Chocolate Sponge Cake

This is the most perfect chocolate sponge cake recipe you will ever make. It's an easy, basic recipe that every home baker should know! Fill and frost it with your frostings, or store it in the freezer, ready for impromptu occasions (or cravings).

Best moist chocolate sponge cake recipe

Some recipes for chocolate sponge cake call for a boxed cake mix, but our goal is to level up your everyday baking. My recipes are always made from scratch with familiar ingredients, but they are very simple and never complicated.

The intense chocolatey taste comes from unsweetened cocoa powder and freshly brewed coffee. This is a secret baking hack to get the best chocolate flavor in chocolate sponge cake recipes, as the coffee really heightens it without being noticeable. You can use decaf coffee if you prefer.

I use an oil-based mixture in this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe for the best texture. Oil is the best substitute for butter in cake recipes when you want a sponge that is extremely stable yet soft and moist straight from the fridge.

You can have this cake batter ready to bake in under 15 minutes, and the steps are all super simple to follow. It does not require fancy equipment or ingredients, and I give you all my pro tips and tricks for baking the perfect chocolate sponge cake every time so you have a consistent experience.

How to make chocolate sponge

Prepare three 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pans with parchment paper. Use this cake pan conversion article to make the sponges in different sizes or shapes.

Use an Electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer) to whip the room-temperature wet ingredients (the oil, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, coffee, and eggs) together just combined, it will take a few seconds. Alternatively, you can use a hand whisk for this step, which will take about a minute.

In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder (the dry ingredients). 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together with the help of a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon; do not use a mixer at this stage, as we do not want to overmix the batter.

How to bake

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 425°F, this is higher than the baking temperature, which is 180°C / 356°F. Preheating the oven higher allows for the temperature to drop when the oven door is opened.

Once the batter is mixed together, pour it into each prepared cake pan. For perfectly even, moist sponge cake layers, weigh the total batter on your digital scale and then divide it evenly among your cake pans. 

Place the cake pans in the oven, ideally on the center rack, and immediately lower the oven temperature to 180°C / 356°F. Then try to avoid opening the oven door during baking as this alters the baking environment.

Bake chocolate sponge cake for 25-30 minutes. To test if it is baked enough, insert a toothpick into the center of the sponge cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your chocolate cakes are baked. The edges of the sponge cake will also be slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan.

Remove the baked chocolate cakes from the oven and place them onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Let the cakes cool for at least one hour in the pan. Once the cakes are completely cool, you can remove them.

How to use chocolate sponge cake

If you are stacking this easy chocolate sponge cake into a layer cake, first chill the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours or, at best, overnight. This will help keep the crumbs together and prevent the cake from breaking when spreading it with a cake filling.

Spread the chocolate cake sponge layers with fillings like cream cheese frosting, Nutella frosting, or whipped chocolate ganache, and enjoy.

I also like to cut it into small pieces and use as an ice cream topping, or with yogurt. It tastes amazing with caramel filling drizzled on top! Sometimes I'll layer it in small glasses with whipped cream frosting and fruit.

Storing and freezing

I recommend removing each cake from its cake pan (once cooled), wrapping the cake in plastic wrap, and then placing it into a ziplock bag. You can fit 2 of the 6-inch cakes into 1 large ziplock. Once all wrapped up, place them into the fridge for up to 5 days until they are ready to be used.

You can freeze chocolate sponge cakes in this manner for up to three months. I recommend always wrapping each cake in plastic wrap and then placing it into a sealable plastic bag to prevent freezer burn.

Flavor variations

A classic chocolate sponge cake is a super versatile recipe to have in your back pocket, and it can also be adapted in a few simple ways to add more layers of flavor.

A sprinkle of ground chili powder or ground cinnamon can add a whole new level of flavor to your perfect sponge cake. Add these ground spices to the dry ingredients before you add the egg mixture to form the batter. 

Try replacing a small portion of the flour with ground nut flour for added richness and taste. You can see how I added hazelnut flour to this Ferrero Rocher Cake which is always so popular.

Add a tablespoon of freshly grated orange zest to add delicious orange flavor to this cake. To finish it off, spread a smooth layer of namelaka over the cake and garnish with some fresh orange slices and fresh mint leaves.

Ingredient substitutions

Homemade chocolate cakes have a very precise recipe, which can make substitutions difficult. Each ingredient plays a role, so removing one of them will have an impact. For example, to make this chocolate sponge recipe egg-free, you could try one of these egg substitutes. However, the sponge might have a different taste and texture.

If you substitute ingredients, you will also need to reformulate the recipe somewhat and adjust the quantities and ratios of the other ingredients. Unfortunately, I cannot provide instructions to accommodate every diet.

Read my baking guides for in-depth information on ingredients, techniques, and substitutions to learn more about baking.

Expert tips to make chocolate sponge cake

1. Weight the ingredients by using a digital scale for accuracy. Baking is a science and requires precision. I do not recommend measuring by volume (e.g. the cup system), it can have too many errors.
2. Ensure that all ingredients are at room temperature before you begin so that they can properly emulsify. This is especially important with the eggs, as you should always use room temperature eggs in baking. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, put them in a sink of hot tap water for 5 minutes.
3. All purpose flour is fine for these chocolate sponge cakes, you do not need to use cake flour.
4. The oven temperature for chocolate sponge cake is vital. Consider using a digital oven thermometer to ensure you are baking at the correct temperature because all ovens vary. If the oven is too hot, it can cause the cake sponge to dome.
5. Remember to fold rather than mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Fold the ingredients together only until they are just combined; do not overmix. This will keep your easy chocolate sponge cake fluffy and light.
6. Don’t skip the salt. While adding salt to chocolate desserts might seem odd, it actually helps to enhance the chocolate flavor and balance the sweetness. It's a vital ingredient even in sweet recipes.
7. Apply the toothpick test to check if your easy chocolate cake is baked enough. If it comes out wet, the cake needs slightly more time in the oven. But overbaking will make your chocolate sponge cake dry and much less moist, so take care.

Check out my article on sinking cake, and how to avoid it.

Recipes using chocolate sponge cake

If you enjoyed baking this easy homemade chocolate sponge cake recipe, just wait until you try it with these frostings.

• Whipped mascarpone frosting is the perfect creamy contrast to the rich chocolate flavor, and is stable enough to pipe.
• Oreo frosting will satisfy any chocolate lover and make this the ultimate birthday celebration cake for kids and adults alike.
• Raspberry buttercream frosting tastes amazing with the chocolate sponge cake and is even better if you garnish it with fresh raspberries, too.
• Chantilly cream is a classic French cake filling that is elegant and simple.
• Peanut butter frosting is unbelievably delicious and everyone always loves it.
• Homemade caramel filling with an added pinch of salt makes the most perfect sweet and salty flavor contrast.
• Swiss meringue buttercream frosting is soft and silky and is best suited for this chocolate sponge cake for special occasions.

Have you tried this recipe?

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