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Soft and light cocoa sponge cake, dusted with powdered sugar and cut into slices.
Freshly baked, soft cocoa sponge cake slices dusted with powdered sugar.

Cocoa Sponge Cake

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
Sponge cake is essentially a physics experiment in the kitchen: how to trap as much air as possible in the batter? The egg white foam provides the structure, and the tiny air bubbles expanding in the oven lift the cake. Since cocoa powder is heavier than flour and contains fat, we must handle the foam with extra care so as not to deflate it.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
🍽️ Servings 5 servings
🔥 Calories 260 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Two mixing bowls (for whites and yolks)
  • Mixer or whisk
  • Sieve
  • Spatula
  • Cake pan (approx. 9 inch)

Allergen Information

⚠️ Wheat
⚠️ Egg

Instructions

1 ✓

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Separate the eggs. Beat yolks with half the sugar and vanilla extract until pale.

Tip: It's ready when sugar crystals don't crunch and the mixture is pale yellow and creamy.
2 ✓

Beat whites with a pinch of salt and remaining sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Tip: Add sugar gradually to stabilize the foam. Salt helps protein coagulation.
3 ✓

Sift flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder into a bowl.

Tip: Sifting aerates the flour and removes cocoa lumps, making it easier to mix.
4 ✓

Stir a little egg white foam into yolk mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in remaining foam and flour mixture alternately using large circular motions.

Tip: Use a spatula and fold from bottom up to avoid breaking air bubbles that give the sponge lightness.
5 ✓

Pour batter into a parchment-lined or greased/floured pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a toothpick.

Tip: Do not open oven for first 20 minutes! If toothpick comes out clean from center, it's done.

Recipe FAQ

Why did it collapse?
You opened the oven door too early, and the thermal shock caused the structure to collapse before it set.
Why is the center domed?
Oven was too hot; the edges set before the center.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 4 whole Eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 pinch Salt