“Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated”- Confucius
I love me a good sponge cake . And I feel any baker worth their salt should know how to churn out a decent sponge cake. It is a great building block for yummy , professional-ish layer cakes . They are simple to make with minimal ingredients and steps . Have an amazing porous texture . Soft but plain to eat as such , but imbibe all the flavours and moisture from the soaking syrups and icings you use while building a cake. A well made sponge is literally almost as light as air.
This recipe is just a chocolate version of the basic sponge cake that I have described in detail here , but I get asked for a basic chocolate sponge so often , that I thought it just needed a post of its own.
You’ ll need:
- 3 eggs , at room temperature
- 100 grams or 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 32 grams or 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 25 grams or 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened or Dutch process)
- 1 tbsp corn flour (optional)
Time : 15 -20 mins prep +25-30 mins baking time
Makes : one 8 inch round cake
Lets get started:
Line the base of an 8 inch round pan with parchment, DO NOT grease the pan . Preheat oven to 180 C / 350F.
Beat together the eggs and sugar at medium speed for 10-15 minutes until light and fluffy. This is the most crucial part.
You know your eggs and sugar are whipped enough when it increases to atleast three times initial volume , its pale and fluffy(almost mousse like) and if you lift the beater out , it’ll take a few seconds for the drips to disappear back into the batter.
Sift in the flour , cocoa powder and corn flour (if using) into the whipped mixture. Using a metal or rubber spatula , gently fold in the dry ingredients , until you can’t see flour any more. It’ ll take a good 20-25 movements and make sure you scrape the bottom as this is where the flour settles down. Your mixture will deflate a little , this is inevitable but try not to lose too much air.
Pour batter into prepared pan . Tap the pan against the counter to release air bubbles. Bake at 180 C or 350 F for 25- 30 minutes until done.
You know your cake is done when the the top is springy to the touch , the edges start coming away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out totally dry. Cool in pan for 5 mins (cake will shrink further) and then unmould to cool completely.
Also:
- This recipe can be doubled .If you have bigger bowls and your oven allows it , you can make the double recipe (6 eggs , 1 cup sugar , 1/2 cup flour , 1/2 cup cocoa) in one go and divide among 2 pans.
- Store at room temperature for five days . Freeze wrapped in plastic wrap for months .
- Bake as soon as the batter is ready or it ‘ ll lose volume as it rests on the counter
- For a more in depth description of getting a sponge cake perfect , you may want to read this.
You’ ll be in for a pleasant surprise when you see how this cake rises , and how super soft it is to the touch. If you haven’t made a sponge cake before , you need to try this. This recipe is ideal to split into two , and two such cakes gives you a mighty high 4 layer gateaux. Soak , fill and ice away as you wish !
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Hi…Thank you Akshatha , your recipe for the Black Forest cake is so easy to follow, love the texture – light, fluffy and oh sooo delicious!!
I m really glad Tejashwini !!! thanks so much for trying and taking the time to let me know 🙂
Tried it..it was so amazing Thank you so much
Hi AKshatha..i wanted to try a mildly sweet frosting with this cake..what would you recommend?
Hi Meghna… You could try vanilla or chocolate or coffee flavoured whipped cream for a lighter option, or go with dark chocolate ganache !
Thanks for the idea How do you add in coffee flavour in whipped cream??
Just add coffee powder to the cream along with sugar while whipping , taste and add more if you want it stronger 🙂
How can I get rid of a smell of egg coming from this cake
Let it rest for a few hours or overnight before slicing and using Susovan.. the smell goes away..
I have make this cake it was very tasty .
Can u help me that how can i make this cake moist
Great to know that Susovan !! This is a sponge cake and hence dry in nature. You can soak it with simple syrup and layer it 🙂
Granulated sugar means the normal sugar which we get in market
Hey.. yes , it’s the regular sugar we get in the market Susovan
I made this today for the second time. Turned out great except that I find the taste of eggs quite overwhelming in the sponge. Is it only me or is there a way to avoid this? Thanks.
Hi Anjali… it is not you ! Several people find egg smell and taste prominent in such fatless sponges. Use a good vanilla extract and good cocoa powder. Resting the cake overnight also helps. This cake is meant for soaking and filling , which masks the taste 🙂 Thanks for trying the recipe !!
Hello Akshatha, u dint use butter is tat ok as I see all online recipes have butter in them ., I m a beginner so want to know the difference ..
Hi Padma… this is a fatless sponge cake. Hence there is no butter or oil in it. So the end result is an extremely fluffy, exactly sponge like cake. It is ideal to soak and use in layer cakes or pastry. If you want to have a denser and richer cake, you can try the devil’s food cake ( in the 100th post) or my favourite chocolate cake!
Hi Mahima… if you used the exact same amounts of ingredients in the recipe , it shouldn’t sink. Maybe the centre is not baked properly . Try baking at 160 C , do not open the oven before 20 minutes of baking , insert a toothpick in the centre , only if completely dry , take the cake out… let me know how it turns out next time !
I tried making the cake. It turned out good buy was sunken in the middle? Could you help me out find the possible cause? Will be trying it again after a few days till i achieve a perfect sponge cake. I use microwave convection for baking.
Thanks Kishoba…happy the recipe worked for you ! And guess what… I made a Black Forest for my brother s bday with this sponge. Will be up on the blog tomorrow. Do let me know how u like it.. And how ur hubby liked it !
Tried this cake today. Turned out to be super spongy and delicious <3 🙂 .. It is for sure an addictive kind.. Do you have recipe for the black forest cake by using this sponge cake? Wanna surprise my hubby for his bday with home made black forest cake 😀
Thanks Kishoba…happy the recipe worked for you ! And guess what… I made a Black Forest for my brother s bday with this sponge. Will be up on the blog tomorrow. Do let me know how u like it.. And how ur hubby liked it !
Tried this cake today. Turned out to be super spongy and delicious <3 🙂 .. It is for sure an addictive kind.. Do you have recipe for the black forest cake by using this sponge cake? Wanna surprise my hubby for his bday with home made black forest cake 😀