Chocolate Sponge Cake with a Crunchy Hazelnut Layer

You know, people who don’t like sweets at all make me suspicious. What do they eat when a huge chocolate cake is served at a celebration? Can they really not crave even a small piece of something sweet? Even when everyone else is enjoying a chocolate sponge cake? No, that’s definitely not for me.

It’s even hard for me to watch desserts being made. Watching sponge cakes being baked, or how a delicate, delicious cake cream is prepared. I find it hard to watch any action involving sweet dishes, except for one — when the dessert is brought to me. I think after reading this, you can imagine how much I had to hold myself back while we were shooting the chocolate sponge cake recipe by Екатерина Яблонская.

I’ll let you in on a secret: the sponge cake is just one part of a much bigger cake recipe from Katya. So, the following recipes will also be super sweet and delicious (of course, our recipes are always tasty). But today, we’re focusing only on the sponge cake. By the way, it’s not just any sponge — it’s topped with a crunchy hazelnut layer. Just listen to how beautiful and delicious that sounds.

Chocolate Sponge Cake with a Crunchy Hazelnut Layer

Don’t watch this recipe when you’re hungry! You simply won’t be able to resist and not run to the fridge in search of something sweet. Today, you’ll see how to make a chocolate sponge cake topped with a crunchy hazelnut layer

Difficulty Level: Medium

Calories: 250

Cooking Time: 90 min

Ingredients:

Chocolate Sponge Cake

60 g egg yolk
150 g eggs
110 g sugar
100 g egg whites
45 g sugar
50 g flour
45 g cocoa powder

Crunchy Hazelnut Layer

75 g dark or milk chocolate
8 g vegetable oil
18 g royal icing wafer crumbs
20 g caramelized crushed hazelnuts
20 g hazelnut praline

Instructions:

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Whisk egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar in a mixer with a whisk attachment until the mixture lightens in color, increases in volume, and has a creamy texture.
Sift flour and cocoa powder into the egg mixture and gently fold until the color is even.
Whisk egg whites with sugar in a mixer with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
Carefully combine the egg whites with the main mixture, folding gently until smooth.
Evenly spread the batter onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat (30×40 cm).
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.
After baking, freeze the cake.
Sprinkle with cocoa powder or powdered sugar.
Cut the edges of the sponge and line with parchment paper, then flip and carefully remove the mat.

Crunchy Hazelnut Layer