Cloud cake is a soft, airy, ultra-light cake known for its “floating” texture—almost like eating a sweet cloud. It is similar to sponge cake but even lighter due to whipped egg structure and minimal flour. The main structure comes from egg, whipped to trap air and create volume.
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tbsp oil or melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Instructions
- Separate egg whites and yolks carefully. No yolk should mix into whites.
- Add egg whites into a clean dry bowl. Beat until foamy. Gradually add half the sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form.
- In another bowl, add egg yolks, remaining sugar, milk, oil or melted butter, and vanilla essence. Mix until smooth.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix gently into the yolk mixture. Do not overmix or the cake becomes dense.
- Take whipped egg whites and add in 3 parts. Fold gently using a spatula by cutting through the mixture and turning gently. This keeps air inside the batter.
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Grease pan lightly or use parchment paper.
- Pour batter into pan. Tap lightly to remove big air bubbles. Bake for 25–35 minutes until the top is golden, a toothpick comes out clean, and the cake springs back when touched.
- Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a rack and cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Pro Tips: Use room temperature eggs for better volume; bowl must be clean and dry (no oil in whites); don’t overmix after folding; bake at low temperature for softness; use fresh eggs for best rise. Common Mistakes: Overbeating egg whites leads to dry cake; underwhipping leads to no rise; overmixing batter leads to dense cake; opening oven too early causes collapse; too high temperature causes cracked top. Variations include Chocolate (add 2 tbsp cocoa powder, reduce flour slightly), Lemon (add lemon zest + juice), Honey (replace part of sugar with honey), and Berry (add strawberries or blueberries on top). Serve with whipped cream, fruit topping, honey drizzle, tea, or coffee.
