prefer real butter over margarine and you can also substitute butter even when there is margarine mentioned in the recipe. Butter contains more fat which holds the cake together and adds much-needed moisture in it. It also imparts a rich flavour that margarine cannot compete with.

Buttermilk Can Be Miraculous

If you are wondering how to make a soft cake then you should look around in your kitchen to find the right kind of solution for it.

Buttermilk can turn out to be amazing and it doesn’t even add weird flavour to the cake also. Buttermilk has high acidic content which breaks down gluten in the flour and hence it turns out to be super soft. Remember that you need to use buttermilk as a substitute for baking soda.

Beating is Important

Well, beating isn’t about the eggs only as there are other ingredients used in the cake as well. This is about beating butter and sugar together which can create light and fluffy batter. A well-beaten sugar-butter mix will be light in colour and smooth.

This happens due to trapped air bubbles in the batter which also work as a raising agent adding air in the mixture. This air helps the batter to expand when it is being heated up and hence raises the cake, even more, leading to the fluffy cake. So, make sure to pick a deep bowl to let the cake rise higher.

While a handheld beater can do the work quickly, it often also removes a lot of the air that it adds. If you have a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, use that, and if you have the time resort to the good old fashioned method of using a wooden spoon to beat together butter with sugar.

Method of Baking

Know how to make the cake fluffy by mastering the baking methods of the cake. If you have more than usual quantity of the batter then prefer baking them into separate baking trays instead of baking them all in one.

This will ensure that you have airy and lighter cakes. Also, if it is taking too long for the cake to get baked then cover it with parchment paper as it prevents the cake from turning too brown on top and from drying out.

Sifting Is Important

If you will make a cake by sifting the dry ingredients then it will turn out to be way more airy, spongy and fluffier than the one where the ingredients weren’t sifted.

Some of the bakers even sift the ingredients 3-4 times to make the cake even lighter and moist. Sifting adds air to the ingredients and hence the final baked cake doesn’t sit in the pan and rather turn out to be super fluffy. Ingredients like baking soda and baking powder that are responsible for aeriating the cake are usually added to the flour before sifting and several siftings will ensure they are evenly mixed, thus preventing large holes in a few spots and a denser crumb in other places. Other dry ingredients like salt and cocoa powder too can be mixed in well with sifting.

Sugar Syrup for Moisture

If you are making a cake to store it for the longer time then this tip is going to come handy for you. Freezing a cake can remove all the moisture from it and make it dry.

So, before you freeze or store your cake, make sure to spray some sugar syrup on the cake slices and let it sit for a while before you start frosting it. This way, the cake will absorb all the moisture and will remain in perfect condition through the storage time.

Some cakes are also drier than others. A sponge cake, for instance, will dry up faster than a rich butter cake, thus it is brushed with sugar syrup before frosting so the moisture can be sealed in, keeping the cake soft and moist.

Know When Its Cooked Completely

If you want to know how to make a cake rise higher then you should give it the time to let it cooked properly. Keep on checking the cake every few minutes to see whether it is baked or not.

Also, when you see the sunken cakes then you should know that it is not baked properly. When you are sure that the cake is risen well and cooked properly then put a toothpick inside and when no batter is stick to it then it is properly cooked.

Consistency of Batter

You can say that the consistency of the batter is something which decides the fluffiness of the cake eventually.

It is often seen that batter having too little liquid leads to having a dry texture. So, make sure that the cake is having soft dripping consistency. You can add milk after adding flour which provides amazing moisture to the cake. Always add one tablespoon of milk at a time after you're done folding the batter, mix it in properly before adding more to prevent it becoming too runny. Also, level the top of the cake when you are done pouring it into the baking pan.

Cake Storage

Well, this section is not just about how to make cake fluffy but how to keep it fluffy and soft even after you are done baking it.

Before you store your cake, you should make sure that it is completely cooled down. Seal the cake with foil before transferring it into the refrigerator to lock the moisture inside. Try to consume the cake as soon as possible as cakes exposed to too much cold eventually dry out no matter what.

