Need a cake that yells "5-star" but requires minimal effort? Here's a chocolate cake that's guaranteed to be a showstopper and it's simple AF. This chocolate sponge cake is the answer.

This recipe uses a 1:1:1:1 ratio, aka all the ingredients (flour, sugar, egg, and butter) have the same weight—simple right? You can play around with the ratios to get different types of cakes and pastries, or modify the ingredients like this one has. 

Not to mention, this cake is topped with a ganache recipe that's so easy you can do it with your eyes closed (although we do not recommend doing so).

This chocolate cake will leave your friends gobsmacked for words, and leave you #Instafamous. So don't forget to bookmark this page in case you ever need a stunning cake, but low-key want 0% effort.

Chocolate Sponge Cake With Ganache Glaze and Fresh Fruit

  • Prep Time:25 mins
  • Cook Time:25 mins
  • Total Time:50 mins
  • Servings:8
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 200 g butter or margarine
  • 200 g caster sugar sifted
  • 150 g self-raising flour sifted
  • 50 g cocoa powder sifted
  • 4 eggs
  • 150 g chocolate icing or frosting homemade or storebought
  • 120 g semisweet chocolate
  • 120 ml heavy cream
  • Fresh fruit to garnish
strawberry, berry, sweet, cake, tart, raspberry
Photo by Karina Kwok
  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 180˚C or 350˚F.

  • Step 2

    Grease with a little oil or butter/margarine and line two 20 cm circle round tins.

    coffee, tea, milk
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 3

    Cream the butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl until it starts to look fluffy and light.

    cream, milk, dairy product, sweet, dairy, pudding
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 4

    Add the eggs to the mixture gradually until well-combined.

    egg, flour, dough, dairy product, batter
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 5

    Fold the self-raising flour and cocoa powder into the large mixing bowl until it is fully incorporated.

    cream, ice, ice cream, chocolate, milk
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 6

    Pour and divide the mixture into each round tin.

    chocolate, ice cream, cream, ice
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 7

    Bake it in the oven for approximately 25 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

    #SpoonTip: Stick a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's baked through.

    chocolate, cream, sweet, coffee, milk, candy, pudding, mousse
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 8

    Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for several minutes.

    chocolate, cake
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 9

    Flip the tin upside on a cooling rack to release the cake and let cool completely.

    bread, chocolate, cake, wheat
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 10

    Place semisweet chocolate into another mixing bowl.

  • Step 11

    Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it starts to boil.

    coffee
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 12

    Pour the boiled heavy cream onto the semisweet chocolate.

  • Step 13

    Stir the heavy cream and semisweet chocolate together until smooth.

    chocolate, milk, cream, sweet, candy, pudding, coffee
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 14

    Let the ganache cool and thicken slightly.

  • Step 15

    Spread the chocolate frosting on top of one of the cakes.

    #SpoonTip: Make sure you smear a generous layer of frosting to ensure that the layer will be completely filled when you layer the cakes.

    chocolate, cake, sweet, pastry, cream, candy
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 16

    Layer the unfrosted chocolate cake on top of the frosted one.

    chocolate, cake
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 17

    Pour the ganache on top of the entire cake sitting on top of a cooling rack to allow the excess to drip down.

    chocolate, candy, cream, sweet, cake, milk, coffee, brownie, chocolate mousse, mousse, goody
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng
  • Step 18

    Let the ganache set before adding fresh fruit to garnish. Then serve and enjoy!

    strawberry, sweet, berry
    Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng

Don't be afraid to let your creativity run wild when you're garnishing your cake. Check out these decorating hacks for inspiration.

Share your masterpiece on Instagram with your local Spoon chapter or hit up the OG Spoon University