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.
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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.
Try my recipe for fairy cakes if you’re after something nostalgic to delight children too.
Why this cake is worth making
- This chocolate cream cake recipe relies on basic store cupboard ingredients and can be in the oven in 15 minutes.
- The batter can also be used to whip up a batch of cupcakes, so this recipe is an all-round good guy.
- And however you decide to serve it, this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe will delight time after time.
Ingredients
Like most simple cakes, this easy chocolate sponge cake recipe does not require fancy ingredients. They are all likely to be in your cupboard already if you bake regularly:
- Baking margarine or butter
- Caster sugar
- Eggs
- Milk
- Cocoa powder
- Flour
- Baking powder
Do I have a preference for baking cakes with butter or baking margarine? Yes I do – I much prefer baking margarine (I always use Stork). I think the cake it makes is somehow lighter in texture and stays softer for longer.
However, not any margarine will do for baking. It must have a suitably high fat content (over 70%). Those with lower fat contents are not suitable for baking as they tend to have a higher water content that interferences with the baking process. Always check the ingredients list if you are unsure.
There’s nothing wrong with using butter either though. But do ensure it is very soft before baking begins. It will be so much easier to work with if it is.
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
Always. Even if the tin is labelled as nonstick it will be so much easier to remove the baked cake if the tins are greased and the bottoms lined with baking parchment.
You certainly can. Full details for making 6, 7 or 8 inch cakes follow in the next section.
This chocolate sponge cake is perfect for making in advance since it can be frozen, provided it has not been filled and decorated.
Just cook the layers as instructed and allow to cool fully. When cold, wrap each layer in clingfilm, label and transfer to the freezer. The sponge cake will keep like this for up to 3 months.
When ready to use, just remove from the freezer and allow to defrost for 2 hours at room temperature, then proceed to decorate as desired.
Sadly not. However, Chocolate Covered Katie has a lovely looking cake that might suit your needs. And if you need a gluten-free chocolate cake, try this one.
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 or mint choc chip buttercreams
- 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 cherry compote, 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.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 120 g (½ cup/ 4 ¼ oz) Baking margarine or butter
- 120 g (⅝ cup/ 4 ¼ oz) Caster sugar
- 2 Eggs Large, free-range
- 3 tablespoon Milk
- 100 g (¾ cup/ 3 ½ oz) Plain (all-purpose) flour
- 30 g (¼ cup/ 1 oz) Cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
For the Filling
- 3 tablespoon Jam
- 250 ml (1 cup) Double (heavy) cream
- 1 tablespoon Chocolate flakes
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM4 and grease & line 2 x 6-inch cake tins
- Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar together until light & fluffy
- Separate the egg white and yolks. Put the whites aside. Add the yolks to the creamed ingredients along with the milk. Beat until just combined
- Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl and gently stir in, using a large metal spoon until thoroughly combined. Take care not to overwork the batter though
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Take a spoonful and mix it into the cake batter to loosen it, then fold the rest in. Continue to mix until just combined and no obvious patches of egg white are visible
- Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for approx 20 minutes until well risen. A cocktail stick poked into the centre of the cake should come out clean
- Remove from the oven when sufficiently baked. Let cool in the tin for 2 minutes, before unmolding. Remove the parchment and allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack
Fill the Cake
- Put the cream into a medium mixing bowl and whip until the cream holds it’s shaped nicely
- Place 1 layer of cake on a plate/ stand and spread with 2-3 tablespoon jam
- Top with ⅔ of the cream – either pipe it on or smooth it out with a knife – then top with the second layer of cake
- Spread a thin layer of cream across the top and scatter chocolate flakes over, leaving a 2cm border around the cake edge
- Pipe the rest of the cream around the edge of the cake (I used a Wilton 8b nozzle)
- Best served immediately but this cake can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days (let sit at room temperature for 1 hour prior to serving)
Notes
- 60g butter/ sugar /
- 50g flour
- 15g cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon milk
- 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)
Lesley
Absolutely love this recipe. So helpful with different size options. This is the most delicious chocolate cake. I topped it with a ganache for a birthday celebration but equally it is lovely just with cream in the middle.
Jane Coupland
Thanks for your feedback Lesley. I’ve been making this cake for oh um.. 45 years, which makes me sound ancient 🙂 I started baking with my Mum when tiny and this was always the go-to chocolate cake recipe, so I’m thrilled to hear you get along well with it too.
Sha
This recipe doesn’t give oven temperatures or times and also doesn’t tell you which flour to use I ended up after getting the ingredients together looking up Mary berry recipe to find out the missing info so should have used her recipe in the first place ugh
Very annoying
Jane Saunders
Hi Sha – as with all my blog posts there’s a printable recipe card at the end of the post with all the details that are required to make this recipe including oven temps, times and type of flour – hope you’ll have a go next time you need to bake a chocolate cake