Easy And Delicious Sponge Cupcakes Recipe In Under 1 Hour

Last Updated on June 12, 2022

Looking for a new and improved cupcake recipe? Then you have to try our fluffy sponge cupcakes recipe with some traditional Victorian garnishes.

Our recipe is easy to make and can be finished in under an hour. And the best part, it has an uber fluffy texture that is unmatched by many other recipes! So, why not give it a try this weekend? You won’t regret it!

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What Is This Sponge Cupcakes Recipe?

This sponge cupcakes recipe drew inspiration from an ancient cake called a sponge cake. Yes, despite being ancient, sponge cakes aren’t unknown to the modern kitchen.

These are light and airy cakes made with the most basic baking ingredients including flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and flavoring.

Originally, the eggs were separated. Egg whites were beaten and folded in at the end to give the cakes a much fluffier texture. Today, however, the cakes are made using regular whole eggs. These are still beaten at a much higher speed than other cakes to give them more air.

Furthermore, sponge cakes tend to contain more leavening agents for an added lift. The leavening agent is almost always baking powder or a baking powder substitute.

These cupcakes are essentially a regular sponge cake recipe divided into cupcake cups. And, we have also included a traditional fruit jam filling (you can choose whichever you like) and vanilla buttercream frosting.

What You Need To Make Our Delicious Sponge Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients for the sponge cupcakes recipe

1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Ingredients for the filling and frosting

3/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3 tablespoons milk, room temperature
Fruit jam, optional
Fresh cut fruit, optional

Equipment

Standard cupcake pan
Cupcake liners
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Electric or hand mixer
Rubber or silicone spatula
Cooling rack
Piping bag and nozzles

CUPCAKE RUSSIAN PIPING TIPS SET –

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Step by step instructions

Step 1: Make the sponge cupcakes recipe batter

Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Place the softened butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Then, at high speed, cream them for a couple of minutes until they become light and fluffy. The sugar will also have started to dissolve. Then, add the vanilla essence and give it a good stir.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, briefly mixing between each addition. After adding the final egg, make sure to beat the mixture at high speed to ensure the ingredients mix together well.

And finally, combine all of the dry ingredients and add them to the butter and egg mixture. Do not overmix the batter. Only keep mixing until the flour has completely disappeared and you have a smooth uniform mixture.

Step 2: Bake the cupcakes

Once the batter has been made, fill each cupcake liner with roughly two-thirds of the way full with batter.

Then, bake the cupcakes for roughly 15-18 minutes. The cupcakes are done once a testing needle or toothpick comes out clean.

Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool inside of their tray. After roughly 15 minutes, you can remove them and cool them on a cooling rack.

Step 3: Make the frosting

While the cupcakes are cooling, start making the buttercream frosting. Again, start by creaming the butter until it becomes light and fluffy. Only cream it for 5 minutes (at most) before adding the powdered sugar. Then, cream for another 5 minutes. The mixture of butter and powdered sugar will first form breadcrumbs before becoming a creamy uniform frosting.

Once the mixture is fluffy, add the vanilla extract and mix it in. Then, add one tablespoon of milk before further adjusting the consistency. We prefer using 2 tablespoons – it gives us a pliable yet firm frosting that is still smooth and creamy.

Place the frosting inside a piping bag that is fitted with a piping nozzle.

Step 4: Assemble the cupcakes

Once your cupcakes are cooled, you can core them and add some fruit jam. Finally, frost each cupcake with some buttercream frosting. Then, add some fresh fruit garnishes or another type of decoration that you like.

Then, serve them immediately or store them inside an airtight container.

Expert Tips For Making This Easy Sponge Cupcakes Recipe

To make a sponge cupcakes recipe, you do need to beat the eggs at a high speed. This is part of what gives them their fluffy texture. A low speed will simply mix them into a batter and not aerate them at all.
If you want to make them even fluffier, you can beat the egg whites separately and fold them in at the end. This will give them a much more aerated texture and mouthfeel.
Filling the cupcakes up to 2/3 of the way will give you the ultimate height on the cupcake. It will be slightly domed like perfect cupcakes should be.
To core cupcakes are surprisingly easy. The best way to do this is to use a special tool called a cupcake corer. However, there are some alternative tools you can use. This includes a melon baller, a simple knife, an apple corer, or a piping tip.
You can use any flavor of fruit jam that you would like. We love raspberry jam especially because of its slightly tart flavor profile. But, any berry jam will do just fine. You can also look for fruit-filling recipes on our site.
To decorate these cupcakes, instead of piping frosting onto them, you can also just spread some buttercream on them with a butterknife. This will give them a more rustic look. Otherwise, Russian ball piping nozzles make incredibly beautiful ruffles.

In Conclusion

Now, you can also make deliciously fluffy baked treats using this incredibly easy sponge cupcakes recipe. We all but guarantee you won’t regret making these cupcakes.

Let us know how your recipe turned out in the comments below and if you have any other questions!

FAQs

What makes a cupcake light and fluffy?

The leavening agents used are what give cupcakes their fluffy texture. This can either be in the form of beaten eggs, beaten egg whites, baking powder, or another type of double-acting leavening agent. In the case of this recipe, we use beaten eggs and baking powder to make these cupcakes uber fluffy.

How can I make my cupcakes moister?

You can either add sour cream or yogurt instead of some liquid ingredients. For this recipe, however, we only recommend adding 1/4 cup of either and adding another 1/4 cup of flour. Alternatively, you should try not to overbake the cupcakes. Bake them until they are just right.

Are cupcakes better with oil or butter?

The texture that oil gives cakes and cupcakes, in general, will always be better. It creates a more tender texture, creates a fluffier crumb, and one that stays moist for longer. However, butter gives cupcakes a better color and flavor.

What ingredient makes cupcakes moist?

Any type of liquid ingredient will add moistness to cakes or cupcakes. This includes eggs, butter, oil, milk, cream, or water. However, you have to be careful as to which liquid ingredients you add. Each has different characteristics that will affect the final flavor and texture.

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Lindy Van Schalkwyk

Lindy Van Schalkwyk is a culinary specialist with a background in Advanced Cooking, Advanced Pâtisserie, Media Communications and Nutrition. She has gained invaluable experience in the culinary industry having worked in some of the top restaurants in Africa in 2016 and 2017. Her expertise in nutrition has enabled her to develop recipes for special dietary needs. In 2018, Lindy began working in the Food Media industry, focusing on recipe development, recipe writing, food writing and food styling.

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