Favourite Chocolate Mocha Sponge Cake

A Three-Layer Sponge with Coffee-Spiked Pudding Filling

This sponge cake leans on egg yolks rather than whole eggs for body, which makes for a richer, more tender crumb than the typical airy genoise. Five yolks beat thick and creamy, then fold into the dry cocoa mixture in one go for a quick, no-fuss batter.

A tube pan baked ungreased is the move that lets the cake climb its full height. The batter clings to the sides as it bakes and rises taller than it would in a slick pan. Once cool, the cake gets sliced crosswise into three thin layers ready for filling.

The filling is the secret weapon. Vanilla pudding mix cooked with milk and a tablespoon of instant coffee makes a silky cocoa-mocha cream, then butter gets beaten in along with confectioners’ sugar to lighten and stabilize it. Smooth, spreadable, and miles ahead of the typical store-bought frosting.

Pro Tips

• Beat the egg yolks until they ribbon off the whisk, almost double in volume. Underbeating leaves a dense cake with a heavy bottom.
• Use cook-and-serve pudding mix, not instant. Instant doesn’t develop the same silky body when cooked.
• Cool the cake completely before slicing into layers. Warm cake tears under a serrated knife.
• Use a long, sharp serrated knife and a turntable if you have one for clean, even layer cuts.

Variations

• Swap instant coffee for 2 teaspoons of espresso powder for a bolder mocha kick.
• Use chocolate pudding mix instead of vanilla for a double-chocolate version.
• Top the finished cake with shaved chocolate or sifted cocoa for a rustic, undressed finish.