Super-Easy Chocolate Sponge Cake

As a Radio Production Masters student at bournemouth we are expected to run a student radio station solely for the radio masters course- BIRST as it is formally known. It will showcase our features, documentaries and anything we produce during the next year. It's our vision, our station. So, for our first BIRST meeting of the year I thought Iwould bake a batch of brownies to mark the occasion. As it happens they went down so well that I seem to have taken the role of class baker and a tradition seems to have formed that I am the chosen individual who bakes for any momentous occasions, birthdays, end of terms, etc.

So after chocolate brownies were demolished I thought that bar Christmas, (where I would probably be baking something christmassy anyway) my baking efforts could be rested for the remainder of the year. Well, that was until our BIRST station manager went and turned 23, and we all know what that means- a celebration calls for a celebration cake and before I knew it, it was time to get my bake on once more. Fortunately for me I could bake all day and love an excuse to get away from any dreaded essay and into the kitchen!

As I had such success with the chocolate halloween cake, I thought I would stick with what I know and created an extra, extra chocolately double layered, ganache sponge. The ganache gives a lovely shiny finish and the smartied added a little bit of colour.

Here is the recipe!

• 50g/2oz cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp boiling water
• 3 free-range eggs
• 4 tbsp milk
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 1 rounded tsp baking powder
• 100g/4oz baking spread or soft butter
• 300g/10oz natural caster sugar

 

For the icing and filling

• 150g/5oz dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• icing sugar, to dust

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins with baking parchment.
2. Put the cocoa powder and boiling water into a large bowl and mix well to make a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and beat again until combined. This can also be done in a food processor, but take care not to over whisk. Divide the cake mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
3. Meanwhile, for the icing and filling, measure the chocolate and cream together in a bowl and stand the bowl over a pan of simmering water for about 10 minutes, or until melted. Stir from time to time. Set aside and leave until cool and almost set.
4. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely. Spread the tops of each cake with apricot jam. I decided against the jam and just filled mine with the chocolate ganache which was just as yummy. Fill the cakes with half of the icing and spread the remainder on top. Draw large “S” shapes over the cake with a palatte knife to give a swirl effect. Dust with icing sugar and serve in slices.
5. I chose to simply decorate mine with some smarties, but you can use whatever sweets you like, or leave it plain as suggested above.