Cloud Cake
Cloud Cake is a delicate sponge cake made with whipped egg whites for a light, airy texture. It’s simple, elegant, and perfect with powdered sugar and fresh berries.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 231kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs separated
- ¾ cup sugar divided
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup milk room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line just the bottom of an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides; this helps the cake climb upward.
- Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside for later.
- In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with ½ cup of sugar until pale and slightly thick. Slowly whisk in the canola oil, then milk, and then vanilla.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture. Stir gently just until smooth and lump-free. The batter should be smooth. (Be sure not to overmix.)
- In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Beat until soft, glossy peaks form. Be sure not to overwhip; the peaks should bend slightly.
- Fold in ⅓ of the egg whites into the batter to loosen it. Gently fold in the remaining whites. Use a wide spatula and go in slow, lifting motions.
- Pour batter into the pan and tap on the counter once lightly. This will help release large air bubbles.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top springs back and a skewer comes out clean. A few moist crumbs are okay.
- Immediately invert the pan when you remove the cake from the oven. Leave the pan inverted until the cake is cooled completely, around 1 ½ -2 hours. This will prevent collapse and keep the cake cloud-soft. I like to use two small jars and place the pan upside down using the rim of the pan. This way it keeps the cake off any surface to cool.
- Once the pan is completely cool, run a thin knife around the edge to release it from the sides of the pan. Remove the cake and peel off the parchment paper.
- Right before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar and/or serve with fresh berries.
Notes
- Let your eggs come to room temperature before starting. They whip better and create more volume.
- Make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean before whipping egg whites. Any grease can prevent proper peaks.
- Stop at soft peaks. They should look glossy and gently droop.
- Fold slowly. Scoop from the bottom and lift. Don’t stir.
- Tap the pan lightly once to remove large air pockets without deflating the batter.
- Be patient during cooling. Leaving the cake upside down until completely cool is what keeps it cloud-soft.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg
