Sponge Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Hello everybody! How are you? Are you excited that fall is coming soon? Let's celebrate that with a delicious and moist sponge cake with a fluffy chocolate frosting! The whole cake can be stored in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap for up to two days. But place the fresh strawberries (or whatever fruit/berries you are using for decoration) just before serving. *

The frosting for this recipe is just a simple ganache made of chocolate and heavy whipping cream. You can of course use chocolate buttercream instead if you prefer that. * Like I've said before about chocolate: sometimes when you use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate it can get too sweet. So if you have a sweet tooth then I recommend you to use milk chocolate, and if you don't then use the dark chocolate. * If I would make this cake again then I would put strawberry slices between the layers of sponge cake as well. It almost felt like there was something missing - and fruit or berries are the best option if you ask me. * Like it's said in the recipe below; when you have cut off the rounded tops of the sponge cakes - don't throw away the leftover cake! You can use it for cake pops. (Never waste delicious sponge cake!) You can even freeze it. *

Ingredients: Sponge cake • 75 grams butter • 1 deciliter whole milk • 3 deciliters all-purpose • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 3 eggs (free range - because we love chickens!) • 2,5 deciliters caster sugar Chocolate frosting • 400 grams chocolate (milk or dark chocolate) • 3 deciliters heavy whipping cream • Strawberries for decoration (optional) How to do: 1. First, let's make the sponge cakes. Preheat the oven to 175° Celsius (350° Fahrenheit) and grease and flour four round cake tins (which are 15 cm in diameter). 2. Melt the butter in the microwave or over the stove and let it cool slightly. Add the milk. 3. Take a bowl and mix together the dry ingredients thoroughly and set it aside. 4. Take another large bowl and beat the sugar and eggs for about three minutes so it becomes light and fluffy. You can do this with an electric mixer or by hand. 5. Add the dry ingredients and the butter/milk mixture to the egg/sugar mixture, and carefully stir it all together so it becomes to smooth batter. 6. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake tins. Tap the cake tins gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles from the batter. 7. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Try with a toothpick if they are done - it shouldn't be any batter on the toothpick, just a few crumbs. Let the sponge cakes cool completely (or the frosting will melt). 8. While the sponge cakes cool, let's make the frosting. Chop the chocolate finely and place it in a deep bowl. Pour the cream in a sauce pan and let it slowly come to a simmer. When the first bubbles appear, take the sauce pan of the stove and pour the hot cream directly over the chopped chocolate. Leave it for 5 minutes (Don't stir! Just leave it). 9. After 5 minutes, take a rubber spatula and stir it to a smooth and glossy mixture. Let it cool in the fridge for about 30-60 minutes, so it becomes slightly firm. Then, take an electric mixer and beat the chocolate mixture so it becomes light, fluffy and spreadable. 10. Take the cooled sponge cakes and cut off the rounded tops horizontally with a serrated knife (or a cake-leveler if you have one) so they have a flat and even surface. (You can use the leftover cake for cake pops!) Spread half of the frosting between each layer of sponge cake and then cover the whole cake with frosting using a spatula (or a breadknife). 11. Then you can decorate the cake however you like! (I have chosen to decorate with fresh strawberries). Done!

Free tip: It's very important to let the sponge cakes cool completely before frosting the cake. Otherwise the chocolate frosting will melt and make a big mess, and we don't want that.

I bought these cake tins when I was in Paris one year ago. They are 15 centimeters (about 5,9 inches) in diameter and were perfect for this recipe! I only wish I had two (or three) more, tho, so I can make more layers in one go. * ♥ *

#Cakes #Frostings #Recipes #Chocolate