Chocolate Cream Cake (classic chocolate sponge with fresh cream filling)

Every baker needs a chocolate cream cake recipe they can depend upon. Serve this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe simply or dress it up to mark special occasions. This bake is reliably delicious however it is presented.

Try adding some homemade cherry jam between the layers for a fruity twist.

This easy chocolate cream cake was a childhood favourite of mine. It was one of the first things I ever baked and it's a recipe I still frequently return to.

It is a very reliable basic recipe, always turning out a quality chocolate cake despite using humble store cupboard ingredients.

Follow this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe to make either a basic teatime cake or push the boat out with toppings to elevate it to showstopper status for special occasions.

If cream cakes are your thing, don't miss out on my peaches and cream cake - it's a lovely fruity alternative. Try my recipes for fairy cakes and butterfly cakes if you're after something nostalgic to delight children too. Or breeze through my full collection of cake recipes to find what you are after.

Step by step instructions

This chocolate cream cake uses the separated egg technique. In this method the yolks are beaten into the batter but the egg whites are whipped before being gently folded in. Trust me, this technique makes for a fantastically light cake.

There are 5 steps to follow:

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy

Step 2: Beat in the egg yolks followed by the milk

Step 3: Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl and mix

Step 4: whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, mix 1 spoonful of it into the cake batter

Step 5: Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, spoon into tins and bake

These simple steps take me around 15 minutes to complete, so it's a relatively quick and easy chocolate sponge cake recipe to follow. 

Once baked, remove from the baking tins, allow the cakes to cool completely and then fill and decorate as desired.

Assembling the cake

To turn this bake into a chocolate cream cake, whip some double cream to soft peaks and use to sandwich the layers together along with a generous splash of jam. Top with more whipped cream and some grated chocolate.

I piped my cream onto the cake for a neater finish, but it's fine to slather it on using a blunt knife too.

Remember to store the filled chocolate cream cake in the fridge if not consumed straight away, to help keep the cream in tip-top condition.

Expert tips

There are a few simple points to keep in mind when baking this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe to ensure a successful bake:

• Allow ingredients to come to room temperature before baking. This reduces the risk of the batter splitting and the butter will be so much more easy to cream with the sugar
• Don't forget to preheat your oven. Cake batter needs to be cooked at the correct temperature as soon as possible, to ensure the baking powder can give optimum performance and the best possible rise to the sponge cake
• Fold the egg whites in as gently as you can to keep as much air in the batter as possible. Use a large metal spoon and keep folding in until no white streaks of egg white remain
• If the cake has been refrigerated before serving, do allow sufficient time for it to come to room temperature again before diving into it. That's around 2 hours out of the fridge in winter, maybe less time in warmer weather

Frequently asked questions

How to make a larger version

Please note that the chocolate cream recipe presented is for a 2-layer cake made in 6-inch pans. It's a relatively small cake, designed to serve 6 people.

The recipe works on the following basis:

Per egg add the following:

• 60g butter
• 60g sugar
• 50g flour
• 15g cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ tablespoon milk

These measures are sufficient to make 1 layer of the cake in a 6-inch pan. So for the 2 layer cake presented, I have simply doubled these quantities. Similarly, I could turn it into a 3 layer cake by tripling these measurements.

But from these measurements, it is also easy to scale up this recipe for a 2-layer cake for several different tin sizes. Here are the measures needed for some common cake tin sizes:

• two layers in 6-inch tins (2 eggs + 120g butter/ sugar + 100g flour + 30g cocoa powder + 1 teaspoon baking powder + 3 tablespoon milk)
• two layers in 7-inch tins (3 eggs + 180g butter/ sugar + 150g flour + 45g cocoa powder 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder + 4 ½ tablespoon milk)
• two layers in 8-inch tins (4 eggs + 240g butter/ sugar + 200g flour + 60g cocoa powder + 2 teaspoon baking powder + 6 tablespoon milk)

Decoration ideas

Part of the joy of baking any cake for me is deciding how to fill and decorate it.

My family like this cake best if I present it as a classic chocolate cream cake. So simple, yet so delicious.

But with this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe there are so many ways you can take it once baked. Here are a handful of my ideas, but I'm certain you'll come up with some great ideas of your own too:

• Keep this cake ultra-simple by topping with a dusting of icing sugar in place of the piped cream and chocolate flakes on top
• Pile fresh fruit - such as strawberries or raspberries - on top of the cake. You can also include a few in the centre. Be sure to pick a jam that matches or compliments the fruit you are using
• Swap the jam for caramel spread and wait for all the happy sighs to roll in
• Put aside the fresh cream and jam & use your favourite buttercream instead. My favourite pairings would by marshmallow fluff buttercream or mint choc chip buttercream
• Chocolate buttercream is a great option if you want a greater hit of choccie flavour. It also lends itself to incorporating a few favourite chocolates into the decoration - Maltesers, M&Ms and Mini Eggs always look good on cakes
• Bake an extra layer or two to turn this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe into something much grander. You might like to try your hand at Swiss meringue buttercream if you are intending to create a showstopper
• Give this chocolate cream cake some Black Forest Gateau vibes by sprinkling some kirsch syrup over the sponges, filling with cherries Jubilee, kirsch spiked whipped cream and decorating with more cream and oodles of chocolate curls

More easy cake recipes

I've got a large collection of cake recipes, but if you are after a few quick suggestions, try these:

If you tried this chocolate cream cake please give it a rating below. Don't forget to share your creations with me on Instagram too - I love to hear how you've got along. Use #littlesugarsnaps and tag me @jane_littlesugarsnaps.