Four Fluffy Cake Recipes to Try

Now that you know a lot of tips and tricks on how to make cake fluffy, it is the time to try out some actual recipes too. We shortlisted some of the popular cakes and how you can make them fluffy and super soft. If you are an ardent fan of spongy and fluffy cakes then these recipes are just for you.

Fluffy Vanilla Cake Recipe

Vanilla cake is one of the most basic cake recipes and it is loved by almost everyone. So, here is a recipe for how you can make this cake moist and fluffy with simple cooking methods.

What You Need
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup 2% milk and 2 large eggs

How to Make It

  • Heat oven at 350 F and butter and flour two 9 inch baking pans.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl until they combine well.
  • Put the mixer on lowest speed and add butter. Mix for grainy consistency for 1 minute and then add vanilla and slowly pour milk and mix again.
  • Add first egg and mix on medium speed then add another egg and mix again. Pour the prepared batter into baking pans and tap a bit to release air bubbles.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes and then cool for 10 minutes then serve with frosting on top.

Fluffy Jiggly Japanese Cheesecake Recipe

The fluffy jiggly cheesecakes in Japan are super popular because of their super airy texture and melt in mouth flavor. If you want to learn the same then follow this recipe here.

What You Need
  • 100gms butter and 100gms cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk and 8 eggs yolk
  • 1/4 cup flour and ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 13 large egg whites and 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • hot water for baking and powdered sugar for serving

How to Make It

  • Preheat the oven to 320F and whisk together cream cheese, butter and milk on medium until the mixture becomes smooth and melted.
  • Take another bowl and whisk egg yolks and slowly pour in cheese mixture until evenly combined.
  • Sift flour and cornstarch in the mixture and make sure there are no lumps left.
  • Take one more bowl and whisk egg whites with hand mixture then slowly add sugar while continue beating the mixture.
  • Fold the egg whites in egg yolks in parts and evenly combined.
  • Now grease 9 X 3 inch round cake pan and line it then pour the batter and shake to release air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes with paper towels below the pan to spread heat evenly.
  • Dust some powdered sugar on the cake and you are good to go.

Moist and Fluffy Sponge Cake Recipe

If you are trying hard to figure out how to make sponge cake fluffy since quite some long time then you are going to love trying out this recipe here.

What You Need
  • 3 large eggs and 90 grams white flour
  • 90 gms sugar and 40gms butter
  • 30ml milk and 1 tbsp water

How to Make It

  • Preheat the oven to 170° C and Line the mold with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Now sift flour 2-3 times in a bowl. Combine butter and milk in a separate bowl until melted completely.
  • Put eggs in a separate bowl and add sugar. Whip with hand mixer at about 60°C.
  • Whip at high speed and when thickened whisk slowly. After 3 minutes add 1 tbsp water and whisk gently.
  • Add flour mix in it and whisk about 30 times then add milk and butter mixture slowly.
  • Pour batter in the mold and bake for 30-35 minutes. It should be ready then.

Fluffy Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe

You probably won’t have made Chiffon cakes before but you should definitely try this recipe to make amazing lemon flavored chiffon cake. It is moist, smooth and most importantly delicious in taste.

What You Need
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt
  • 8 large egg whites and 7 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil and ½ cup milk
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make It

  • Preheat oven to 325° F and line a 10-inch baking pan and set aside.
  • Take a bowl and sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In another bowl whisk yolks, lemon juice, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest. After whisking well, mix both wet and dry ingredients together.
  • Take another large bowl and beat egg whites on high speed and gradually mix remaining sugar and beat until it forms stiff peaks.
  • Add one-third of egg whites mixture into egg yolk mixture and keep folding until you mix the entire mixture.
  • Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 50-55 minutes and serve when cool down completely.
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From our editorial team

Measure Your Ingredients Correctly.

For dry ingredients, such as flour and cocoa powder, use a spoon and scoop the ingredients from the container into measuring cups until full. Then, use the flat edge of your utensil to sweep any excess from the top. Don't dip. Dipping your measuring cup into the container can result in the ingredients becoming too packed, and you will end up with more than you should.

For the most accurate results, use a weighing scale. Too much flour in your cake batter will yield very dense baked cakes.