Easy Trini Sponge Cake Recipe – Plain & Marble
This Trini sponge cake is a buttery Caribbean cake that’s popular at birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, and just about any good lime. Make it plain or add a little food coloring to turn it into the colorful marble sponge cake many of us grew up eating.
Some of my fondest memories of Caribbean parties involve cake. And I don’t mean just the birthday cake for the person celebrating.
I’m talking about the slices of sponge cake served during the party or tucked into your snack box to take home. If you know, you know.
Sponge cake is also popular around Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago, especially for anyone who doesn’t want black cake or rum cake. You’ll often find a plain sponge cake sitting right alongside the other Christmas treats.
This recipe starts with a classic Trini sponge cake and uses the same batter to make a colorful marble version. I usually use pink and green food coloring, but you can use whatever colors you have on hand or leave the cake plain.
Either way, you get a buttery, soft sponge cake that’s perfect for parties, Christmas, or simply having a slice at home.
What is marble sponge cake?
A Trini sponge cake is a soft, buttery cake made with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and baking powder. It’s also sometimes called a one-pound sponge cake because the traditional recipe uses one pound each of butter, sugar, and flour.
For the marble version, portions of the plain batter are colored and then swirled together before baking. I usually reach for pink and green, but you can use whatever colors you like.
You may also see marble cakes made with vanilla and chocolate batter, but for our Trini sponge cake, we bring out the food coloring like it’s Carnival.
How to make a Trini marble cake
Ingredients
The ingredients for this Trini sponge cake are pretty simple. The base recipe makes a plain cake, then all you need is food coloring if you want to turn it into a marble sponge cake.
- Granulated sugar: Creamed with the butter to help create a light, fluffy cake.
- Unsalted butter: Let the butter soften to room temperature before you start mixing.
- Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature and add them one at a time.
- All-purpose flour: Sift the flour before adding it to the batter.
- Baking powder: Gives the cake its rise.
- Mixed essence: Adds that familiar Caribbean cake flavor.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: Just enough warm spice to flavor the cake without overpowering it.
- Food coloring: For the marble version. I usually use pink and green, but use whatever colors you have on hand. Leave it out completely for a plain sponge cake.
Instructions
1. Prep the pan and oven.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease one 8 x 3-inch round cake pan and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar.
Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and essence.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the mixed essence and mix until combined.
4. Mix the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Combine the batter.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, a little at a time, mixing just until combined.
6. Divide and color the batter.
For a marble sponge cake, divide the batter into three portions. Leave one portion plain and add food coloring to the other two. I usually use pink and green, but use whatever colors you have on hand.
7. Add the batter to the pan.
Alternate spoonfuls of the plain and colored batters in the prepared pan. Gently run a knife or skewer through the batter a few times to create the marble effect without completely blending the colors.
8. Bake.
Place the cake on the center rack and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife, skewer, or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Cool.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Turn it out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Tips for the best Trini sponge cake
- Start with room-temperature ingredients. Softened butter and room-temperature eggs mix more evenly and help give the cake a better texture.
- Cream the butter and sugar well. Don’t stop as soon as they’re combined. Beat them until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Let each egg mix into the batter before adding the next.
- Add the flour gradually. Once you start adding the flour mixture, avoid overmixing the batter. Mix only until everything is combined.
- Crack the eggs separately. Crack each egg into a small bowl or cup before adding it to the mixer. Nobody wants to go fishing for eggshell.
- Don’t overdo the swirl. Run your knife or skewer through the colored batter only a few times. Too much mixing will blend the colors instead of giving you that marble effect.
- Release large air bubbles. Give the filled pan a few gentle taps on the counter before putting it in the oven.
How to store sponge cake
Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. You can keep the unfrosted sponge cake at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, keep it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze sponge cake for up to 2 months. Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, followed by foil, and freeze. Let it thaw at room temperature before serving.
What to serve with marble sponge cake?
I love this cake slightly warm and all by itself. Once cooled, it’s also really good with a scoop of vanilla or soursop ice cream.
You can even use the sponge cake as a base for an ice cream cake, layering pieces of cake with your favorite ice cream.
For something to drink, serve a slice with a cold glass of mauby or Caribbean fruit punch. It’s also perfectly good on its own, which is usually how I end up eating it.
More cake recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Overmixing the batter after adding the flour can make the cake dense or rubbery. Add the flour gradually and mix only until everything is combined. Creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy also helps give the cake a lighter texture.
Opening the oven too early or removing the cake before the center is completely baked can cause it to sink. Bake the cake on the center rack and check the middle with a knife, skewer, or toothpick before removing it from the oven.
Yes. The food coloring is completely optional. For a plain Trini sponge cake, make the batter as directed, skip dividing and coloring it, and add all of the batter directly to the prepared pan.
Yes. Once completely cooled, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil and freeze for up to 2 months. You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices and thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Recipe
Trini Sponge Cake – Plain or Marble
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease one 8 x 3-inch round cake pan and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the mixed essence and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, a little at a time, mixing just until combined.
- For a marble sponge cake, divide the batter into three portions. Leave one portion plain and add food coloring to the other two. Pink and green are my usual colors, but you can use whatever colors you have on hand. For a plain sponge cake, skip this step.
- Alternate spoonfuls of the plain and colored batters in the prepared pan. Gently run a knife or skewer through the batter a few times to create a marble effect without completely blending the colors.
- Place the cake on the center rack and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife, skewer, or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Turn it out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Nutrition
Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com
How many CUPS is 1 pound of butter?
How many CUPS is 1 pound of sugar?
How many CUPS is 1 pound of flour?
HI. You can use a converter https://www.inchcalculator.com/convert/pound-flour-to-cup-flour/ BUT it is much better to weight the ingredients as I have listed in the recipe.
perfect. my sisters give me this exact recipe years ago. It never fails.
What size pan did you use and many cakes did you get?
Hi Sue. I use two 8 inch pans (regular height sides) Or one 8 inch pan with a 3 inch side