Vietnamese Vanilla Sponge Cake (Bánh Bông Lan)

A light, fluffy Vietnamese sponge cake made with eggs, flour, sugar, and vanilla. Its soufflé-like texture resembles a blooming orchid, and it's less sweet than Western cakes.

📝 Ingredients

• 5 large eggs (separate yolks and whites and bring to room temperature)
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Powdered sugar (optional; for dusting)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat: Set oven to 350°F.
2. 2Whisk and combine: Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Add oil and milk and whisk until combined.
3. 3Sift dry ingredients: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture. Mix until all batter is evenly incorporated. Set aside.
4. 4Make the meringue: Use either a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the egg whites and cream of tartar. Start on the medium low setting then gradually increase speed until egg whites become frothy. Continue whisking until you get stiff peaks.
5. 5Add meringue a third at a time to the batter: Incorporate the meringue slowly with a folding motion. Avoid overmixing as that will deflate the meringue.
6. 6Prepare the pan: Coat a 10-inch cake pan with a non-stick baking spray and cover bottom and sides with parchment paper.
7. 7Add batter: Pour batter into pan and even out the top. Give the pan a gentle drop to release any air bubbles. Place the pan into a larger pan that will function as a water bath. Fill the water bath pan 1-inch with water and bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. 8Check for doneness: Insert a long skewer into the center of the cake. When it comes out clean, cake is done. Turn off the oven and open the oven door to allow the cake to cool down gradually. Otherwise, cake will deflate rapidly.
9. 9Remove cake and serve: Once cooled, gently tilt the cake pan to its side to release the cake. Peel off the parchment paper around the cake and the bottom. Transfer cake to a serving platter and lightly dust with powdered sugar (optional).