Chocolate Sponge Cake Layers

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Medium

Two bare, level rounds of chocolate sponge cake layers stacked on a cooling rack with one slice cut to show the crumb

A cocoa genoise for Black Forest and chocolate cream cakes: light, open-crumbed and made for soaking with kirsch or vanilla syrup.

Prep 25 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 1 hr 50 min

Yield 12 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

6.0 (300.0 g)large eggs
1.0 cup (200.0 g)granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g)fine sea salt
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)pure vanilla extract
1.0 cup (115.0 g)cake flour, sifted
⅓ cup (30.0 g)Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
¼ cup (57.0 g)unsalted butter, melted

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Warm the eggs, sugar and salt over simmering water to 110°F (43°C), then whip on high 8 to 10 minutes until tripled; whip in the vanilla.
Sift the flour and cocoa together and fold into the foam in three additions. Fold 1 cup of batter into the melted butter, then fold that back in.
Divide between the pans and bake 22 to 25 minutes until the tops spring back.
Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

Tips

Whip the eggs until the batter falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon that sits on the surface for 3 seconds.
Fold the flour in gently in three additions; overmixing deflates the foam.
Sponge dries out faster than butter cake; brush the layers with simple syrup before filling.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make chocolate sponge cake layers?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to rest. The recipe makes two 8-inch layers (12 slices).

How should I store chocolate sponge cake layers?

Wrap cooled layers tightly and keep at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months; frost them cold from the freezer for the cleanest crumb.

Can I make chocolate sponge cake layers ahead?

Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap and chill; cold layers are easier to fill, stack and frost.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

A cocoa genoise for Black Forest and chocolate cream cakes: light, open-crumbed and made for soaking with kirsch or vanilla syrup.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

179 Calories / serving

8.0g Fat

23.9g Carbs

4.1g Protein

20.3g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~2148 cal · 96g fat · 287g carbs · 49g protein · 244g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.