Recipe

This Chocolate Sponge Cake With Ganache Glaze Is Surprisingly Easy

By Karina Kwok at University of British Columbia

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
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

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.

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.

Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng

Step 4

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

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.

Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng

Step 6

Pour and divide the mixture into each round tin.

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.

Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng

Step 8

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng

Step 16

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

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.

Photo by Rehmat Babbar and Varian Cheng

Step 18

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

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.