A rectangular, layered cake decorated with a vibrant sunflower design on top. The cake has multiple layers of sponge and white cream filling. One piece has been cut and placed on the plate in the background.
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Sunflower Designed Sponge Cake

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Creating a sunflower-designed sponge cake is a delicious way to combine art and baking, resulting in a beautiful and tasty dessert. Follow this guide to make your own sunflower masterpiece! You can also find my Complete Guide to these Designed Sponge Cakes, here!

A rectangular, layered cake decorated with a vibrant sunflower design on top. The cake has multiple layers of sponge and white cream filling. One piece has been cut and placed on the plate in the background.

How To Make A Sunflower Designed Sponge Cake

Prepare the Parchment Paper:
Cut parchment paper to fit your 8″ circle cake pans perfectly. Use an edible marker to trace your desired sunflower design onto the parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease your pans with cooking spray. Line them with the designed parchment paper.
Make the Cake Batter:
Separate the egg whites from the yolks, placing the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in an even larger bowl.
In the bowl with the yolks, whisk together the yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Sift the flour and cornstarch into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until the batter is thick and smooth.
Prepare the Egg Whites:
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Slowly add the 1/2 cup sugar and vinegar.
Continue whisking until stiff peaks form. The peaks should stand up straight when the whisk is lifted.
Combine the Batters:
Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Be careful not to over-mix to avoid deflating the egg whites.
Color and Pipe the Batter:
Divide the batter into small bowls and dye each portion with gel food dye as needed for your design. Place each colored batter into separate piping bags.
Pipe the colored batter onto the parchment paper, following your sunflower design. Freeze the design for 5-8 minutes to set.
Pour the remaining plain batter over the frozen design and spread it evenly.
Bake the Cake:
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
Immediately flip the cakes onto parchment paper with the design facing up. Peel off the parchment paper carefully to reveal the sunflower design.
Bake the remaining batter in the same pans without designs. Allow all layers to cool completely.
Make the Whipped Cream Filling:
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the heavy cream, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and a dash of salt until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Cake:
Once the cakes are cool, spread a generous layer of whipped cream between each layer, adding fresh fruit if desired.
Use the designed layer as the top of the cake for a beautiful presentation.
Trim the sides of the cake if necessary to give it a clean, finished look.
Enjoy:
Your sunflower-designed sponge cake is now ready to serve. Enjoy the blend of beautiful artistry and delicious flavors!

A close-up shot of a layered dessert featuring three layers of sponge cake with swirls of whipped cream in between. The dessert is presented on a white cake stand against a blurred, white-tiled background.

How To Fold Egg Whites Into Batter

Folding egg whites into the batter is a delicate process that helps maintain the airiness of your cake. Here’s how to do it:
Use a large, flexible spatula.
Add a third of the whipped egg whites to the batter to lighten it, gently folding with an over-and-under motion.
Repeat this with the remaining egg whites until they are combined. Avoid over-mixing to prevent deflating the mixture.

How To Know When Egg Whites Reach Stiff Peaks

Stiff peaks are crucial for a light and airy sponge cake. Here’s how to recognize them:
Lift the whisk from the egg whites.
Stiff peaks will stand straight up and not curl over.
The mixture should be glossy and smooth.

A square sponge cake with three layers of cream filling is topped with a vibrant design of sunflowers. The cake sits on a white cake stand, and a slice has been cut out, revealing the fluffy layers and cream inside. The background is a white marble surface.

Filling Alternatives

While whipped cream is a classic choice, you can experiment with other fillings:
Buttercream: Rich and creamy, perfect for a decadent treat.
Fruit Compote: Adds a tart and sweet contrast.
Custard: Smooth and luxurious, offering a different texture.
Chocolate Ganache: For a rich and indulgent flavor.

Flavor Variations

Lemon: Add lemon zest to the batter and lemon curd between layers.
Chocolate: Substitute a portion of the flour with cocoa powder.
Matcha: Add matcha powder for a unique green tea flavor.
Berry: Incorporate fresh berries into the filling for a fruity twist.

A fork is cutting into a slice of layered cake covered in whipped cream on a white plate. The cake slice is from a larger cake in the background, which has a decorative sunflower design on top.

Using Edible Markers On Parchment Paper

Edible markers are perfect for creating intricate designs on parchment paper. Here’s how to use them:
Trace Your Design: Draw your design directly onto the parchment paper.
Freeze the Design: After piping the entire design, freeze it for a few minutes to set the pattern. You do not need to freeze the designs as you pipe; you can do it just once at the end when you’ve finished piping your desired design.
Bake as Usual: Pour the remaining batter over the design and bake.

A square baking pan lined with parchment paper, which has sunflower patterns drawn on it. Three piping bags filled with colorful icings, orange, yellow, and brown, are placed nearby on a white surface.
A square baking pan contains a batter that has been decorated with a vibrant sunflower design. The flowers have bright yellow petals with brown centers, and some green stems and leaves can be seen. The pan is set on a white surface.

