Lyle's Special Chocolate Sponge

Lyle's Special Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe

Moist, light, and oozing with chocolate, everyone is sure to love this ludicrously luscious chocolate sponge cake! A chocolate sponge cake is the perfect cake for any occasion, from birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs, to (let’s face it) pretty much any day of the year!

Serves

8-10

PREP TIME

40 minutes

COOK TIME

30-35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

(Cake)

  • 330g (11½oz) unsalted butter, softened
  • 330g (11½oz) Lyle's Golden Syrup
  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 275g (10oz) self-raising flour
  • 60g (2½oz) cocoa
  • 1 rounded tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp milk

(Chocolate butter cream)

  • 110g (4oz) dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids, broken into squares
  • 150g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened
  • 75g (3oz) Lyle's Golden Syrup
  • 110g (4oz) Tate & Lyle Fair trade Icing Cane Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Follow this simple, seven-step chocolate sponge recipe to create the most mouth-wateringly perfect and moist chocolate sponge cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°Fan, 350°F, Gas 4 and get whisking the butter and Lyle's Golden Syrup until soft and creamy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time (give each batch time to combine). It doesn't matter if the mixture curdles - all will be revealed.
  2. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cacao; lightly and quickly fold it in with a large metal spoon and then add the milk to make a soft consistency (so it easily drops from the spoon).
  3. Spoon the mixture into two 20cm (8”) sandwich tins (greased and bases lined with parchment paper).
  4. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes until well risen, (a fine skewer comes out clean from the centre, and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger). When ready, leave to stand for 20 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Ready for the chocolate butter cream? Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool.
  6. Beat the butter and Lyle's Golden Syrup together in a mixing bowl and sift over the Icing Sugar until soft and smooth, then mix in the melted chocolate.
  7. Sandwich the cakes together with half the butter cream, then smooth the rest over the top. Beautiful - and ready to serve.

CHEF'S TIP

  • You can always pair your chocolate sponge cake with ice cream or fresh cream to really nail an irresistibly tasty and momentously memorable dessert.
  • Why not dust the top of your chocolate sponge cake with some sieved icing sugar?
  • There’s only one thing to remember now - and that's to make sure you leave a generous slice (or two) for yourself!