Walnut Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake with Raspberry

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Creamy and nutty chocolate sponge cake: dark chocolate taste with a soft foamy texture created by the whipped egg whites. The perfect base for a cake covered with chocolate icing and topped with fruity raspberries to complete.

What is a sponge cake

A sponge cake is a cake without any raising agent like baking powder or yeast. It is made soft by whisking the egg whites, and usually, it has no butter. It is, therefore, lighter and often covered with a creamy frosting.

Due to the large number of eggs, it is spongy rather than crumbly and is, therefore, easy to shape. It is the pastry used for Swiss Roll, where the cake is baked on a flat rectangular sheet, then covered with creamy frosting and rolled.

Ingredients for this chocolate sponge cake

A creamy and nutty chocolate sponge cake with almost no flour. There is no raising agent, its softness is made by whipped egg whites which are added to the mix. But while, in general, sponge cakes usually have no butter, this cake does. Sponge cakes with butter in the mix are also called Genoese.

This dark chocolate batter is mixed with crunchy walnuts to add texture to the cake. The chocolate frosting completes the taste of this delicious cake adding creaminess with the acidic contrast of fresh raspberries.

To make the cake batter you need the following ingredients:

• 4 1/2 oz – 125 g dark chocolate
• 1 tsp dry instant coffee
• 2 tbsp fresh water
• 1 cup – 200 g caster sugar
• 1/2 cup – 110 g butter
• 6 fresh eggs
• 1 cup – 120 g chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp flour

Baking pans for the cakes

Grease and flour 2 baking tins of 20 cm in diameter.

Here I used a heart-shaped tin for St Valentine’s, but you can use a regular round one.

Making the chocolate sponge cake batter

Prepare the ingredients:

1. Melt the chocolate, sugar, coffee and water in a bain-marie or in the microwave for 1.5 minutes.
2. Mix and let it cool down.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the white.
4. Mix the ground walnuts with 2 tbsp of flour.

Making the chocolate batter

5. Whip the butter with an electric mixer until it becomes creamy.
6. Add the egg yolks to the butter and mix
7. Combine the melted chocolate and sugar to the butter and eggs,
8. Then add the ground walnuts mixed with the flour.
9. Mix the batter well until all is combined

Adding the egg whites

9. Whip the egg whites till stiff and forming peaks.
10. Gently add it to the mix,
11. one spoon at a time.
12. ….until it is all combined.

Baking the chocolate sponge cake

13. Pour the mix into the buttered tins
14. Cook in a hot oven at 355 F – 180C for 35 minutes.

Make the frosting

To completely cover this cake in frosting and add a layer in the middle you will need:

• 7 oz – 200 g of cream
• 7 oz – 200 g of dark chocolate (if you use milk chocolate the frosting will be softer)

1. Gently warm the cream but make sure it does not boil. Best is to do it in a bain-marie over a pot of boiling water.
2. Take off of the heat and add the dark chocolate.
3. Mix until the chocolate melts.
4. Let it cool completely.

5. Place the mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
6. Whip the chocolate cream.

Frosting and decorating the cake

1. Once the cakes are ready let them cool at room temperature before proceeding.
2. Place one cake on the serving dish.
3. Spread some cream on top of the first cake.
4. Position the second cake on top.
5. Cover completely with the remaining cream.
6. Spread the frosting also on the side.

7. Decorate with walnuts and raspberries.
8. Keep in the fridge until it is time to serve.

Important tips for making this sponge cake

• Use a good quality dark chocolate, if you want to use milk chocolate the cake consistency will be different. Softer.
• Same principle for the frosting. If you want to use milk chocolate use less cream.
• To melt the chocolate you can also use the microwave at medium for 1.5 minutes.
• Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature. Cold egg whites won’t make a firm foam.
• On the contrary, to whip the cream, it is best if the whisk and the bowl are very cold. Place them in the freezer 10 minutes before preparing the frosting.
• Make sure the baking tins are well-buttered and coated with flour so that the cake will not break when removed from the pan.
• Wait at least 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pans.
• Instead of raspberries, you can also use strawberries or blackberries

If you are making these Walnut dark chocolate sponge cake with raspberries, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

Walnut Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake with Raspberry

Creamy and nutty chocolate sponge cake: dark chocolate taste with the soft texture of the meringue, chocolate icing and the raspberry to complete

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Resting time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Servings: 10 people

Print Pin Rate

Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients

For the cake

• 4 1/2 oz dark chocolate
• 1 tsp dry instant coffee
• 2 tbsp fresh water
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 6 fresh eggs separated
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp flour

Frosting:

• 7 oz cream
• 7 oz chocolate dark or milk: milk chocolate will make a softer frosting
• 1/2 cup raspberry

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• Grease and flour 2 baking tins of 8 in - 20 cm in diameter. Here I use heart-shaped one for St Valentine’s.

Prepare the ingredients

• Melt the chocolate, sugar, coffee and water in a bain-marie or in the microwave for 1.5 minutes.
• Mix and let it cool down
• Separate the egg yolks from the white.
• Mix the ground walnuts with 2 tbsp of flour.

Making the chocolate batter

• Whip the butter with an electric mixer until it becomes creamy.
• Add the egg yolks to the butter and mix
• Combine the melted chocolate and sugar to the butter and eggs,
• Then add the ground walnuts mixed with the flour.
• Mix the batter well until all is combined

Adding the egg whites

• Whip the egg whites till stiff and forming peaks.
• Gently add it to the mix, one spoon at a time.
• ….until it is all combined.

Baking the sponges

• Pour the mix into the buttered tins
• Cook in a hot oven at 355 F - 180C for 35 minutes.

Making the frosting

• Gently warm the cream but make sure it does not boil. Best is to do it in a bain-marie over a pot of boiling water.
• Take off of the heat and add the dark chocolate.
• Mix until the chocolate melts.
• Let it cool completely.
• Place the mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes. You will obtain better results if it is ice cold when you whip the cream.
• Whip the chocolate cream.

Frosting and decorating the cake

• Once the cakes are ready let them cool at room temperature before proceeding.
• Place one cake over the serving dish
• Spread some cream on top of the first cake.
• Position the second cake on top.
• Cover completely with the remaining cream
• Spread the frosting also on the side.
• Decorate with walnuts and raspberries.
• Keep in the fridge until it is time to serve.

Video

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Notes

• Use a good quality dark chocolate, if you want to use milk chocolate the cake consistency will be different. Softer.
• Same principle for the frosting. If you want to use milk chocolate use less cream.
• To melt the chocolate you can also use the microwave at medium for 1.5 minutes.
• Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature. Cold egg whites won't make a firm foam.
• On the contrary, to whip the cream, it is best if the whisk and the bowl are very cold. Place them in the freezer 10 minutes before preparing the frosting.
• Make sure the baking tins are well-buttered and coated with flour so that the cake will not break when removed from the pan.
• Wait at least 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pans.
• Instead of raspberries, you can also use strawberries or blackberries

Nutrition

Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg

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