Chocolate Sponge Cake can be used as the foundation for so many different desserts. With just four, simple ingredients, this recipe is the perfect addition to any home baker’s tool belt.
An easy sponge cake is a must for every home cook. Once you learn the basics of the cake, you’ll be able to use it for so many different recipes. Consider it the gift that keeps on giving.
Despite its impressive texture and appearance, this cake comes together so simply. It doesn’t require oil or butter, just sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and eggs.
How to Make Chocolate Sponge Cake
While the ingredients are simple, the technique makes all the difference. To get that light, airy texture associated with all great sponge cakes, follow the simple steps below.
- With a handheld or standing mixer, beat eggs with sugar until they increase three times in volume.
- Sift in flour and cocoa powder.
- Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients. Be gentle and don’t over mix.
- Add cake batter to oiled or parchment paper lined baking pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Do the classic toothpick check to gauge doneness. Use for your favorite recipe!
Hot Tip: If you have a springform pan, use it! Since the sponge cake is so delicate, this will help ensure you don’t break or crack the cake.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Sponge Cake
You don’t need to have the background of a fancy French baker to make the perfect sponge cake. Below, find our top tips and tricks to nail this recipe each and every time.
- Use the right flour. A high-quality, all-purpose flour is all you need. No cake flour required for this recipe. We love to use European or Canadian brands sine they typically have a higher protein content.
- Don’t forget to fold. It might seem like an inconsequential step, but folding in your dry ingredients with a spatula makes all the difference. Stirring will destroy the cakes fluffiness and result in a flat, dense cake.
- Line or oil the pan. Prevent your cake from sticking and cracking by lining or oiling your cake pan. If you do run into issues, simply take a butter knife and run it along the edges of the pan to loosen the cake from its hold. Additionally, give the cake time to cool to room temperature and set before you attempt to remove it.
- Getting a nice, even cake top. Right before placing the sponge cake in the oven, shake the pan slightly to create an even top. This will remove any air bubbles and ensure your frosting can glide right across the cake with no issue.
- Resist the urge to open the oven. When baking, it can be really tempting to want to open the oven and check in on your cake. Resist the urge! When cold, outside air enters the oven, it can cause your cake to sink in the center.
- Cool on a wire rack. After you allow your sponge cake to cool in the cake pan for 10-15 minutes, transfer it to a wire wrack to finish the process. This will help the bottoms and sides set.
Ways To Use Chocolate Sponge Cake
Now that you’ve mastered the chocolate sponge cake base, it’s time to create some awesome desserts. Here are a couple of our favorite recipes try:
- Chocolate Liqueur Cake – Liqueur soaked cake is a game changer. Talk about moist and flavorful.
- Strawberry Chocolate Cake – A chocolate dipped strawberry in cake form. What more is there to say?
- Drunken Cherry Cake – These cherries may have had too much to drink, but they sure do make for a wonderful cake.
FAQ
What makes a sponge cake light and fluffy?
It’s all about the folding. Overmixing your cake batter will result in a dense, flat cake.
What is the difference between a regular cake and sponge cake?
Regular cake often requires butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and some type of leavening agent. Sponge cake, on the other hand, can be made with just flour, beaten eggs, and sugar. In this case, we add a bit of cocoa powder, but feel free to omit if you don’t want to go the chocolate route.
Why is my chocolate sponge cake dry?
If there’s too much flour, your cake will likely turn out dry. When it comes to baking, measuring really matters. This is where the sifting step comes in handy too. Ensuring that there are no lumps prevents pockets of flour from drying out your cake.
Cakes, Cakes, and More Cakes
Looking for a couple more cakes to add to your baking arsenal? Check out a few more of our favorites below.
- Cherry Cake Recipe – Summer is a cherry season, so bust out this cherry cake recipe to make the most of it.
- Tiramisu Crepe Cake – Coffee and crepes come together for a unique spin on a classic tiramisu.
