This chocolate sponge is filled and covered with chocolate cream, and sprinkled with chocolate shavings – what’s not to like?

Fresh summer berries would have been the perfect addition, but they are not in season here yet so I used freeze-dried berries.

Step by step recipe below and list of ingredients at the end of the post!

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The day before, place the cream in a saucepan and heat to blood temperature. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Put in a container, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill.

The next day, whip until soft/medium peaks form and use when required.

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. Grease and flour a 20 cm round cake tin. Like with the tres leches cake, I decided to use two cake tins to avoid having to cut the cake horizontally through the middle later. 

In an electric mixer and using the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs and sugar to the ribbon stage (this is when the mixture is thick, and when trailed on itself it will hold its own weight for about 10 seconds before sinking into the mixture).

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together, then carefully fold through the egg/sugar foam mixture.

Once the flour is three-quarters folded through, add the melted butter and continue to fold through gently. Avoid over-mixing at this stage or you will lose all the precious air bubbles you have created.

Immediately place the mixture in the prepared cake tin or tins. Bake until the sponge is set, approximately 25–30 minutes. Cool completely in the tin/tins.

When cool, remove the cake from the tin and if you used one cake tin instead of two, cut horizontally into two equal-sized layers.

Spread a layer of chocolate whipped cream on one layer of sponge, then place the other layer of sponge on top and press down lightly.

Spread the remaining chocolate whipped cream on top and sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings. Arrange berries on top.

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Chocolate Sponge

From The Great New Zealand Baking Book, copyright © Dean Brettschneider

Servings: 6-8 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 25-30 mins | Skill level: 2 (moderate)

Ingredients

• 400 g cream
• 100 g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 150 g caster sugar
• 150 g plain flour
• 5 g (1 tsp) baking powder
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 50 g butter, melted

To decorate

• 50 g good-quality dark chocolate, grated into shavings
• 1 punnet each:
  • fresh strawberries,
  • raspberries,
  • blueberries
• icing sugar

Method

The day before, place cream in a saucepan and heat to blood temperature. Add chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate has completely melted. Put in a container, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill. The next day, whip until soft/medium peaks form and use when required.

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. Grease and flour a 20 cm round cake tin.

In an electric mixer and using the whisk attachment, whisk together eggs and sugar to the ribbon stage (this is when the mixture is thick, and when trailed on itself it will hold its own weight for about 10 seconds before sinking into the mixture).

Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa together, then carefully fold through egg/sugar foam mixture. Once flour is three-quarters folded through, add butter and continue to fold through gently. Avoid over-mixing at this stage or you will lose all the precious air bubbles you have created.

Immediately place the mixture in the prepared cake tin. Bake until sponge is set, approximately 25–30 minutes. Cool completely in the tin.

When cool, remove cake from tin and cut horizontally into three equal-sized layers. Spread a layer of chocolate whipped cream on one layer of sponge, then place the next layer of sponge on top and press down lightly.

Spread a second layer of chocolate whipped cream on top of the second sponge layer, then top with the final layer of the sponge and press down lightly again.

Finally, spread remaining chocolate whipped cream on top and sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings. Arrange fresh berries on top. Lightly sprinkle with icing sugar.

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