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Perfect Chocolate Sponge Cake

 Moist and perfectly leveled – this Chocolate Sponge Cake recipe is the one to have. Find out my tips and tricks to perfect sponge cake every time.

If you’re looking for the Vanilla version of this Chocolate Sponge Cake click HERE.

Chocolate sponge cake with foil on a platter.

There’s not a recipe I get asked for more often than a regular sponge cake. A lot of people have a hard time with this simple, but delicious classic that is part of so many delicious cake recipes.

What is Sponge Cake made with?

Traditionally sponge cake is made with eggs, sugar and flour and nothing more. For a novice baker, that recipe requires a bit of finesse as you need to know what the eggs are supposed to look like once they’re whipped to the proper consistency, otherwise the cake might not rise, or just deflate as you remove it from the oven.

To solve the problem I have modified that recipe to create a foolproof version of the classic.

The recipe that I am sharing today, is the delicious Chocolate Cake version of the original vanilla sponge. It comes out perfect every time and can be used as part of any chocolate layered cake, like this Kiev Cake, or Chocolate Prune Cake, or this Cherry Marble Cake, or my family’s favorite Hazelnut Meringue Cake. Just thinking about them make me want to have a slice, RIGHT NOW!

The chocolate cake uses baking powder to ensure a consistent rise and melted butter for just the slightest amount of moisture that a cake might lose while baking.

I hope the step by step photos and thorough instructions give you the confidence you need to attempt this awesome cake.

There you have it, folks! Nothing too complicated with consistent results! Give it a try and let me know how it went!

 

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Chocolate Sponge Cake Ingredients:

  • eggs, large, room temperature
  • pinch of salt
  • sugar
  • unsalted butter, melted
  • all-purpose
  • cocoa powder
  • baking powder

Equipment:

How to make the Chocolate Sponge Cake

  • Prep: Gather your ingredients and measure them before starting.
    • Sift or combine together the flour, cocoa powder, and the baking powder together.
    • Melt the butter.
    • For easy cleanup and removal of the cake, line the baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

      Alternatively you can cut out a parchment paper circle to place on the bottom of the pan as well. Buying the pre-cut parchment circles can also be a good idea (I have used these Paper Liners for Round Cake Pans 8 inch diameter, 24 pack that I bought on amazon.com)

Mixing all the dry ingredients for this homemade chocolate cake recipe.

  • Wet the cake strip and fasten it around the bottom of the cake pan. This will guarantee an even rise, without a dome. I have been using the cake strips for years now and all of my cakes come out perfectly leveled.
  • Whisk the eggs until foamy, then add the sugar and continue whipping for about 15 minutes.
    • When you lift the whisk from the mixture the ribbon should not disappear right away. Not whipping the egg mixture long enough will yield a dense cake.

How to make chocolate sponge cake from scratch.

  • Add the flour mixture in halves and fold it in carefully. Next, add the butter and fold it until completely incorporated.

Folding on the dry ingredients into the sponge cake to make a moist chocolate cake recipe.

For this amount of batter, you can either use one baking pan and then split the 2-inch tall baked cake into two 1 inch tall layers later, or you can bake it in two separate cake pans at the same time which will give you two separate 1-inch tall cake layers.

  • Pour the batter into the baking pan and swirl the pan quickly back and forth a couple of times to even out the batter.

I really like that I do not have to waste any cake by cutting off the dome. In theory, you can make your own by making a strip out of a kitchen towel, wetting it, wrapping the cake pan in it and then pinning the ends with a safety pin, but I didn’t want to go through the hassle so I just ordered the Cake Strips on Amazon.

Lining a baking sheet with foil and baking the chocolate sponge cake.

Baking the Chocolate Cake-

  • Bake in a preheated to 350F oven, in the center of the middle rack for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not open the oven sooner than 15 minutes into the baking process. Shut the oven door slowly, not to disturb the rise of the cake.
  • Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and allow to sit inside the pan for 5 minutes.
  • Then, invert the cake straight onto the cooling rack, peel off the foil or parchment paper and allow to cool completely before using it in cakes.

Soft and airy chocolate sponge cake recipe on foil.

