Mini Sponge Cakes Recipe – Soft, Fluffy & Easy

These mini sponge cakes are soft, fluffy, and wonderfully light. This is one of the recipes I developed for my food business years ago, and I sold so many of these little cakes to my customers. Now I’m sharing the recipe so you can make them at home.

Mini Sponge Cakes are my version of bolu jadul, an old-school Indonesian sponge cake that is soft, airy, and wonderfully fluffy. I used to make and sell these little cakes in my food business, so this recipe has been tested many times and was always a customer favorite. They’re perfect for tea time, parties, or simply as a sweet afternoon snack.

If you love classic Indonesian cakes, you may also enjoy my Lapis Legit, Lapis Surabaya, Mini Bika Ambon, and the classic Dutch Butter Cake. These are the nostalgic cakes I grew up enjoying, and they’re wonderful choices whenever you want something special to serve with tea or coffee.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Cake flour – Cake flour helps keep the sponge cakes soft and light. I prefer using it here instead of all-purpose flour because it gives a finer crumb.

Eggs – The egg yolks and whites are separated for this recipe. The whipped egg whites are what help give the cakes their light, fluffy texture.

Milk powder – This adds a little extra milky flavor to the cakes. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out, although the flavor will be slightly different.

Heavy cream – Used for the cream topping. Keep it cold before whipping so it becomes fluffy more easily.

Powdered sugar – This is mixed into the whipped cream because it dissolves easily and keeps the cream smooth.

Vanilla extract – Adds a light vanilla flavor to the sponge cake and helps round out the egg flavor.

Unsalted butter – Gives the cakes a richer flavor. Using unsalted butter also lets you control the amount of salt in the recipe.

Chocolate rice – These chocolate sprinkles are a classic topping for Indonesian-style mini sponge cakes. You can add as much or as little as you like.

Grated cheddar cheese – Another very common topping in Indonesia. The slightly salty cheese is really nice with the sweet cream and soft cake.

How to Make Mini Cakes

STEP 1. Preheat your oven to 356°F (180°C). Prepare an 8-inch baking pan by greasing it and lining it with parchment paper. Melt the unsalted butter in a pan or in the microwave. In a bowl, add the egg yolks, egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract (Image 1). Start beating on low speed, then gradually increase to high speed until the batter is thick and leaves a visible trail (Images 2, 3). Sift the cake flour, cornstarch, and milk powder into the batter (Image 4). Fold gently with a spatula until just combined.

STEP 2. Mixing and folding should be quick and thorough so the batter stays smooth (Image 5). Scoop some of the batter into another bowl and mix it with the melted butter (Image 6). Once mixed, pour it back into the main batter bowl (Image 7) and fold until smooth and well combined (Image 8).

STEP 3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to release any air bubbles (Images 9, 10). Bake at 356°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes or until the top turns golden brown (Image 11). Use a bamboo stick to check for doneness—it should come out dry. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. Now, let’s make the cream for the topping. In a separate bowl, add the heavy cream and powdered sugar (Image 12).

STEP 4. Whip the heavy cream until it’s thick and leaves visible trails (Image 13). Once the cake has cooled, spread the whipped cream over the top (Images 14, 15). Cut the cake into your desired mini sizes (Image 16).

STEP 5. Sprinkle chocolate rice and grated cheddar cheese over the mini cakes (Images 17, 18, 19, 20). Enjoy your fluffy, sweet mini sponge cakes!

Serving Suggestions

These mini sponge cakes are very versatile and can be served in so many ways! Top them with whipped cream, decorate with fresh fruits, or a dusting of cocoa powder. Pair them with my Korean Strawberry Milk or creamy Chocolate Pudding—create a little tea party and invite your close friends.

These mini cakes go perfectly with refreshing desserts like Mango Ice Cream or Mango Sago Dessert. And don’t forget the drinks! A cup of rose milk tea, assam milk tea, or oolong milk tea will be perfect companion. Butterfly pea flower latte is also a great choice for its beautiful color and flavor. If you prefer something without milk, you can pair it with watermelon juice, cucumber juice, or pineapple mint soda.

If you’re planning a dessert table, you may also like my collection of mini desserts.

Mini Sponge Cakes FAQs

Storage

Sponge cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, as long as it’s wrapped well or kept in an airtight container. If you’ve added some toppings or fillings like cream, it’s best to store the cake in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 5 days.

More Mini Snack Recipes

• Mini Chewy Bika Ambon Pandan
• Kuih Kosui
• Onde-Onde
• Pandan Wajik
• Mini Burger Buns
• Coconut Macaroon with Chocolate