Marly Sponge
Ground almonds, cream of tartar and almond extract come together in this vegetarian — 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 170 C (340 F) and have an ungreased deep cake or tube tin ready.
- Sift the cake flour with half of the superfine sugar, then stir in the ground almonds and set aside.
- In a large, spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until foamy, then whisk in the remaining superfine sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue holds firm, glossy peaks.
- Whisk in the almond extract, then sift the almond and flour mixture over the meringue in three additions, folding it in gently with a large metal spoon to keep as much air as possible.
- Spoon the batter into the tin and level the top, then draw a knife through it once to break any large air pockets.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the sponge is golden, springs back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Invert the tin and leave the sponge to cool completely upside down so it keeps its height, then loosen the edges, turn out, and dust with icing sugar before serving.
You'll use: Oven · Large pot · Whisk
Tips & common questions
How long does Marly Sponge take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Marly Sponge vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Marly Sponge is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Tethya aurantium 21891204.jpg by Chris Taklis, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.