{"id":1581,"date":"2021-09-03T17:01:14","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T21:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bakingnook.com\/?p=1581"},"modified":"2022-03-23T23:03:57","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T03:03:57","slug":"butter-cake-vs-sponge-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bakingnook.com\/butter-cake-vs-sponge-cake\/","title":{"rendered":"Butter Cake Vs Sponge Cake: Similarities and Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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I recall the first time I went to a bakery to custom order a cake, I was asked what kind of base I wanted. I had come to realize that I knew nothing of cakes besides all the delicious flavors they have to offer. I decided to find out what the difference between cake bases are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a general rule, there are two main types of cake: a butter cake and a sponge cake. Butter cakes contain more ingredients and have a denser texture compared to sponge cakes. The light and airy nature of sponge cakes comes from beaten eggs and contains no extra raising agents.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to dive in a little further to figure out if there are more differences between a butter cake and a sponge cake than just their texture and ingredient count. It turns out, there are!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Butter Cake and Sponge Cake: Similarities and Differences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sponge Cake<\/strong><\/td>Butter Cake<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Light and airy<\/td>Moist and Dense<\/td><\/tr>
Contains no fats (butter, oil, etc.)<\/td>Contains butter<\/td><\/tr>
Contains no raising agents<\/td>Uses either baking powder or baking soda<\/td><\/tr>
Gains height from egg whipping<\/td>Technique requires creaming butter <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What makes a cake a sponge cake?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Decorated sponge cake with berries and powdered sugar<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When I am having a sponge cake for dessert, I imagine eating a sugary cloud of delight. A sponge cake is light and airy with a shocking reason why! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, sponge cakes contain no raising agents such as baking powder<\/strong> or baking soda. As mind-boggling as that sounds, the reason for their height and airiness is because of the way the eggs are used as a substitute for raising agents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you beat eggs or egg whites with a stand mixer or hand mixer, a lot of air is introduced<\/strong> which causes the egg mixture to foam up and thicken into a soft meringue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if sponge cakes do not contain raising agents, what ingredients do they have?<\/strong> The answer is quite simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n