Soft, moist, and flexible, with a delicate white crumb—this is the Rice Flour Vanilla Sponge Cake of my dreams.
One of the best things about this cake is that it’s naturally gluten-free.
Rice flour creates a delicate, tender crumb while keeping the cake light, moist, and flexible—it pairs beautifully with any frosting or filling; perfect as a base for any celebration cake.
Egg whites are most effective when beaten at room temperature to stiff peaks
When eggs are cold, they will be difficult to expand
And make sure all utensils clean and grease free
Any residue of fat will prevent egg whites from beating up properly
Rice flour cakes are more delicate and contain no gluten, they can dry out, shrink, or bake unevenly more easily than wheat cakes
The hot water creates a gentler baking environment, it adds moisture to the oven;
This helps the cake bake slowly and evenly, this results in a soft, moist, and fluffy sponge cake
Essentially your sponge cake batter is using the sides of the pan
To help it climb up so it doesn’t collapse
Then remove the cake immediately from the pan; so that the moisture can escape and not damage the structure of the cake
Scrape the sides of the pan, turn it over; And let it cool completely on a cooling rack
Rice Sponge Cake is delicate and can dry out easily; it tends to go stale faster than wheat-based cakes.
Once cooled, it can be used immediately to build your cake of choice or wrap it tightly in cling wrap and store the cake in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
This cake is not too sweet, light and stays moist even if stored in the fridge for several days.
For the complete guide, please watch my video on how to make it.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
🎂 Love you All!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE “RICE FLOUR VANILLA SPONGE CAKE”
TIPS FOR SUCCESS (PLEASE READ FIRST):
- Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper (DO NOT grease or use a non-stick pan)
- Make sure all utensils clean and grease free ( wipe the bowl and utensil with lemon juice or vinegar to helps remove grease)
- Preheat the oven before you start
- Use fresh eggs that are room temperature (other ingredients also must be at room temperature)
- Beat egg yolks and Sugar until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and creamy
- Beat egg whites until medium-stiff peaks (DO NOT over whip the egg whites; over whipped egg whites become dry and grainy and cannot be fixed
- Sift the dry ingredients
- It is important to mix the batter until smooth and lump-free before folding in the whipped egg whites
- When you fold the whipped egg whites, take your time and fold slowly to avoid deflating the egg whites; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no lumps or streaks of egg white left
- Don’t let the batter sit for too long before baking, bake it immediately (remember to place a bowl of hot water in the oven for steaming)
- Resist the urge to open the oven door while baking
- Once it’s baked, tap the pan twice from a short height to release air bubbles and help prevent shrinkage; then remove the cake immediately from the pan
- Let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack before wrapping
- Rice sponge cake is delicate and can dry out easily; It tends to go stale faster than wheat-based cakes
Once cooled, it can be used immediately to build your cake of choice or wrap it tightly in cling wrap and store the cake in the fridge until you’re ready to use it
RECIPE
RICE FLOUR VANILLA SPONGE CAKE
Yield: One 7-Inch (7 cm tall) Round Pan
❄️ Ingredients
45 g Caster Sugar
30 g Egg Yolks (room temperature)
50 g Milk (room temperature)
35 g Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
100 g Rice Flour
15 g Corn Starch
1/3 tsp Baking Powder (Double Acting)
1/6 tsp Salt
150 g Egg Whites (room temperature)
3/4 tsp Lemon Juice
40 g Caster Sugar
NOTES: you can substitute Lemon Juice with 3/4 tsp White Vinegar or 1/3 tsp of Cream of Tartar
❄️ Instructions
Preparation
- Place a piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan (don’t grease or use a non-stick pan)
- Make sure all utensils clean and grease free (wipe the bowl and utensil with lemon juice or vinegar to helps remove grease)
- Take the eggs and other cold ingredients out of the fridge
Separate egg whites and egg yolks; then let them come to room temperature - Preheated the oven 155°C fan/ 175°C/ Gas Mark 4; Place the rack at the very bottom of the oven
- Prepare the dry ingredients in advance; mix Rice Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder and Salt
To Make Rice Flour Sponge Cake
- Beat the Egg Yolks with 45 grams of Sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and creamy
- Pour in the Milk, Vegetable Oil, and Vanilla Extract, then mix until the batter is smooth and well combined
- Add the sifted dry ingredients all at once (make sure to mix thoroughly for a silky smooth batter)
NOTES: At this stage, it is important to mix until the batter is smooth and free of lumps (you don’t need to worry about over-mixing; since this cake is made with rice flour, there is little to no gluten formation)
Set this mixture aside - Making the Meringue
In another clean bowl, beat the Egg Whites on HIGH speed for about 30 seconds, until they become foamy
Add Lemon Juice or White Vinegar or Cream of Tartar (this acid will help stabilising the Egg Whites); continue beating for another 30 seconds
Then add the 40 grams of Sugar in 3 batches (every 30 seconds)
Once all the sugar is added, continue beat on HIGH speed for about 40 seconds (be careful not to over whip the egg whites; over whipped egg whites become dry and grainy and cannot be fixed)
After 40 seconds, the mixture should look glossy and thick; stop the mixer and check; it should reach medium-stiff peaks (the peak stands upright, but the tip gently bends over) That’s what we’re looking for!
NOTES: It’s better to slightly under-whip the egg whites and beat a little longer than to over whip them - Fold one-third of the whipped Egg Whites into the Egg Yolk mixture
Mix gently until fully combined (use a light folding motion, not beating; this helps keep the air in the batter) - Then pour the mixture back into the remaining Egg Whites; gently fold to combine (take your time and fold slowly to avoid deflating the egg whites)
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no lumps or streaks of Egg White left
Use a spatula to ensure everything is evenly mixed - Slowly pour the batter from a position of about 15 cm from the pan; so that the excess bubbles can burst
- Using a skewer make this circular motion to flatten the batter and break the large bubbles
- Tap the pan to remove excess bubbles
- Don’t forget to prepare a bowl of hot water for steaming
- Then immediately bake in the preheated 155°C fan/ 175°C/ Gas Mark 4 (lowest rack) for 40 minutes (place a bowl of hot water in the oven next to the cake pan)
NOTE: Resist the urge to peek until your cake is done; opening the oven door while you bake will release some of the heat; this can lead to the cake being to damp in the middle or even falling - Once it’s done, tap the pan twice from a short height to release air bubbles and help prevent shrinkage
Then remove the cake immediately from the pan (so that the moisture can escape and not damage the structure of the cake)
Using spatula, scrape the sides of the pan; turn it over and let it cool completely on a cooling rack - Rice sponge cake is delicate and can dry out easily; It tends to go stale faster than wheat-based cakes
Once cooled, it can be used immediately to build your cake of choice or wrap it tightly in cling wrap and store the cake in the fridge until you’re ready to use it
NOTES
- I don’t recommend freezing this cake as it is very delicate and can easily dry out
- Cake without filling can be store in the fridge for up to 5 days (the filling and icing will determine storage time)