A Soft Chocolate Sponge Cake is a wonderful dessert—light, airy, and deliciously chocolatey. The key to achieving that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture is properly folding the egg whites and using the right balance of ingredients.
Soft Chocolate Sponge Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60ml) warm water
1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
Sift dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together. This helps to ensure the cocoa is well-blended and prevents clumps.
Beat the egg yolks: In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 of the sugar (about 75g) until pale and thick. You can use an electric mixer for about 3-5 minutes.
Add wet ingredients: Gradually add the warm water and vanilla extract to the yolk mixture and beat until fully combined.
Fold in dry ingredients: Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt) into the egg yolk mixture. Be careful not to deflate the mixture.
Whisk the egg whites: In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar (about 75g) until stiff peaks form, but they shouldn’t be too dry.
Fold egg whites into the batter: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in 2-3 additions. Use a spatula and fold carefully to preserve the airiness of the batter.
Add melted butter: Once the egg whites are fully incorporated, fold in the melted butter, being gentle as you do so.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cake has risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake, as that can dry it out.
Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
If you want to make it even more indulgent, you can top it with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate ganache, or fresh berries.
This cake is great as-is, or you can layer it with frosting or ganache for extra richness. Are you thinking of making this for a special occasion or just for a treat?