Recipe: Duck Egg Sponge Cake with Cream & Strawberries (2025)

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Dana Velden

Dana Velden

Dana Velden's first book, Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook (Rodale Books) is available where ever books are sold. She lives in Oakland, CA.

updated May 2, 2019

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Recipe: Duck Egg Sponge Cake with Cream & Strawberries (1)

Serves4

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It was a happy day when a friend brought me six beautiful, farm-fresh duck eggs. Having never had duck eggs before, I was very curious about them, so I immediately cooked three of them sunnyside up to check the flavor and texture. Delicious. But I had heard that they were also excellent for baking. After some searching, I discovered a recipe from Darina Allen’s Forgotten Skills of Cooking: Duck-Egg Sponge Cake. The recipe was quite unusual. It called for only three ingredients (duck eggs, sugar and flour) and for the sugar to be beaten in the whites, not the yolks. How interesting! I decided to give it a try.

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The deep yellow color of the sponge is from the duck egg yolks. (Image credit: Dana Velden)

I loved working with the duck eggs which were a little larger than a jumbo chicken egg, with a thicker shell. The yolks were a brilliant yellow-orange and the whites beat up stiff and glossy. As you can see below, the layers came out of the oven a beautiful shade of yellow.

The most unusual thing in this recipe (besides the duck eggs) was the method for making the sponge. In this version, the eggs are separated and the whites whipped with the sugar. When they’re stiff, the yolks are beaten in, followed by a gentle folding of the flour. (Usually the yolks are beaten with the sugar and the whiles are beaten separately and then folded in.)

The bottom line? This was an excellent cake. The crumb was moist and tight and the flavor rich but subtle. It worked beautifully as the cake layer for my whipped cream and strawberry cake. While each component of the cake was already stellar on it own, the combination was out of this world. I will be begging my friend for more duck eggs, that’s for sure.

Ms. Allen is an Irish cook and Forgotten Skills of Cooking was first published in Great Britain. So while the recipe in the edition I was working from was converted to US measurements, there was one quirk: the pan size was listed as 7″ rounds. Not too many US home kitchens will have two 7″ round baking pans on hand, mine included. I considered trying one large 10″ round but in the end settled on two 8″ pans. The layers came out a little thinner than I would have wanted but in every other way they were a success.

I wanted a high, festive piece of cake, however, to present to a friend who was celebrating. So instead of filling the two whole layers, I cut wedges from each of the layers and built individual three layer slices. Even though I didn’t have a complete cake to present to the table, this worked wonderfully.

Comments

Duck-Egg Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberries

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2

    (8-inch) layers of duck egg sponge cake (see recipe below, using 8-inch pans)

  • 1/2 pint

    whipping cream

  • 1 pint

    strawberries, washed and thickly sliced

Instructions

  1. Whip the cream, adding sugar to taste (I did not use sugar as I found the cake sweet enough.)

  2. Cut each sponge cake layer into six even pieces. Place a wedge on each of 4 plates. Top with a little whipped cream, followed by some strawberries and topped with a little more whipped cream. Place another wedge on top and repeat. Place a third wedge to finish and garnish with a plop of whipped cream and a strawberry.

  3. Alternatively, do not cut the layers into wedges. Place one layer on a cake plate, top with half the whipped cream and half the strawberries. Top with the second layer and repeat. Cut into wedges and serve.

Comments

Duck-Egg Sponge Cake

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup

    all-purpose flour, sifted, plus 2 teaspoons for dusting

  • 3

    organic duck eggs

  • 6 tablespoons

    superfine sugar

Equipment

  • 2

    (7-inch) round cake pans, lined

Instructions

  1. Brush the base and sides of the pan with melted butter and dust with the 2 teaspoons flour.

  2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Put the whites and sugar into a bowl and whisk until stiff, preferably in an electric mixer. Whisk in the yolks one by one and then fold in the sifted flour, making sure not to deflate the mixture. Divide the mixture between the prepared pans.

  3. Bake for 20–25 minutes. Turn out carefully and let cool on a wire rack. Sandwich together with cream and homemade jam or fresh berries. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar or confectioners’ sugar over the top and enjoy with a cup of tea.

Recipe Notes

Duck eggs are renowned for making a lighter, more yellow sponge cake than hen’s eggs, and are, as such, much sought after. This sponge cake is interesting because the whites, rather than the yolks, are beaten with the sugar, which is opposite to the way most sponge cakes are made. This recipe was given to me by a neighbor named Winnie Cowhig.

Duck-Egg Sponge Cake recipe courtesy of Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen, $24.57 at Amazon.

Related:
• Weekend Meditation: Three Duck Eggs

(Images: Dana Velden)

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Recipe: Duck Egg Sponge Cake with Cream & Strawberries (2025)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good sponge cake? ›

Tips for moist and fluffy sponge cake
  1. Make sure that the butter you use is not too cold. ...
  2. You want your cake to be pale yellow and fluffy. ...
  3. Cover your tin in baking paper, butter up the sides, top off with butter on the baking paper and bake up wonders, cook. ...
  4. Bake your prepared batter immediately when it is ready.

