If you’re looking for a foolproof chocolate sponge cake recipe, light, fluffy, and nicely tall, this one is perfect, ideal for all your layered cakes.
Forget about flat sponge cakes! With this recipe, you’ll be able to cut out 4 layers, allowing you to make sky hight cakes, like layer cakes, a beautiful Black Forest cake or any other birthday cake.
It’s simple to prepare and only requires 3 ingredients. Although it can be made without baking powder, I add a small teaspoon for optimal results.
Just like the vanilla sponge cake, it’s an essential recipe to have in your notebook. Everyone who has tried it, especially for the Kinder Bueno layer cake, has been very satisfied.
Homemade chocolate sponge cake
Tips for a successful chocolate sponge cake
Table of Contents
It is very easy to make; however, if the batter deflates when incorporating the flour, the sponge cake will not rise in the oven. There are a few key points to pay attention to for its success:
- Use fresh eggs at room temperature (they will rise better).
- Whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture triples in volume. The mixture should be smooth and make the ribbon.
- Sift the flour and baking powder (prevents lumps in the batter).
- Gently incorporate the flour in at least 3 batches.
- Do not open the oven before 3/4 of the baking time, preferably not before the end of the baking time.
- For baking a sponge cake in a small, tall cake pan (for example, 18 cm × 10 cm / 7 × 4 inches or 15 cm × 10 cm / 6 × 4 inches), the oven temperature should be low, at 150°C (300°F).
- For larger cake pan (over 20 cm / 8 inch in diameter and shallow), the oven temperature can be set higher, at 180°C (350°F).
Some might be surprised to see me using a whisk to incorporate the flour into the sabayon, as traditionally, a rubber spatula is recommended, and some chefs use a skimmer to mix gently without deflating the mixture. However, I find that the whisk is more practical and simplifies the work when used correctly.
Proceed as follows: Insert the whisk into the mixture, lift it from bottom to top, tapping it occasionally on the side of the mixing bowl. This allows the flour to be distributed without lumps, just like with a skimmer.
Which cake mold to use for a very tall cake?
Before, I always had an issue because I could never find a mold tall enough at home for a sponge cake of this height. I used to add parchment paper and it worked quite well.
I made this sponge cake in a pan Téfal ingénio with removable handle. It’s very practical.
Finally, I found some really great molds on websites that sell baking products. PME molds are perfect, ideal for tall cakes and sponges, PME cake pan.
The recipe on video
The ingredients:
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
- 6 large eggs between 68/72 g (2.5 oz), with the shell.
- 200 g granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 170 g flour ( 6 oz)
- 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder (1 oz)
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder (3.5 g / 0.12 oz)
- 2 packets vanilla sugar (15 g / 0.5 oz)
With this recipe, you will obtain a chocolate sponge cake whose height depends on the cake pan used:
- 10 cm high in an 18 cm x 12 cm cake pan lined with parchment paper (7 x 4.7 inches).
- 8 cm high in a 20 cm x 10 cm cake pan (8 x 4 inches).
- 6 cm high in a 23 cm x 8 cm cake pan (9 x 3 inches).
Preparation steps :
I use a hand mixer for better control, but you can warm the eggs and sugar in a double boiler, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from coagulating, then whip in a stand mixer for 15 minutes.
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) on conventional oven.
2. Leave the drip pan on top of the oven to prevent the sponge from browning too much.
3. Grease an 18 cm (7 inches) cake pan and line it with a 12 cm (4.7 inches) high strip of parchment paper and a disc for the bottom.
4. Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder and mix everything with a whisk.
5. Put the eggs, vanilla sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl as the mixture will triple in volume.
6. Put a little boiling water in another slightly smaller bowl for the double boiler. The bottom of the bowl containing the eggs and sugar should touch the water, but the water should not rise up the sides of the mixing bowl.
7. Place the bowl containing the eggs and sugar on top.
chocolate sponge
8. Whisk for 15 minutes, or more depending on the power of your mixer. The mixture should triple in volume, whiten and become very smooth.
Note: ⚠️ Check the temperature of the sabayon (whipped eggs and sugar). The mixture should always remain barely warm; if it gets too hot, remove it from the double boiler.
