Chocolate Sponge Cake (Soft Like Cloud)

This recipe guides you through each step to make a cloud-like chocolate sponge cake, from lining the baking pan with parchment paper to achieving the perfect consistency of the batter. The cake bakes to perfection in a water bath, ensuring a tender and even crumb.

📝 Ingredients

• 8 extra large eggs
• 100 g vegetable oil ((1/3 cup + 2 tbsps; Or corn oil))
• 90 g cake flour
• 40 g cocoa powder ((4 tbsps))
• 120 g milk ((1/2 cup; Or soymilk, coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk … ))
• 1 tsp vanilla extract ((optional))
• 15 g lemon juice
• 120 g granulated sugar ((1/2 cup + 2 tbsp))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Line a baking pan with parchment paper (refer to the step-by-step image illustrations above). Preheat the oven to 295℉/145℃.
2. 2Separate 8 extra large eggs into yolks and whites. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl, set aside on countertop. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl, keep in the freezer.
3. 3Add 90g cake flour to a large mixing bowl. Use a small saucepan to heat up 100g vegetable/corn oil over medium heat until it reaches 165℉/75℃. Carefully pour the hot oil into the mixing bowl. Stir the mixture using a whisk until the cake flour is thoroughly incorporated with the oil.
4. 4Add 40g cocoa powder to the flour oil mixture, mix with a whisk until smooth. Then add 120g milk, 8 egg yolks, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract (optional) to the mixture, stir with a whisk until smooth. Set aside.
5. 5Take the egg white's mixing bowl out from the freezer. You might observe that the edges of the egg whites have started to freeze. Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 40g sugar into the egg whites. Use medium speed (speed 3 out of 5) of a hand mixer to whip the egg whites for 3 minutes until fish eye size bubbles form.
6. 6Add another 40g sugar into the egg whites, use medium speed to whip the egg whites for 3 more minutes until the bubbles are too tiny to be seen.
7. 7Add the remaining 40g sugar into the egg whites, use medium speed to whip the egg whites until medium peak forms (*see the pictures in content above for the differences between "soft peaks" and "medium peaks".) It will take approximately 15 minutes of total whipping time.
8. 8Scoop ⅓ of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, fold until well combined.
9. 9Transfer the egg yolk mixture to the egg white bowl, gently fold until the color looks even.
10. 10Pour the batter into the cake pan, gently spread the batter with a spatula to create a smooth surface. Pour the batter into the cake pan, gently spread the batter with a spatula to create a smooth surface. Drop the cake pan on the kitchen counter a couple of times to eliminate large bubbles from the batter.
11. 11Place the filled cake pan inside a larger cake pan or baking dish. Carefully pour cold water into the larger pan, taking care not to splash water into the cake batter. Add enough water to reach about halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
12. 12Gently transfer the pans to the preheated oven. Bake at 295℉/145℃ for 75 minutes.
13. 13Remove the cake pan from the oven, lift the cake pan out of the water bath, hold the edge of the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the cake pan. Place the cake on a wire rack, use a serrated knife to cut the cake into 8 pieces.
14. 14Serve the chocolate sponge cake hot immediately. Or allow the cake to cool completely, place it in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge (for 3 to 4 days) or in the freezer (for 2 to 3 months). Feel free to decorate the cake with whipped cream (see my whipped cream recipe here) or any other frosting of your choice before enjoying it.