Fluffy Chocolate Sponge Cake - 10 Easy Recipes

Chocolate sponge cakes are the base for a wide variety of cakes, trifles, and other desserts. It's hard to imagine the legendary "3 Milks," "Snickers," and "Drunken Cherry" cakes without their rich, airy base.

But there are also so many cooking options: chiffon sponge cake, simmered with boiling water, with white chocolate, or the most classic. And it's crucial to find that perfect formula among them all. In this collection, we've compiled a wide variety of recipes, from which you're sure to find one you like.

What do you need for chocolate sponge cake?

Every experienced cook knows that the secret to a successful dish begins with the right selection of ingredients. While every chocolate sponge cake recipe varies, there are always some ingredients that remain constant.

First and foremost, this includes cocoa powder. Its quality will directly affect the taste and color of the sponge cake. There are three types of cocoa powder:

• Natural
• Alkaline
• Black

Pastry chefs recommend choosing alkalized biscuit for baking, as it undergoes an additional processing step, which subsequently gives the biscuit a beautiful color and rich flavor.

There are also several life hacks for choosing high-quality cocoa powder:

• It should not have a bitter aftertaste.
• The grind should be fine. When you rub a high-quality powder between your fingers, it will stick to your fingers and not turn into dust.
• The presence of lumps in the packaging indicates that the product was stored incorrectly.

All recipes also use flour. For sponge cakes, it's always best to use premium flour, as it's finely ground and white in color. Cakes made with this flour will be fluffy and tall.

For a successful cake, it's important to use fresh eggs. All utensils used for beating them must be clean and dry.

All ingredients should be at room temperature; this will ensure the ingredients interact smoothly and avoid any unexpected issues. Butter should be melted and cooled. For example, pouring hot milk or butter into eggs will cause them to curdle, ruining the dough.

Chiffon chocolate sponge cake

Chiffon sponge cake is distinguished by its light, airy texture. It doesn't even need soaking, as it's not inherently dry. These cakes are often served as a stand-alone treat. They also pair well with a wide variety of fillings, berries, nuts, and fruits.

Ingredients

• Eggs – 8 pcs.
• Sugar – 250 g
• Flour – 200 g
• Baking powder – 2 tsp.
• Salt - a pinch
• Vanilla sugar – 10 g
• Vegetable oil (odorless) – 120 ml
• Cocoa – 65 g
• Boiling water (or milk) – 200 ml

Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Number of servings: 2 cakes, 21 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

Pour boiling water over the cocoa and stir until smooth and all lumps are dissolved.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, sift the flour and add baking powder.

Step 3

In a third bowl, mix regular sugar with vanilla sugar.

Step 4

Carefully separate the whites from the yolks. It's crucial at this stage that no water or yolk gets into the bowl with the whites.

Step 5

Add a pinch of salt to the whites and beat with a mixer until they become white and foamy.

After this, pour half of our sugar in there and continue whisking until the crystals dissolve.

Step 6

Add the second half of the sugar to the yolks and beat until a light foam forms.

Step 7

After this, add the cooled cocoa liquid, which was prepared at the very beginning, as well as vegetable oil, to the mixture with the yolks and mix gently.

Step 8

Add flour and baking powder to the same mixture and mix at low speed.

Step 9

Add whipped egg whites to the resulting mixture and gently knead the dough using top-down movements.

Step 10

We pour our dough into the molds and place them in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for about 50 minutes.

We check the readiness of our biscuit with a toothpick.

Step 11

We place our cakes upside down on the wire rack.

If you leave the cake to cool in the pan without turning it over, it may sink.

Step 12

Carefully cut the cake layers out of the pan. Then, if necessary, separate them into the desired number of layers.

Chocolate sponge cake without baking powder for Snickers cake

This sponge cake recipe will be fluffy, and the flavor will surprise you with its uniqueness. The cake is quite moist. It pairs beautifully with salted caramel and nuts, making it the perfect base for the popular Snickers cake.

Ingredients

• Eggs – 2 pcs.
• Sugar – 220 g
• Vegetable oil – 130 g
• Flour – 280 g
• Cocoa – 50 g
• Milk – 280 ml
• Apple cider vinegar – 1 tbsp.
• Salt - a pinch
• Soda – 1 tsp.

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Number of servings: 1 cake layer, 18 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

In a bowl, mix sugar and eggs until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.

Step 2

Add odorless vegetable oil here and stir a little.

Step 3

Sift and combine all dry ingredients.

Add a small portion to our egg mixture and stir.

Step 4

After this, pour in the milk and stir again.

In this way, we alternate adding the dry mixture and milk.

Step 5

At the end, add apple cider vinegar and knead the dough.

Step 6

Prepare baking pans; you can grease the edges with butter.

Step 7

Pour the dough into the molds and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Step 8

We take the sponge cake out of the oven, turn it over and let it cool on a wire rack.