9. Once the mixture has tripled in volume, remove it from the double boiler. If the sabayon is still hot, continue whisking it off the double boiler until it cools completely.
10. Incorporate the mixture of flour, cocoa, and baking powder in 4 or 5 additions. Work gently from bottom to top, without whisking, to avoid deflating the mixture. Tap the whisk occasionally on the side of the bowl, as explained in the tips above.
11. I use a whisk because I find it much more practical, but you can of course use a rubber spatula.
12. Fill the cake mold and bake immediately for 55 minutes, more or less depending on your oven.
13. Check the baking by opening the oven around 45 minutes, which is about 3/4 of the baking time. At the end of baking, check with a skewer inserted into the center of the sponge cake.
14. The skewer should come out dry, without any trace of batter. Leave the baked sponge cake in the turned-off oven for 5 minutes with the door ajar.
15. Remove the parchment paper and unmold the sponge cake onto a wire rack. Immediately invert it onto a second rack.
16. Let the sponge cake cool completely before cutting it. Store it well-wrapped in the refrigerator, preferably until the next day, so it will be easier to cut. Of course, you can cut and use it the same day. You can store it for longer, up to 2 months in the freezer.
Can this recipe be used for a chocolate swiss roll?
Yes, you can certainly use it to make a chocolate Swiss roll or a Christmas Yule log. Simply pour the batter onto a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spreading it evenly. Keep an eye on the cooking to keep the sponge supple and soft.. Baking will take about fifteen minutes, depending on your oven.
When it comes out of the oven, cover it with a towel to keep it pliable. It will make a very good chocolate swiss roll cake.
Other recipes you might like :
Easy chocolate sponge cake recipe
Ingredients :
For an 18 cm x 12 cm cake pan lined with parchment paper (7 x 4.7 inches).
- 6 large eggs between 68/72 g with the shell (2.5 oz )
- 200 g granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 170 g flour (6 oz)
- 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder (1 oz)
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder (3.5 g / 0.12 oz)
- 2 packets vanilla sugar (15 g / 0.5 oz)
Instructions :
- I use a hand mixer for better control, but you can warm the eggs and sugar in a double boiler, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from coagulating, then whip in a stand mixer for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) on conventional oven.
- Leave the drip pan on top of the oven to prevent the sponge from browning too much.
- Grease an 18 cm (7 inches) cake pan and line it with a 12 cm (4.7 inches) high strip of parchment paper and a disc for the bottom.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder and mix everything with a whisk.
- Put the eggs, vanilla sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl as the mixture will triple in volume.
- Put a little boiling water in another slightly smaller bowl for the double boiler. The bottom of the bowl containing the eggs and sugar should touch the water, but the water should not rise up the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Place the bowl containing the eggs and sugar on top.
- Whisk for 15 minutes, or more depending on the power of your mixer. The mixture should triple in volume, whiten and become very smooth.
- Note: ⚠️ Check the temperature of the sabayon (whipped eggs and sugar). The mixture should always remain barely warm; if it gets too hot, remove it from the double boiler.
- Once the mixture has tripled in volume, remove it from the double boiler. If the sabayon is still hot, continue whisking it off the double boiler until it cools completely.
- Incorporate the mixture of flour, cocoa, and baking powder in 4 or 5 additions. Work gently from bottom to top, without whisking, to avoid deflating the mixture. Tap the whisk occasionally on the side of the bowl, as explained in the tips above.
- I use a whisk because I find it much more practical, but you can of course use a rubber spatula.
- Fill the cake mold and bake immediately for 55 minutes, more or less depending on your oven.
- Check the baking by opening the oven around 45 minutes, which is about 3/4 of the baking time. At the end of baking, check with a skewer inserted into the center of the sponge cake.
- The skewer should come out dry, without any trace of batter. Leave the baked sponge cake in the turned-off oven for 5 minutes with the door ajar.
- Remove the parchment paper and unmold the sponge cake onto a wire rack. Immediately invert it onto a second rack.
- Let the sponge cake cool completely before cutting it. Store it well-wrapped in the refrigerator, preferably until the next day, so it will be easier to cut. Of course, you can cut and use it the same day. You can store it for longer, up to 2 months in the freezer.
Notes
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