18 chocolate sponge cake recipes

A light, springy chocolate sponge cake made with just six pantry staples and absolutely no eggs or dairy. Two layers sandwiched with fudge icing, dusted with grated chocolate and powdered sugar. Vegan baking at its most unfussy.

Raspberry truffle trifle layered with sponge cake, homemade custard, raspberry sauce, and chocolate truffle sauce. A showstopping make-ahead dessert for 16.

Holiday mint log is a light chocolate sponge cake rolled into a classic yule log shape. Separated eggs keep the cake airy enough to roll without cracking, baked in just 12-15 minutes.

Showstopping seven-layer chocolate cake with tender sponge layers and rich butter-chocolate frosting. A classic European-style torte that's all about thin layers and fudgy filling between each one.

Genoise sponge cake soaked in Amaretto and filled with whipped chocolate ganache. A classic French-Italian dessert with lemon zest in the cake and piped chocolate decoration.

Genoise cake brushed with amaretto and layered with a whipped chocolate ganache filling. Italian sponge meets boozy almond and dark chocolate for a classic celebration dessert.

French genoise sponge cake soaked with Amaretto and filled with whipped chocolate ganache. A light, egg-leavened cake with lemon zest and an overnight chocolate cream.

Chocolate strawberry whipped cream cake layers thin cocoa sponge with stabilized strawberry whipped cream and fresh berries, topped with a glossy royal glaze.

Chocolate angel food layer cake baked in heart-shape pans. Fat-free, cloud-light, cocoa-scented sponge made with egg whites and cake flour. No butter, no yolks.

Chocolate mint cake with a light peppermint sponge topped with whipped chocolate mint frosting. The fat-free batter uses applesauce and egg whites for an airy, tender crumb.

Chocolate nut torte: a four-layer sponge cake filled with silky cooked chocolate-buttercream frosting and topped with chopped nuts. An old-world holiday torte for special occasions.

Italian layered sponge cake with rum, custard cream filling, coffee zabaglione buttercream, walnuts, and chocolate-dipped almonds. An elegant multi-component dessert.

Chocolate and chestnut layer cake with a tender olive oil and white wine sponge, a smooth sweetened chestnut cream filling, and glossy dark chocolate ganache. An elegant autumn and holiday dessert.

Chocolate-marshmallow cake is a light cocoa sponge baked in a jelly roll pan and topped with billowy marshmallow frosting. An old-fashioned American layer cake with the feel of a campfire s'more.

Schwarzwalder kirschtorte (Black Forest cake): a three-layer German chocolate-almond sponge soaked in kirsch, filled with whipped cream and sour cherries. The classic Schwarzwald showpiece.

Classic Italian sponge cake made with a warm egg foam, cocoa powder, and no butter at all. Light as air with a deep golden crust and tender chocolate crumb.