Perfect Chocolate Sponge Cake

Step 1

Gather your ingredients and measure them before starting. Sift the 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and tbsps of butter.

Step 2

Prep: For easy cleanup and removal of the cake, line an 8"x2"-inch baking pan (Note with foil  or parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Wet the cake strip and fasten it around the bottom of the cake pan.Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the center of the oven.

Step 3

Whip eggs: Add 4 eggs and a pinch of salt to a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and whip the eggs until slightly foamy. Slowly pour 3/4 cup sugar into the eggs and continue whipping for about 15 minutes or until the mixture forms a ribbon that doesn't disappear for about 3 seconds when you lift off the whisk.

Step 4

Fold in flour: Add the flour mixture into the whipped eggs in halves and carefully fold until almost no streaks of flour are seen. (To fold: use a large spoon or spatula and go under the batter, then bring it over as you invert the spoon to pour the batter on top). Do not over-mix or the cake will be dense.

Step 5

Add the melted butter and carefully fold until all butter is incorporated. Do not overmix.

Step 6

Pour the batter into the lined and greased baking pan and quickly swirl the pan back and forth couple of times to even out the batter.

Step 7

Bake in a preheated to 350°F oven, on the middle rack for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not open the oven door sooner than 15 minutes into the baking process. Shut the oven door slowly, not to disturb the rise of the cake.

Step 8

Cool: Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and allow to sit inside the pan for 5 minutes before removing it.Then, remove it from the pan and invert it straight onto the cooling rack, then peel off the foil or parchment paper and allow to cool completely before using it in cakes.

Step 9

To split the cake into two even layers, put the palm of your left hand (if you’re right handed) on top of the cake; with you right hand score the side of the cake with a long serrated knife halfway up the height of the cake all around the side about ½ an inch deep into the cake, then keep rotating the cake with your left hand and cut about 1 inch into the cake; keep rotating and slowly cutting deeper inside the cake until your cake is split into two separate layers.