11 Different Types of Cake — and How to Tell Them Apart

This classic American cake is a cross between a cake that has been shortened with oil, and a sponge cake. The recipe includes both baking powder and vegetable oil, but like many types of sponge cake, the eggs are separated and beaten before being folded into the batter. All of this gives you the rich flavor of an oil cake, but a lighter feel of a sponge cake. It's typically drizzled with a glaze or frosted with a lighter frosting.