Step 9

Then wrap the cake in cling film and put it in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

Due to this, the biscuit will surprise you with its delicate texture.

Step 10

Then we take it out of the refrigerator and divide it into the required number of layers.

You can soak the sponge cake in syrup, but it is already quite moist and soft.

Coffee chocolate sponge cake

If you're looking to surprise your guests with an exquisite dessert with a unique flavor, this recipe is definitely worth considering. It's not complicated, and all the ingredients are readily available. But the amazing flavor will amaze everyone, and this sponge cake will become a favorite with everyone. And with the right soaking, the chocolate sponge cake's sweetness will be revealed in a whole new way.

Ingredients

• Eggs - 3 pcs.
• Sugar - 140 g
• Coffee - 75 ml
• Flour - 150 g
• Cocoa - 10 g
• Baking powder - 7 g
• Vegetable oil - 45 ml

Cooking time: 1 hour

Number of servings: 1 cake layer, 18-21 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

Brew the coffee and let it cool. If using instant coffee, use 1 teaspoon per 60 g of boiling water.

Step 2

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, add a pinch of salt and sugar, and beat on high speed for about 5-7 minutes.

Step 3

Mix flour, baking powder and cocoa in a separate bowl.

Step 4

Add odorless vegetable oil to the coffee.

Step 5

Reduce the mixer speed and add some of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, continuing to knead the dough.

Step 6

After this, we add our coffee with butter to the container with eggs.

In this way, we alternate adding dry ingredients and liquid, stirring constantly.

Turn off the mixer when the mixture becomes homogeneous.

Step 7

We line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and pour our dough into it.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and place our sponge cake in it for about 25 minutes.

Step 8

We take out the finished cake, remove it from the pan, turn it over and let it cool on a wire rack.

You can also put the sponge cake in the refrigerator for a few hours, after wrapping it in cling film.

After this, you can cut it into layers and build your cake.

Microwave chocolate sponge cake in 5 minutes

Sometimes you want to treat yourself and your loved ones to a delicious dessert, but you don't always have the time. In that case, this recipe is the perfect solution. With it, you can easily prepare a delicious treat in just minutes. This sponge cake will be a favorite among all those with a sweet tooth who value their time.

Ingredients

• Egg - 1 pc.
• Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp.
• Milk - 2 tbsp.
• Flour - 2 tbsp.
• Cocoa - 1 tbsp.
• Sugar - 1-2 tbsp.
• Salt - a pinch
• Baking powder - 1 tsp.

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Number of servings: 2 cupcakes, 9 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

Break the egg into a separate container.

Step 2

Add milk to the egg.

Step 3

Pour vegetable oil here.

It is better to use odorless oil, as it can interrupt the sweet aroma of baked goods and cocoa.

Step 4

Add flour to the mixture. The amount of flour can be adjusted. The dough should not be too runny or too thick.

Step 5

Pour cocoa into the same container.

Step 6

Add sugar and a pinch of salt.

The amount of sugar can also be varied, but it's best to use no more than 2 tablespoons. You can also use sugar substitutes instead.

Step 7

Add baking powder and mix everything thoroughly.

Step 8

Pour the dough into pre-greased molds and microwave for 5 minutes.

Step 9

Let's take out our cupcakes.

The result is a very airy sponge cake with a rich flavor. You can dust it with powdered sugar and decorate it with your favorite berries.

Chocolate sponge cake in a frying pan

If you don't have an oven but want to delight your family with culinary masterpieces, this recipe is worth checking out. The layers are soft and delicious, even though they cook quite quickly. This sponge cake is perfect as a base for the popular Prague cake.

Ingredients

• Eggs – 2 pcs.
• Milk – 150 ml
• Vegetable oil – 60 g
• Flour – 120 g
• Cocoa – 30 g
• Sugar – 90 g
• Soda – 5 g
• Salt - a pinch
• Table vinegar 9% – 10 g

Cooking time: 1 hour

Number of servings: 3 cakes, 18 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

Sift flour into a bowl and sift cocoa into it.

Step 2

Add sugar, a pinch of salt and soda to the dry mixture and mix everything.

Step 3

Pour milk and vegetable oil into the same container.

Step 4

After this, add the eggs and mix everything thoroughly until smooth.

Step 5

Add vinegar and stir again. After adding the vinegar, the mixture will become slightly lighter.

Step 6

Preheat the frying pan and divide the dough into equal parts.

Reduce the heat to low and lightly brush the pan with vegetable oil. Place some of the dough in the pan, cover, and let it rest for 8-10 minutes.

Step 7

There's no need to flip the cakes. Check their doneness with a wooden skewer.

Step 8

Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool.

We bake the other cakes from the remaining dough in the same way.