How to split the cake into two layers

  • To split the cake into two even layers, put the palm of your left hand (if you’re right-handed) on top of the cake; with your right hand score the side of the cake with a long serrated knife halfway up the height of the cake all around the side about 1/2 an inch deep into the cake. Continue to rotate the cake with your left hand and cutting about 1 inch into the cake; keep doing this until the cake is split into two separate layers.

How to cut the chocolate sponge cake into perfect layers.

Try these cakes using this Chocolate Sponge Cake:

  • Chocolate Kiev Cake – Sponge cake with layers of walnuts, meringue and dulce de leche.
  • Prague Cake – Chocolate sponge cake with a chocolate custard buttercream.
  • Marble Cake – Chocolate and yellow sponge cake with cherry juice and a sour cream frosting.

Perfect Chocolate Sponge Cake

4.86 from 103 votes

Chocolate Sponge Cake - Fluffy, moist and perfectly leveled – this sponge cake recipe is the one to have. Find out my tips and tricks to perfect sponge cake every time. 

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian
Keyword: chocolate sponge cake
Calories: 238 kcal
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • tsp baking powder

Also:

Instructions

  1. Gather your ingredients and measure them before starting. 

    Sift the 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and 1 ½ tsp baking powder together. Melt 2 tbsps of butter.

  2. Prep: For easy cleanup and removal of the cake, line an 8"x2"-inch baking pan (Note 1) with foil  or parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Wet the cake strip and fasten it around the bottom of the cake pan.

    Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the center of the oven.

  3. Whip eggs: Add 4 eggs and a pinch of salt to a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and whip the eggs until slightly foamy. Slowly pour 3/4 cup sugar into the eggs and continue whipping for about 15 minutes or until the mixture forms a ribbon that doesn't disappear for about 3 seconds when you lift off the whisk.

  4. Fold in flour: Add the flour mixture into the whipped eggs in halves and carefully fold until almost no streaks of flour are seen. (To fold: use a large spoon or spatula and go under the batter, then bring it over as you invert the spoon to pour the batter on top). Do not over-mix or the cake will be dense.

  5. Add the melted butter and carefully fold until all butter is incorporated. Do not overmix.

  6. Pour the batter into the lined and greased baking pan and quickly swirl the pan back and forth couple of times to even out the batter.

  7. Bake in a preheated to 350°F oven, on the middle rack for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not open the oven door sooner than 15 minutes into the baking process. Shut the oven door slowly, not to disturb the rise of the cake.

  8. Cool: Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and allow to sit inside the pan for 5 minutes before removing it.

    Then, remove it from the pan and invert it straight onto the cooling rack, then peel off the foil or parchment paper and allow to cool completely before using it in cakes.

How to split the cake into two layers

  1. To split the cake into two even layers, put the palm of your left hand (if you’re right handed) on top of the cake; with you right hand score the side of the cake with a long serrated knife halfway up the height of the cake all around the side about ½ an inch deep into the cake, then keep rotating the cake with your left hand and cut about 1 inch into the cake; keep rotating and slowly cutting deeper inside the cake until your cake is split into two separate layers.

Recipe Notes

  • NOTE 1:
    For an extra tall cake, double the recipe and use one 8"x3" round baking pan. The batter should fill the pan about 3/4ths full. Once it bakes the cake will be level with the top of the pan's edges.

    Baking two recipes in one pan will yield a denser chocolate sponge than baking it in two separate pans as the weight of the cake tends to weight it down. 

  • For this amount of batter, you can either use one baking pan and then split the 2-inch tall baked cake into two 1" tall layers later, or you can bake it in two separate 8-inch pans at the same time – this will give you two separate 1-inch tall cake layers.
Nutrition Facts
Perfect Chocolate Sponge Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 238 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 119mg40%
Sodium 44mg2%
Potassium 238mg7%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 275IU6%
Calcium 78mg8%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • Kauai girl

    Hi! I was wondering if this is a good sponge for “number cakes?” Will this recipe be okay baking in 13×9 inch pan? (Beginner here!) thank you!!

    · Reply
  • Thanh

    I’m a big fan of this recipe! I was curious if it’s possible to make the cake have that deeper chocolate taste? I typically like American chocolate cakes but they are too heavy so I can only eat a little bit. I really like your recipe and could eat a lot more but would love a way to give it that deeper chocolate taste without making it taste too heavy.

    · Reply

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