Savoy Cake (Easy and Quick Recipe) (2024)

Savoy cake is the ultimate easy and quick French sponge cake. An absolute delight, this soft and airy light cake is made in 45 minutes. No wonder kids and adults love it.

What is Savoy cake?

Savoy cake is a fatless sponge cake traditionally baked in a copper mold and sprinkled with icing sugar. The cake was invented in the 14th century and named for the Savoy region of France. It is believed to be one of the oldest Western pastries enjoyed today.

Savoy region is actually shared between France, Italy, and Switzerland. So it is tough to claim a country of the cake's origin, although the Savoy cake, or Gâteau de Savoie, is more considered a French dessert.

It used to be baked in copper molds, but nowadays, the cake is baked in metal bundt pans and Kougloff molds.

I have made the cake in different bundt cake molds, but I have never used silicone molds. Unfortunately, they just don't work for this type of cake.

Savoy cake recipe

• As a light, fat-free cake, it is perfect for kids and adults.

• Savoy cake recipe is easy and quick: it takes about 25 minutes of hands-on time.

• The cake does not require decoration: sprinkle the cake with powdered (icing) sugar and serve.

• Different bundt cake pans allow you to customize and personalize the cake and make it for birthdays and any holiday.

Ingredients

Get a quick overview of the necessary ingredients. For precise measurements and instructions, refer to the recipe card.

• Eggs: The recipe calls for large eggs. Use an egg separator to separate the egg whites from the yolks while the eggs are chilled. Then, bring them to room temperature.
• Sugar: Use caster or superfine baker's sugar. If unavailable, use granulated sugar instead.
• Flour: The recipe calls for regular all-purpose flour.
• Corn and potato starch: Adding starches to the recipe facilitates gluten development and creates the most tender cake texture.
• Baking powder: Use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.
• Vanilla beans: Use the top-quality Madagascar vanilla beansthat are the most flavorful.
• Oranges: Opt for organic, untreated oranges, and use a zester grater to make fresh zest. Replace orange zest with lemon zest, a common flavoring for Savoy cake.
• Salt enhances the flavors of the cake.
• Cream of tartar helps stabilize egg whites. Replace ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar with ½ teaspoon of lemon juice.

How to make Savoy cake

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).To prepare the mold, use a pastry brush and well-softened unsalted butter to grease a bundt pan (a decorative fluted tube pan).

• Pro tip: Make sure to grease the sides of the pan with its intricate patterns (little nooks and crannies) and the central funnel.

Step 2. Swirl the baking pan with granulated sugar to coat it. Shake off the excess sugar. Refrigerate the mold until ready to use.

Step 3. To make the cake batter,sift plain flour, corn starch, potato starch, andbaking powder in a large bowl and mix with a hand whisk. Place egg yolks and ½ cup + ½ tablespoon (120 g) of granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixer bowl. Using a stand or an electric mixer, beat until the mixture whitens and leaves a ribbon-like trail once lifted.

Step 4. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture and mix on low speed. Add the scraped seeds of vanilla beans and orange zest and mix again.

Step 5. In a separate bowl, whisk room-temperature egg whiteswith a pinch of salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar (60 g) and whisk to get stiff peaks of the firm glossy meringue.

Step 6. Gently foldthe beaten egg whites into the main preparation with arubber spatula.

Step 7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tinup to two-thirds.Tap it on the table a few times to release large air bubbles and fill the decorative pattern of the mold.

Step 8. Bring the pan into the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 320°F (160°C). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Check for doneness with the blade of a knife or a cake tester: if it comes out dry, the cake is ready.

Step 9. Let the cake rest in the pan for a few minutes and unmold it on a wire rack to cool.

To serve, sprinkle the cooled Savoy cake with powdered (icing) sugar.

Expert Tips

• Choose a metal bundt cake and ensure that you prepare it well. This will result in an impeccable sugar crust.
• Grease the cake mold with clarified butter, which does not contain milk solids. It will provide an even biscuit-like crust while baking the cake.
• Make the baking time adjustments as needed. It may vary based on your oven and the quality of the mold.
• If the cake turns brown quickly, cover it with buttered parchment or foil during baking.
• Don't open the oven door during baking; otherwise, the cake will collapse.
• The recipe is for a 10-cup bundt cake mold, which will fit into a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan.

Recipe variations

• Flavorings: Replace orange zest with other citrus zests (lemon, lime, grapefruit) or add vanilla extract, rose water, or orange blossom water to the batter.

• Fillings: Cut the cake into two layers and fill with French pastry cream, mascarpone frosting, jam, chocolate ganache, or Chantilly cream with fresh fruit.

How to serve it

• Sprinkle Savoy cake with icing sugar or serve it with creme Anglaise, French pastry cream, jam, hazelnut praline paste, or your favorite spread.

• Fill the center of the cake with Chantilly cream and decorate with fresh berries. Then enjoy a cake slice surrounded by airy light cream and half-strawberries or other red fruits on the side.

• Cut the Savoy cake in half and spread your favorite fruit jam and Chantilly cream. Arrange halved strawberries, and place the second half of the cake on top.

Storing and freezing

The cake is best eaten on the day of baking. Store Savoy cake covered with plastic film or aluminum foil at room temperature for 1-2 days.Bring it to the refrigerator to store longer, up to 4-5 days.

Refrigerate the Savoy cake immediately if it is garnished with cream filling.

Can you freeze it? You can freeze the whole Savoy cake or individual slices. Wrap the cake or slices with plastic film, then aluminum foil, and freeze for three months.

Recipe FAQ

Love cakes? Try these next!

• Banana bread with streusel
• Apple sponge cake
• Quatre-quarts (French pound cake)
• French yogurt cake
• Or browse all the cake recipes

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/ and originally published on April 15, 2019. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.

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