Classic Chocolate Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• 300g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g caster sugar
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 375g plain flour
• 80g cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 100ml whole milk
• 120ml boiling water
• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 30g soft light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 125g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 3 tablespoons boiling water

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan or gas mark 4) and arrange the racks near the middle so the cakes have room to expand.
2. 2Grease your cake tins and line the bottoms with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
3. 3Beat the softened butter, caster sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract together until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
4. 4Continue beating for at least 3 minutes if using a stand mixer, or slightly longer with a hand mixer or whisk.
5. 5Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then mix in the beaten eggs one by one until fully incorporated.
6. 6Sift the plain flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into the wet ingredients. Pour in the milk and mix on low speed, slowly increasing the pace until the batter is smooth.
7. 7Pour the boiling water into the bowl and scrape the sides down once more. Blend everything for another 30 seconds to create a silky batter.
8. 8Pour the batter evenly into the lined cake tins and smooth the tops with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
9. 9Bake the cakes until they rise fully and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out completely clean.
10. 10Let the cakes cool in their tins for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn them out gently onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding any frosting.

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