Easy Chocolate Sponge Cake (Light & Moist) Recipe
This Easy Chocolate Sponge Cake recipe yields a light, moist, and tender chocolate cake perfect for any occasion. Made with simple ingredients like cocoa powder, coffee, and vegetable oil, it creates a deeply flavored chocolate sponge with a soft crumb. Ideal as a base for layered cakes, it’s easy to prepare and great for frosting and decorating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings (three 6-inch cake layers)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 185 g All purpose flour (or any low protein content flour e.g. cake flour)
- 50 g Cocoa powder (unsweetened, Dutch processed)
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 100 g Granulated sugar
- 100 g Brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 70 g Vegetable oil
- 2 Eggs (at room temperature)
- 160 g Milk (at room temperature)
- 120 g Coffee (freshly brewed strong coffee at room temperature)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C / 356°F without the fan. Line three 15 cm (6-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy release after baking.
- Mix wet ingredients: Using an electric hand mixer, whip together the room temperature eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, strong brewed coffee, milk, and vanilla extract for about 1-2 minutes until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Sift and fold dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt into the wet mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet using a rubber spatula or hand whisk, taking care not to overmix to maintain the cake’s light texture.
- Divide batter evenly: Use a digital scale to divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans, ensuring consistent thickness and baking.
- Bake the cakes: Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake at 180°C / 356°F for 25-30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.
- Cool the cakes: Remove from oven and either flip the cakes onto a cooling rack or allow them to cool in their pans before handling further.
- Fill and frost: Once completely cooled to room temperature, fill and frost the cake layers according to your preference, creating a delicious, layered chocolate cake.
Notes
- Using room temperature eggs, milk, and coffee helps the ingredients combine better and gives a fluffier cake.
- Do not overmix once dry ingredients are added to keep the cake tender.
- Strong brewed coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Using Dutch processed cocoa powder provides a smooth, less acidic taste.
- This recipe makes three 6-inch cake layers, ideal for a multi-layered cake.
- Store leftover cake airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
