Sometimes I want a simple cake that doesn't require a lot of my time or ingredients and this Lemon Ginger Sponge Cake with Raspberries is quick and easy to make. This light and airy lemon and ginger flavored sponge cake looks elegant topped with whipped cream and red raspberries and tastes heavenly.

Sponge Cake topped with Raspberries

with lemon and ginger

Lemon Ginger Sponge Cake with Sweetened Whipped Cream and Raspberries

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This year I have been blessed with an abundance of lemons and have been zesting and juicing lemons like crazy. Over the years I have become very creative in what to do with buckets of lemons. Of course, that includes lots of lemony baked goods.

If you happen to live near El Dorado Hills, CA, just stop by and get some lemons, there is usually a bucket of them sitting outside for giveaways.

How to Freeze Lemons

Because I have so many lemons and can't possibly use them all I freeze them in different ways ~

Zest the lemons and juice them, place the juice in an ice cube tray to freeze. Store the zested lemon in zip lock bags and the juice in the freezer for later.
Cut the lemons into slices, place them on a tray, and freeze, then put them in plastic bags for use later. This is a great way to add lemons to drinks.
Freeze the whole lemon and then grate it. Yes, you grate the whole lemon and it adds incredible flavor to cooked foods and baked goods.

I love grating/zesting citrus and use this Microplane grater all the time, it stays sharp and the length is perfect for zesting all types of citrus.

What is a Sponge Cake

Let's talk about the sponge cake since that's what we are making. Sponge cakes are a bit unusual in that they are mostly made with three ingredients, eggs, sugar, and flour.

Notice, sponge cakes contain little or no butter or oil.

The texture of sponge cakes are light, airy and spongy from whipping the eggs for a long time. These cakes are called foam cakes.

The possibilities are endless for adding in your choice of flavorings. You can fill or top the cake with your favorite jams or maybe some lemon curd and fruit.

For today's cake, I added two of my favorite flavors lemon and ginger, but feel free to experiment with orange, cinnamon, lavender, coconut or maybe vanilla.

Fresh lemons, red raspberries and fresh ginger

Ingredients to make a Lemon Ginger Sponge Cake

Eggs
Sugar
Lemons
Cake Flour
Vanilla
Whipping cream
Powdered Sugar
Raspberries

Sponge cakes are a little like angel food cakes but are made with whole eggs and sugar that are whipped for several minutes to create volume because no baking powder is used. And for an added bonus there is no fat added to the cake, which is good for the waistline, right!

Sponge Cake Batter

Here is my tip for adding flour to the batter

Measure the flour and then sift it into the egg and sugar batter a quarter cup at a time and gently fold it into the batter; this way, the egg mixture won't deflate. If the batter deflates well ...then the cake will be a pancake, and we aren't making pancakes.

Finish this cake off with a billowing topping of sweetened whipped cream, and lots of berries

Recipe

Lemon Ginger Sponge Cake with Raspberries and Whipped Cream

Lemon Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream and Raspberries

Jere' Cassidy

This is a simple Lemon Sponge Cake with a topping of creamy sweetened whipped cream and Raspberries.

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1

Course Cake

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Calories 122 kcal

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

4 large eggs
5 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoon zested lemon peel
¾ cup cake flour you can also us All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt

Topping Ingredients

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 pints raspberries Substitute other fresh berries. You can add any amount of berries you like.

Instructions

Making the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a round 8-inch cake pan by buttering the bottom and lining it with parchment or wax paper.
Using a citrus zester, zest the lemon and set aside
Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer mix on medium speed to break up the eggs. If you have a whip attachment, that works the best, but the regular beaters will also work.
Gradually add the sugar to the eggs and beat for about 10 minutes on medium-high to high speed until the egg mixture has tripled its volume. When properly beaten, the mixture should fall from the whipping attachment in ribbons and slowly dissolve in 10 seconds. The batter will look thick almost like cake batter.
Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest.
Sift ¼ cup of flour and salt on top of the batter and slowly fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining flour in ¼ cup increments, folding until no flour appears. The batter should still be foamy. If you over-stir, the batter will deflate.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and with a toothpick or skewer, drag it through the batter in a spiral to remove the air bubbles, and then gently tap the cake pan on the counter.
Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes then let cool for 10 minutes. You will see the cake shrink away from the pan, take a serrated knife and go around the edge of the pan to loosen it, then remove the cake and turn it upside down on a plate or platter. Remove the parchment paper and let the cake completely cool.

Finishing the cake

Add the chilled whipping cream to a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. With an electric mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
Dollop the whipped cream on top of the cake and top with the raspberries.

Storage

Store any leftover cake covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for two days.

Notes

This recipe is for a single 8-inch cake.

My portable electric mixer works best for whipping the batter, as I can move the beaters around to get more air and volume.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 14.3gFat: 6.4gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 177mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Light and tender Lemon Sponge Cake

A slice of lemon and ginger sponge cake with raspberries

I think this is just the perfect cake to have with a nice cup of tea, a glass of Moscato or even a big glass of lemonade. Have some friends over or share with your family.

Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say Hello or just let me know what you are baking these days; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? My contact information is on my about page, and I’ll be happy to help.

About Jere'

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.

Lemon Ginger Sponge Cake with Raspberries