Basic Chocolate Sponge

There is absolutely no doubt that food has to look decently delicious in order to sell or prompt someone to eat it. With all due respect to bakers/cooks/patisserie chefs and their beautiful creations, I sincerely think it is most important that the food tastes equally good. There have been too many times when I was lured into buying beautifully crafted food, only to realize their taste doesn't match up. 

This is especially important in current times where more emphasis is placed on how exceptional the cake looks rather than how it taste. There have been so many "instagram-worthy" cakes at countless (birthday) parties where the taste falls short and misses the mark by so much. 

As the proverb goes, "learn to walk before you run". I've always believed in the importance of getting the basics right and building a strong foundation. Here's the recipe to one of my solid foundation that I always turn to. 

Basic Chocolate Sponge (makes 8" Round)

Mixture A
     5       Egg Yolks
   65g     Castor Sugar

Mixture B
   40g     Milk
   70g     Corn Oil
  2.5g     Vanilla Extract
     2g     Instant Coffee Granules

Mixture C
   80g     Top Flour
   12g     Corn Flour
   30g     Cocoa Powder
     5g     Baking Powder
Optional
   *a pinch of Cinnamon Powder*

Mixture D
     5       Egg Whites, room temperature
 110g     Castor Sugar

Preheat oven to 160ºC 

1. Grease and line the cake tin.

• "how to line a round cake tin"
• "how to line a rectangle/square cake tin"

2. Stir (B) till homogeneous, reserve. Sift (C) and reserve.

3. Using a whisk attachment, whisk (A) till colour is pale and volume has doubled.

4. Reduce the speed of mixer and slowly add in Mixture (B) till combine. Add in Mixture (C) and whisk till batter is thick, smooth and lump-free. Transfer batter to another bowl, wash and clean mixer thoroughly.

5. Using the whisk attachment, start whisking the Egg Whites till before soft peaks and gradually add in the Sugar. Stop whisking when meringue turns glossy and just reaches stiff peaks.

6. Gently stir in 1/3 of the meringue into the batter to lighten the mixture. Gently fold in the remaining meringue with a spatula or your hand (recommended) till no white spots can be seen.

7. Pour into prepared tin. For round tins, bake 40-45mins or until a cake tester comes out clean. For rectangle/square tin, bake 30-35mins.

8. Cool completely before frosting or slicing.

This rich, soft chocolate sponge "building blocks" tastes great on its own, even without any cream, mousse, ganache or whatsoever. They also make a great teatime snack with a cuppa tea/coffee/milo! Make some soon and you'll understand why I love it so much.

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