Designed Sponge Cake Complete Guide

Complete Guide – Designed Sponge Cakes

Posted on
Welcome to my complete guide to creating these beautiful and delicious designed sponge cakes! In this guide, I am going to cover everything from the basics of making sponge cake…

Tools I Use

Piping Bags
Food Dye
White Food Dye
Parchment Paper
Edible Markers
8″ Round Pans
1/4 cookie sheet
1/2 cookie sheet
Offset spatula
Electric Handheld Mixer
Stand Mixer

A three-layer cake with thick layers of white frosting sits on a white cake stand. A large slice has been cut and is displayed on a small white plate in front of the stand. The cake features decorative yellow and orange flowers on the top layer.
Sunflower Designed Sponge Cake
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Sunflower Designed Sponge Cake

Recipe by Maddison Koutrouba – thesqueakymixer.com
5.0 from 3 votes

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Servings

10-12

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on.

Ingredients

  • 12 egg yolks

  • 1/2 cup sugar (for yolk batter)

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • 4 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1 tsp. white vinegar

  • 12 egg whites

  • 1/2 cup sugar (for egg whites)

  • gel food dye (not liquid)

  • Whipped Cream Filling

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream

  • 5 Tbsp. confectioners sugar

  • dash salt

  • 2 tsp. vanilla

  • fresh fruit, optional

Directions

  • Cut your parchment paper to fit your pan perfectly then use an edible marker to trace your desired design onto parchment paper. I am using an 8″ circle pan.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease your pan with cooking spray and line it with the designed parchment paper. This makes three layers of sponge cake. You can also just use a standard-size cookie sheet, note that using a standard-size cookie sheet will only make two layers instead of three.
  • Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. We are using every part of the egg in this recipe so hang onto both. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and the egg yolks into an even larger bowl. Set the egg whites aside, we will need them later.
  • Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Sift the flour and cornstarch into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until the batter is nice and smooth. The batter will be thick. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites from earlier until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and vinegar to the egg whites.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This is very important. Stiff peaks should be able to stand up straight when the whisk is lifted.
  • Add the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites. Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Over mixing will deflate the egg whites and make the batter, thin and runny. Mix until the egg whites are just evenly distributed and the batter has few streaks.
  • Use small bowls to dye each color that you will need to make your design. Scoop a bit of the batter at a time into these small bowls to make every color you need. Place each color into a piping bag.
  • Pipe the design with your desired colors. Do your best to trace the design that you created earlier, with your piping bag.
  • Once you have the design finished, freeze it for 5-8 minutes so it sets and is nice and firm.
  • Pipe the original, uncolored batter on top of the frozen design.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
  • As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, flip the pan onto parchment paper. The design will be facing up. While the cake is still hot, peel off the parchment paper to reveal the beautiful design. Bake the remaining batter on the same-size pan fit with un-designed parchment paper. The other layers do not need designs since they will be hidden in the layers. They will bake the same way. Let the cakes cool before assembling.
  • To make the Whipped Cream, in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, whisk the cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks have formed and you have reached a whipped cream consistency.
  • Once the cakes have cooled, layer the cakes with evenly spread whipped cream between each layer, adding fresh fruit is optional. Use the designed sheet cake as the top layer.
  • Feel free to trim the sides to clean it up a bit if you wish to give the cake a more complete look.
  • Enjoy!
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9 Comments

  1. how much is the cake suppose to rise ? and any tips for mixing in the food gel and not getting a runny batter

    Reply

  2. Where do you get the picture in order to do the stencil? I’m really struggling finding one

    Reply

  3. Hi can I use another oil besides vegetable oil?
    Thank you for sharing your beautiful designer cakes :)
    Michelle

    Reply

  5. If using an 8 in pan do you have a general idea how much batter goes into each layer??.. I also have the same question as the the previous, I have 2 pans. Can the batter sit without deflating?

    Reply

    1. Hi there! I bake with 2 pans as well :) It’s best to work faster than not to ensure that the batter does not deflate but it can sit out while you bake the first two layers then use a pan from one of the first layers that baked to fill it with the remaining batter to make the third layer of cake. I pipe a thin layer of batter on top of my designs then divide the remaining batter between the two cake pans. I hope this helps!!

      Reply

  6. Hello! I only have one cake pan. Would the batter be okay to sit out in between each of the layers being baked? Or do I need more pans? Would it be better for it to be in the fridge while waiting for the pan to be available for the second and third layers? I don’t want the eggs to deflate while it’s sitting on the counter waiting. Your cakes are so beautiful and I want to do the same!

    Reply

    1. Hi there! I would recommend getting another pan. I always bake my designed layer first then when my first pan is freed up, I divide the remaining batter between two pans. This helps to avoid my egg whites from deflating. It’s always best to work faster than not during this recipe but having an additional pan will surely speed the process up for you and give you more time for piping your designs!

      Reply