Does 1 duck egg equal 2 chicken eggs in baking? ›

Duck eggs are roughly 30% larger than a medium chicken egg, weighing in at 3 to 3-½ ounces, so two duck eggs equals three chicken eggs if you are substituting them in a recipe, however I use them in a one-to-one ratio, even in baking, and am always happy with the results.

Are duck eggs healthier than chicken eggs? ›

However you serve them, duck eggs are an excellent source of nutrition. Their dark yellow yolk indicates that they hold more antioxidants, more omega-3 fatty acids, and 50% more vitamin A than chicken eggs. Duck eggs offer more protein than chicken eggs, even taking size into consideration.

How many duck eggs can you eat a day? ›

As I said above, eating a lot and often this dish also causes the body to have an excess of vitamin A, yellowing the skin, peeling the skin, adversely affecting bone formation. Therefore, each healthy adult should only eat 2 duck eggs per week.

Is sponge cake better with oil or butter? ›

The high fat content of butter keeps the sponge moist and tender whilst also providing a delicious buttery flavour that you won't get with margarine or oils.

What precautions must be taken when using duck eggs? ›

Specifically, it is advised that:
  • Duck eggs should not be eaten raw or lightly cooked.
  • Only eat duck eggs that have been thoroughly cooked, until both the white and yolk are solid. ...
  • Dishes that contain duck eggs should be cooked until they are piping hot all the way through.
Aug 4, 2022

Can you taste duck eggs in baking? ›

Duck eggs are full of flavour and are richer and slightly larger than hen eggs. You can eat them in the same way, but if you're not a fan of their taste on its own, try using them to enrich your baking recipes.

Why do chefs prefer duck eggs? ›

Duck eggs are more nutritionally dense than chicken eggs. Ducks can be as productive as chickens in egg production. Duck eggs have advantages in many types of baking and cooking. Ducks are easy to raise and require minimal protection from the elements and disease.

Why are duck eggs not sold in stores? ›

Some do, but, there's not much of a market for duck eggs in most of the country. They are much richer than a typical chicken egg and not to everyone's taste. Similarly, the market for chicken meat is much larger than for duck. You rarely see duck in a supermarket except at certain holidays.

Is it OK to eat duck eggs every day? ›

Still, because of their high cholesterol content, duck eggs may not be safe for everyone, especially if you have diabetes or a family history of heart disease ( 5 , 12 ). Some research also suggests that the choline in egg yolks may be another risk factor for heart disease.

How to tell if duck eggs are bad? ›

Duck eggs have a thicker shell than chicken eggs so they stay fresher for longer. If you crack an egg and it has a rancid, sulfur smell, the egg has spoiled and should not be used. To test the freshness of your eggs, put the egg in a glass of water. If it sinks, it is okay to eat.

Do duck eggs need to be refrigerated? ›

Thanks to the egg's bloom, it's not necessary to refrigerate farm fresh duck eggs. However, refrigerating does drastically extend their shelf life. An egg will typically last about 3 weeks when stored at room temperature versus about 4 months when kept in the refrigerator.

Are duck eggs anti inflammatory? ›

Function of preserved duck eggs being alkalescent food as an excellent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agent at cellular level have also been reviewed comprehensively.

Do duck eggs raise cholesterol? ›

Duck eggs have 3 times more cholesterol than chicken eggs. This is partly because of their larger overall size, partly because the yolk itself is larger, and partly because duck eggs have a higher fat content. Each duck egg contains 619 milligrams of cholesterol, which is more than twice the daily recommended limit.

Why isn't my sponge cake light and fluffy? ›

You need to incorporate as much air into the eggs as possible, as this is what levels the cake and will give you a light and fluffy sponge. Set a timer for 7 minutes and allow the electric mixer to do the work before adding any sugar. The eggs should triple in volume and look pale, thick and shiny.

What keeps sponge cake moist? ›

You can create moist, bakery-quality cakes like this at home using these 7 simple steps.
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk. ...
  2. Add Vegetable Oil. ...
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix. ...
  4. Use the Right Recipe. ...
  5. Don't Overbake. ...
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans. ...
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

What makes sponge cake moist? ›

Tips for moist and fluffy sponge cake
  1. Make sure that the butter you use is not too cold. ...
  2. You want your cake to be pale yellow and fluffy. ...
  3. Cover your tin in baking paper, butter up the sides, top off with butter on the baking paper and bake up wonders, cook. ...
  4. Bake your prepared batter immediately when it is ready.

What makes cake spongy and smooth? ›

Baking powder is mixed with the flour. When water is added to this flour to make dough, baking powder undergoes a chemical reaction during which carbon dioxide gas is produced. This carbon dioxide gas gets trapped into the dough and bubbles out which causes the cake to rise making it soft and spongy.

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