Chocolate Sponge Cake (Amandine)

Chocolate Sponge Cake, known as ‘Amandine’ in Romania, is a beloved treat filled with either chocolate or almond cream. If you ever find yourself in Romania, keep an eye out for “cofetarie” signs—these sweet shops are everywhere, thanks to the Romanian love for desserts! You’ll discover a delightful selection of locally made sweets, cookies, and cakes, with Amandine being a must-try at any confectionary shop. This recipe brings back fond memories of our school days when our parents would take us to the cofetarie—not as often as we would have liked, but usually as a reward for our good grades!

Time: 110 min, Prep: 80 min.  Cook: 30 min
Servings: 15-20

Ingredients

For sponge cake:

• 260 g sugar
• 8 eggs
• 40 ml water
• 50 ml oil
• 30g cocoa
• 150 g all-purpose flour

You also need a 33 x 22.9 x 5.08 cm (13 x 9 x 2 inch) baking pan greased with butter and lined with parchment paper.  Or whatever baking pan you might have but make sure to adjust the ingredients accordingly.

For filling:

• 4 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 330 g unsalted butter , at room temperature ( ~ 3 butter sticks )
• 2.5 Tbsp cocoa

For syrup to moisten cake:

• 400 ml water
• 200 g sugar
• 2 Tbsp cappuccino

For chocolate glaze:

• 250 g chocolate (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
• 150 ml whipping cream

Directions

Sponge cake:

Beat egg whites and water with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add sugar and beat until dissolved.

In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and oil. Fold in the egg yolks.

Combine the flour and cocoa. Slow down the mixer and carefully blend in the flour and cocoa until just combined.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until brown (you can insert a toothpick in the centre and if it comes out clean then it’s ready).

Filling:

While the cake was baking, I made the filling.

You have to beat the eggs and the sugar in a bowl over a pot of boiling water until thick and creamy. Then add half of the cocoa and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and add remaining cocoa with a wooden spoon or a mixer. Combine with the chilled egg mixture.

Syrup:

For the syrup, combine water and sugar and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Add cappuccino and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Assembling the cake:

Place the cake (bottom side up) onto your work surface. Let it cool and then cut the cake horizontally in half. Moist each part with the cappuccino syrup. Using a spatula, evenly cover the top of the first layer with the cocoa filling (save a few tablespoons to decorate).  Place the second layer on top.

Glazing the cake:

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate and whipping cream in small saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir continuously until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes until it becomes warm and has a pouring consistency.

Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and carefully spread it to the edges of the cake. It’s ok if the glaze drips down the sides; you can just cut away the sides a little with a sharp knife (the way I did it).

Lastly, cut the cake into squares and decorated each of them.