Chocolate Sponge Cake

A deep, moist chocolate sponge with a rich ganache poured over the top while it is still warm.

Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 250 g caster sugar
• 200 g butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 ml milk
• 200 g dark chocolate, plus 100 g for the ganache
• 200 ml double cream

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170C, fan. Line two 20 cm round tins.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down a couple of times.

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.

4. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and fold in alternately with the milk.

5. Divide between the tins and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. A skewer should come out clean.

6. Let the sponges cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them out.

7. For the ganache, heat the cream until just steaming, then pour it over the chopped chocolate and leave for 2 minutes before stirring until glossy.

8. Pour the ganache over the cooled sponge and let it run down the sides.

Notes

Beat the butter and sugar for a full five minutes. That aeration is the whole texture of the sponge.