Carol — Sponge cakes rely heavily on aeration for their rise, and it could be that mixing by hand, you're not mixing quite the same way from one time to another, or potentially not with enough vigor. The extra aeration offered by a mixer — either electric or hand — would be a plus. You can get rotary hand eggbeaters or even electric hand mixers for under $20; If you could afford one of them, I think you'll see better results with your cakes. Best of luck — PJH@KAF

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