This whole wheat sponge cake is light as air and so yummy. It is made healthy with whole wheat pastry flour (soft white wheat). If you struggle with whole wheat cakes then this is the cake you need to try.
Jump to:
This has been our go to sponge cake recipe for years. It is simple to make with just a few ingredients. It was adapted from a recipe we found in an old cookbook. We love making it for strawberry shortcake.
You can use this healthy sponge cake recipe for all kinds of desserts or layer cakes. We also have more cake recipes made with whole wheat flour; vanilla cake, chocolate cake, and banana cake that make great layer cakes.
What's Cool About This Recipe
- 100% whole grain: We use 100% whole wheat flour milled from soft white wheat. Soft white wheat is great for cakes and muffins. We have a post all about the differences in wheat and whole wheat flour.
- Light as air: This basic sponge cake is so fluffy and the texture is extremely smooth for being a whole wheat cake. You won’t even know it’s a healthier cake.
- Stays good for a long time: Other kinds of cake don't store for more than 2-3 days before they start drying out and tasting stale. This cake was still amazing 6 days after it was made. That’s insane for a cake.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour milled from these grains: soft white wheat (recommended), hard white wheat.
- Sugar: We use organic cane sugar.
- Baking powder: This is used as a leavener and helps the cake rise.
- Cream of tartar: Used to stabilize the egg whites.
- Salt: Helps bring all the flavors together.
- Eggs: Eggs are the backbone of this cake, they are what gives it the super fluffy texture and help it rise tall.
- Oil: To keep the cake tender and moist. We usually use avocado oil but any oil you bake with should work.
- Water: Use to thin out the batter a bit so the egg whites can easily be incorporated.
- Vanilla extract: Gives the cake its vanilla flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- You can swap the vanilla extract for almond extract.
Instruction Photos
Overview of instructions with photos. See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 6 inch cake pan with parchment paper, the paper can be taller than the pan, just make sure the top is as wide as the bottom.
Step 2: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ¼ cup of the sugar, baking powder and salt.
Step 3: Separate the eggs (do not let any of the yolks get into the whites). Place the yolks into the bowl with the flour and the whites into a clean and dry medium size mixing bowl.
Step 4: Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form.
Step 5: Slowly sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into the egg whites while beating. Beat just until stiff peaks form (when you pull out the beaters the very tip of the peak should fall over).
Step 6: Add the oil, water and vanilla extract to the bowl with the flour. Mix until combined.
Step 7: Carefully fold half of the egg whites into the flour mixture until combined, fold the remaining egg whites into the batter just until combined (do not over mix).
Step 8: Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 9: Bake for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 10: Immediately remove from the pan to a wire rack and remove the parchment paper. Let cool completely before frosting or storing.
Serving Suggestions
We like to serve this cake with whipped cream and fresh fruit or fruit sauce. You can also frost it with your favorite frosting, or one of these recommendations:
Storage
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. If the cake is frosted it will need to be refrigerated.
How to Freeze
Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and place into a freezer safe bag or container, freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw: unwrap the cake and let thaw at room temperature just until thawed, then frost or store (you can frost the cake while it is still frozen).
Tips From Our Kitchen
If you can, we highly recommend using fresh milled/ground flour from soft white wheat.
Sometimes soft white wheat flour can have quite large pieces of bran, you can sift them out with a fine mesh sieve if you like.
When you’re separating the eggs be very careful to not let any yolks get into the whites. The whites won’t whip if there are any bits of yolk in them.
Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites. You want to stop beating when you lift the beaters out, and the very tip of the peak falls.
Don’t overmix the batter, fold carefully just until combined.
The flour mixture will thicken as it sets, if it seems quite thick, fold a small amount of the beaten egg whites into the batter to loosen it up before you add the rest of the egg whites.
FAQ
Egg whites won’t whip if they have even the smallest amount of egg yolk or fat in them. Make sure you use a clean bowl and don’t get any yolks in the whites when separating the eggs.
This could be that the batter was over mixed and the egg whites lost their airiness. Or the oven door was opened during baking, letting too much heat out of the oven.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat Sponge Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup (60 grams) Soft white wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (79 grams) Organic cane sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) Baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon Cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons (26 grams) Oil neutral flavored
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) Water
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 6 inch cake pan with parchment paper, the paper can be taller than the pan, just make sure the top is not narrower than the bottom.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ¼ cup of the sugar, baking powder and salt.½ cup (60 grams) Soft white wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour), ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (79 grams) Organic cane sugar, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) Baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- Separate the eggs (do not let any of the yolks get into the whites). Place the yolks into the bowl with the flour and the whites into a clean and dry medium size mixing bowl.2 large Eggs
- Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into the egg whites while beating. Beat just until stiff peaks form.⅛ teaspoon Cream of tartar, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (79 grams) Organic cane sugar
- Add the oil, water and vanilla extract to the bowl with the flour. Mix until combined.2 tablespoons (26 grams) Oil, 2 tablespoons (30 grams) Water, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Carefully fold half of the egg whites into the flour mixture until combined, fold the remaining egg whites into the batter just until combined (do not over mix).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Immediately transfer the cake to a wire rack and remove the parchment paper. Let cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.
Janice
Could I omit the oil? Need to replace it with the same amount of water? Thank you.
WholeWheatKitchen
Hi, we haven’t tried this recipe with no oil. It would definitely change the texture of the cake, but you could try it.
Rachel T
I was looking for a whole wheat chiffon cake recipe, (because I mill my grains at home and love all things whole wheat!) so I decided to try this sponge cake recipe since it has all the ingredients that a chiffon cake usually has. I tripled the recipe and baked it in a tube pan. It turned out amazing, tall, light and fluffy!
I love this cake with 7 Minute Frosting, as it is the lightest, fluffiest frosting possible!
Thank you for your site, I am sure to be back for more recipes!
WholeWheatKitchen
We’re so glad the recipe worked out for you! That’s so cool that you mill your own grains, we do also:) Thank you so much for your comment, it means the world to us 😊.