Fluffy chocolate sponge cake with white chocolate

If you're looking to make a unique cake with a deliciously creamy layer, this recipe will be your go-to. This sponge cake is incredibly soft and airy, and its light texture will melt in your mouth. These layers will make a deliciously tender "Red Velvet" cake.

Ingredients

• Eggs - 4 pcs.
• Sugar - 130 g
• Flour - 130 g
• Vanilla sugar - 1 tsp.
• Baking powder - 5 g
• Butter - 40 g
• White chocolate - 40 g

Cooking time: 1 hour

Number of servings: 1 cake, 20 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

Pour the room temperature egg whites into a dry bowl and beat them with a mixer at high speed until a white foam forms.

Step 2

Gradually add sugar to the whites and continue whisking. The resulting mixture should not leak out of the container when turned upside down.

Step 3

Next, at low speed, while beating the whites, add the yolks gradually, one at a time.

Step 4

Pour the cooled melted butter into this mixture, add vanilla and stir lightly with a whisk.

Step 5

Add the sifted third of the flour and baking powder to the same bowl and mix gently with a spatula until smooth.

Gradually add the remaining flour, as well as finely grated white chocolate, and knead the dough from the bottom up.

Step 6

Place the dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 35-40 minutes.

Step 7

Check the sponge cake's readiness with a toothpick or wooden skewer. If it's ready, remove it from the oven.

Step 8

Let the sponge cake cool on a wire rack. Then remove it from the pan and cut it into the desired number of layers for the cake.

Chocolate sponge cake with boiling water

The main difference with this method is that the dough produced in this recipe is slightly runny, so the baking temperature should be slightly lower than usual. The result is a very porous and elastic sponge cake. Thanks to these properties, it soaks up the moisture perfectly and becomes the perfect base for a wide variety of cakes.

Ingredients

• Wheat flour - 200 g
• Sugar - 200 g
• Milk - 125 g
• Boiling water - 125 g
• Eggs - 2 pcs.
• Butter - 75 g
• Cocoa - 40 g
• Baking powder - 5 g
• Soda - 5 g
• Salt - 1 g

Cooking time: 1 hour

Number of servings: 2 cakes, 16 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

Beat eggs at room temperature with sugar and a pinch of salt until doubled in volume.

Step 2

Pour warm milk into the container and mix the mixture at medium speed with a mixer.

Step 3

Next, add melted butter and mix again.

Step 4

Then add all the sifted dry ingredients into the mixture and mix until smooth, so that there are no lumps.

Step 5

At the very end, pour boiling water into this container and stir.

Step 6

Place the resulting dough into molds and bake in an oven preheated to 140-150 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Step 7

After baking, cool the biscuits on a wire rack in the pans for 15 minutes.

Step 8

Carefully remove the cakes from the pans, wrap them in cling film and refrigerate for at least a few hours.

We do this to prevent the biscuit from crumbling and to ensure it is better soaked due to the even distribution of moisture.

Airy chocolate sponge cake with cocoa powder without separating the eggs

This recipe is distinguished by its ease, as it doesn't require separately whisking the yolks and whites. Yet, it turns out just as good as sponge cakes made with separated eggs. The cake layer is thick and soft, and its delicate flavor pairs beautifully with a variety of fillings and creams.

Ingredients:

• Eggs – 6 pcs.
• Sugar – 220 g
• Flour – 115 g
• Cocoa – 55 g
• Vanillin - a pinch
• Salt - a pinch

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Number of servings: 1 cake, 21 cm in diameter

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1

Combine and sift the dry ingredients through a sieve: flour, cocoa and vanilla.

After this, mix them with a whisk.

Step 2

Break the eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and start beating with a mixer at low speed, gradually increasing it.

Step 3

After 1-2 minutes of whisking, begin to gradually add sugar in 3-4 additions and continue whisking until a white foam forms.

Step 4

Add dry ingredients to the beaten eggs in two stages, sifting them a second time.

Mix everything carefully with a silicone spatula.

Step 5

Prepare the baking pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper or wrap the sides of the ring with foil.

Step 6

We place our dough into molds and place them in an oven preheated to 170 degrees for about 40 minutes.

It is better not to open the oven for the first 20 minutes, otherwise the sponge cake risks sinking.

Step 7

Cool the finished sponge cake in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully run a knife along the edges and remove the cake.

Step 8

Leave the sponge cake on a wire rack for about an hour and a half until it cools completely, then wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator for 8 hours to set.

Secrets of baking chocolate sponge cake

If you want your sponge cake to turn out perfect, it's important to consider all the secrets and tips for making it. We've compiled the most frequently asked questions that arise during the preparation and baking process.

Video: The Easiest Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe by Yulia Small

If you're a visual learner, we recommend checking out this video recipe. It offers easy-to-understand tips and explanations. It also includes calculations for the required amounts of ingredients for different pans. This recipe produces a tall, fluffy sponge cake that won't sag and is perfect for making elegant cakes.