- Russian Honey Cake – For all the sweet tooth havers out there. This cake packs some serious decadence.
- Tiramisu Cake – Cap off pasta night with this popular Italian dessert.
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Recipe
Instructions
- Beat 6 eggs (no need to separate them) with sugar until it’s three times in volume.
- Sift flour and cocoa powder into the egg mixture.
- Using a spatula, carefully fold in dry ingredients. Be very gentle with the dough so you don’t over mix it and lose all the fluffiness.
- Add cake batter to an oiled or parchment paper lined baking sheet. A springform baking pan works amazing as well and makes the transferring process that much easier. Aim to use a pan that is 9-12 inches is diameter.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Do the toothpick check to gauge doneness. Use in your favorite desserts that require chocolate sponge. The possibilities are endless!
Would it be possible to stack this 2 or 3 layers with a light frosting or whipped cream in-between or would it collapse?
Hi Rachel - That would definitely be possible! We always slice the sponge cake into several layers for many different cakes on our website and frost it. For example, check out this recipe for Cake Prague: https://momsdish.com/recipe/7…. Thanks for your note!
Please advise can I use cake flour?
Hi Eileen - We advise against using cake flour for this recipe and have not tried it ourselves. Typical all-purpose flour works best in our opinion. Hope this helps!
I made it with two layers and half the icing and it turned out really well! Used the toasted hazelnuts to spell out the age on a birthday cake. Thank you Natalya!
Hi Trish, your cake sounds beautiful!! I am so glad you loved the recipe, thank you for taking the time to comment!
I had to bake for 55 mins to have the cake cooked through. What did I do wrong 😅
Hey Elle, I would check your oven. Unless you used a different size pan, it shouldn't take that long.
What do you like to use for the soaking syrup? Any recommendations that would work for all types of cakes?
Hey Ang, under "Ways To Use Chocolate Sponge Cake" you can see some options on how we use the sponge cake and how you can soak it up. Enjoy
Can I double this recipe to get two cakes, or is it best to do it one at a time?
Hey Ang, this sponge cake is used as a layering base. You can definitely double it up. Tip, You may need a very large mixing bowl.
Did it! Followed the recipe to a tee and it worked perfectly!! Looks exactly like picture which very rarely happens. Is there a way however I could make the cake more moist?
Hey Jasna, the sponge cake is there as a base for layering. In the recipes, we linked we have creams that go with it, they make it moist. You can also soak it with different syrups as well.
No baking powder?
Nope, this recipe doesn't require any.
I used a 9.5” springform pan and it came out super thin and hard. I thought about using a smaller pan size but it certainly didn’t rise much at all. All other recipes I’ve seen for done cake separates the yolks and whites and fold into the meringue so I thought I’d try this one since it was less fussy. Maybe I’ll try to give it another go.
Hey Josephine, you have to be gentle when you fold in the flour and make sure that eggs are perfectly fluffy. We have a video we did on Instagram, it may be helpful, account is @momsdish.
Thank you for sharing such an easy recipe. It's light but full of flavour and is perfect for layer cakes!
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Julia! Thank you for your feedback!
I like to live simply...usually. And this cake is so perfect for my obsession with simple cake toppings of whipped cream and strawberries. Just absolutely incredible combination! I love the bouncy delicate texture of the cake and the smooth, simple sweetness! Way easier than I thought and so delicious!
Oh yum, whipped cream and strawberries sounds delicious! I'm so glad you loved the sponge, thank you for your feedback!
This was such a yummy and unique cake. Heaven on the tongue!
So glad you loved it, thank you, Krystle!!
My cake was dry . What did I do wrong? It was not like a vs Illa sponge moist cake.
Hello Barbara, I'm sorry the recipe didn't turn out as expected. My advice is to make sure you don't use too much flour (to measure correctly: spoon flour into measuring cup and then level off with a butter knife), and to also sift the flour before using. I hope this information is helpful and yields better results if you give this recipe another go!