sponge cake

American

noun

a light, sweet cake made with a comparatively large proportion of eggs but no shortening.

sponge cake British

noun

a light porous cake, made of eggs, sugar, flour, and flavourings traditionally without any fat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sponge cake

First recorded in 1795–1805

Compare meaning

How does sponge-cake compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

sponge cake vs. angel food cake

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When asked how he feels to be immortalized as a sculpted sponge cake with coconut lime mousse, he doesn’t flinch.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025

Mullen Road Cellars also offer some eclectic wine pairings with desserts from a rhubarb sponge cake to a chocolate hazelnut tart.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2023

The ad for Tony n' Tina's Wedding, a dinner show at Wonderville, Haymarket, featured a three-tier sponge cake.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2023

But a Pianono, it's like a Filipino sponge cake, and has Spanish roots, with all colonial origins of the history in the Philippines.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2023

It’s got a roll, carrot salad, and some kind of sponge cake on it.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023