Dairy-free chocolate sponge cake
In Middle Europe, including Hungary, sponge cakes are made differently to the English way. First of all, we use more eggs. Secondly, the eggs are separated and the egg white is beaten into a stiff foam then folded into the yolk, mixed with sugar and flour. Thirdly, there is no milk, butter or oil in the batter, not even baking powder is needed for most cakes. The basic, traditional recipe for the the perfect sponge is 6 eggs, 6 Tbsp sugar and 6 tbsp of flour. And that’s it. I made this dairy-free chocolate sponge cake based on this ratio, but substituting 1 Tbsp flour with cocoa powder. ( If you want it more intense, swap 2 Tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp cocoa). I covered the cake withchocolate ganache (following this recipe), but you can frost it with dairy-free buttercream or cream cheese, coconut cream etc or just dust with icing sugar or serve with jam.
Ingredients
Method
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature, then separate them into two bowls. Cut the vanilla pod in half (vertically) and scrape out the seeds. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a cake tin with parchment paper.
- Using a mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not too hard and grainy.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and creamy, the add the vanilla seeds.
- Mix the flour with a pinch of baking powder (add more if you want the cake rise really high), then sift it into the egg&sugar mixture and stir gently. Add the sifted cocoa powder and combine. You should get a thick batter.
- Now gently fold in the beaten egg whites.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared tin, then bake in the middle of the over for 10 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 170°C and bake for 20 more minutes. Don’t open the oven door during baking!
- After 20 minutes, turn off the oven and open the door slightly for a couple of minutes. Then do the cake test. If an inserted skewer into the middle of the cake comes out clean, then it’s done. If it’s wet, you’ll need to bake it for longer and do the test again.
- When the cake is cooked through, turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let the cake cool down gently.
- Then take the tin out and let it cool. Move it to a wire rack.
- When completely cool, frost, glaze or garnish the cake, however you like.