Banh Bong Lan is a French-influenced Vietnamese sponge cake. It’s made with eggs, flour, sugar, and vanilla. Banh Bong Lan translates to “orchid cake.” Because of the whipped egg whites, the cake bakes up like a souffle, resembling a blooming orchid. Sometimes baking powder is added to give it more lift and stability.
The cake bakes up in the oven in a water bath (bain-marie) or the steamer, making the cake extremely moist. I even heard of people baking the cake directly in a rice cooker, something I’ll definitely have to try next time.
Unlike western cakes, Banh Bong Lan is light, fluffy and not overly sweet so I don’t feel too guilty eating the whole cake in one sitting.
Recipe below. Happy baking!
Vietnamese Vanilla Sponge Cake (Bánh Bông Lan)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 10-inch cake 1x
Description
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
- Preheat: Set oven to 350°F.
- Whisk and combine: Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Add oil and milk and whisk until combined.
- Sift 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.
- Make 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.
- Add 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.
- Prepare the pan: Coat a 10-inch cake pan with a non-stick baking spray and cover bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Add 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.
- Check 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.
- Remove 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).
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
