Gordon Ramsay's Pro-Tip For Baking A Light And Airy Sponge Cake

When done right, cake can be described with some of the most appealing language: light, airy, tender all come to mind. But not all cake is created equal, as it can come out dense, dry, and totally un-delicious at times. When it comes to cake, there are a fair share of mistakes that can cause your sponge to sink. After all, it's difficult to achieve and maintain that buoyant texture so integral to its identity.

Fortunately, there are experts who can help ensure that your next effort takes the cake — and one of them is celebrity chef, restaurateur, and TV host Gordon Ramsay. In a YouTube video, Ramsay laid out an entire guide to baking everything from bread to perfect sponge cake. One point he was very clear about when it comes to the sweet? Utilizing the proper mixing speed, particular when creaming together butter and sugar. "To get a delicious, light sponge, start carefully on slow speed," Ramsay says. "Only speed up as the butter and sugar really start to cream together." This is critical for the foundation of your recipe, and can make all the textural difference to your finished product.

There are some additional pointers that are useful for this critical step in the sponge cake process. You'll want to start with room temperature butter, which will help you avoid any grittiness (too cold) or greasiness (too warm and melty). Keep an eye on things for some visual indicators that the creamed ingredients are ready — the mixture should be smooth, voluminous, and have a light yellow hue. If you notice greasiness at this point or the mixture becomes separated, you've gone too far and it's best to start again. You'll also want to pause a time or two to scrape the sides of your mixing bowl with a rubber spatula, that way you can ensure an even mixture. 

These tips are important to sponge cake, but given how many baking recipes start with a creaming step, they'll help elevate your baking game across the board. In addition to Gordon Ramsay's cooking tips you'll actually use and his go-to advice for aspiring chefs, this sponge cake guidance is sage wisdom that will help you create cakes worthy of words like "may I have another slice, please?"