best sponge cake

Good Food reader Eve Scott shares this easy, foolproof recipe for chocolate sponge cake, perfect for a birthday, afternoon tea or weekend treat

Chocolate sponge cake

unsalted butter, softened,

golden caster sugar

eggs

cocoa powder

self-raising flour

milk

dark chocolate (or milk chocolate if you prefer)

unsalted butter

icing sugar, sieved

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter and line two 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment.

Use a handheld electric whisk or a freestanding mixer to beat 175g softened unsalted butter and 175g golden caster sugar together in a bowl until creamy and light in colour. Then add 1 large egg, still mixing.

Sieve 50g cocoa powder, 100g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt into another bowl and add a third of that to your wet ingredients.

Once combined, add 1 more large egg and another third of the flour mixture and work that in.

Then add 1 more large egg and the remaining flour and beat until you have a smooth thick batter. If the batter is stiff, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it.

Divide the mixture between the tins and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 20-25 mins until springy to the touch. Take out of the oven and leave in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream by melting 50g dark or milk chocolate in the microwave, or in a bowl over just simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Leave to cool.

Beat 85g softened unsalted butter and half of the 175g sieved icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the remaining icing sugar and melted chocolate and mix together. If the icing is runny, chill in the fridge until it is firm but still spreadable.

To assemble the cake, put a small dollop of icing onto a plate and put one of the cakes on top. Spread the top of the cake with half the icing, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.

Put the second cake on top and push down very gently. Spread the remaining icing over the top.

Our easy sponge cake recipe is foolproof. With only five ingredients this basic cake recipe just needs your favourite icing and you're sorted. It's a small sponge cake, made in an 18cm or 7in cake tin. 

If you are looking for a larger recipe for a different tin size, or with some additional icing, try our <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/sponge_cake_calculator"> sponge cake calculator</a> for the perfect fit to your equipment or style.

Easy sponge cake

butter

caster sugar

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225 grams/8 ounces unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

225 grams/8 ounces caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

free-range eggs

220 grams/7¾oz self-raising flour

tsp baking powder

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Top Tags

Chocolate sponge cake

Easy sponge cake

Mary's easy chocolate cake

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Top 4 best sponge cake recipes from across the web

The most viewed best sponge cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chocolate sponge cake

Easy sponge cake

Mary's easy chocolate cake

Marble cake

The most viewed best sponge cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine