Sponge cake filling ideas

[shinebright3]

Hi all,

I’m looking to make a sponge cake this weekend. My go to would be a Victoria sponge with jam and fresh cream but DC doesn’t want jam (it’s for his birthday) and wants chocolate instead.
What can I use instead? Would still like to use fresh cream as not a fan of buttercream, would a layer of Nutella work or was also thinking caramel, either a spread or from a tin? Is this a thing? Everything online is for buttercream.
Would prefer to keep a vanilla sponge rather then chocolate.

thanks!

Chocolate ganache with fresh cream maybe

How about a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, I’ve made it a few times from a recipe in an American baking book. I must admit Victoria sponge is nicer though.

Chocolate Angel delight. Works a treat!

Your could whip up some cream, gently heat up Nutella until it’s a bit more runny, then stir is through the cream before sandwiching between vanilla sponge.

Chocolate cake with raspberry jam and cream. Chocolate ganache topping . He might forgive that.

Chocolate cake with cherry jam and cream, ganache on top

You can make a chocolate mousse filling there are loads of recipes online, had a chocolate mousse cake from a bakery for a birthday party and it was lovely, lighter than ganache or buttercream because it’s basically just whipped double cream with melted chocolate and a cocoa powder/icing sugar/hot water mix stirred through it.

Depends how firm the sponge is, for me. Super soft chocolate mouse would work, a bit firmer and I’d do chocolate custard.

Actually Mary Berry’s Celebration chocolate cake is nice. It’s chocolate sponge with a sort of white chocolate mousse icing.

Just melt Nutella into the cream and fold it in. If your on Instagram fitwafflekitchen has some great ideas.

Nigella Lawson’s chocolate/custard birthday cake would be perfect here
https://www.nigella.com/recipes/birthday-custard-sponge

I have tried experimenting with mixing nutella and icing sugar and DC thought it amazing as it was so sweet, but it was a congealed mass to spread and I thought too sweet. Nowadays I melt a big bar of milk chocolate in a glass bowl over boiling water, and when it is soft I add some icing sugar and a tiny amount of butter, and that is the best I have made, it tastes amazing and almost fudge-like when it cooled.

Cadburys used to do a ready made icing, used to get it in Sainsburys. I haven't seen that for years though.

Does your son want a chocolate cake? If you did decide to go for that and they are older then 12 I have an amazing US recipe which DC asks for all the time - not v healthy - 2 cups (medium size) self r flour to 2 cups of white sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, 3/4 cup filter coffee, 3/4 cup mayonnaise. While using an electric mixer to mix, if it seems a bit stodgy use a splash of milk. Once mixed, taste and add more of less cocoa and coffee and mayo as desire. It is absolutely amazing with the melted choc icing. Bake for around 35 mins, but depends on oven, keep an eye on it.

When DC under 12 I avoided because of the coffee and mayo, but others may be more gungho!

The melted choc icing would go nicely in the middle of plain sponge too, and I usually melt more choc and do a pattern with that over the top with some icing sugar sifted over the top.

(not relevant to thread but we are having a cake summer, next on the list is cinnamon flavoured sponge and icing)

Who will be eating this cake? If you don’t know them all nuts (Nutella) may not be advisable.

Lemon marscapone cake is delicious and easy to make. I make a fat free sponge ( 3 eggs whisked with 75g sugar until it's stiff enough to write your name in it. Fold in 75g of sifted flour, finely grated lemon zest and bake at 180 until done. For the filling, cut the cake horizontally to make 2 sponges ( or bake 2 sponges separately) and spread one with a layer of lemon curd. Mix the rest of the lemon curd with marscapone cheese and spread liberally on the top of the lemon curd to make the sandwich filling. Place the other sponge on top and top with a layer of the lemon curd/marscapone mix left over ( usually plenty) Decorate with candied lemon/orange if required and keep refrigerated!

Aargh rtft Fartugh! Sorry didn't notice the chocolate bit in the OP! Perhaps white chocolate decoration on the lemon marscapone cake.......

A thick chocolate flavoured custard with whipped cream and gelatine - like a chocolate version of the filling in the Norwegian Kvæfjordkake (best cake in the world).

Make a Black Forest gateau instead.

Or a devil’s food cake with a cherry or blueberry and cream filling.

My mum used to make a melted Mars bar icing and it was fabulous. Not sure if she added icing sugar or not.

Ganache (which is basically a liquid version of a chocolate truffle) is surprisingly easy to make.

• Buy 350g good quality chocolate drops (Guittard semi-sweet are ideal).
• 250ml whipping cream
• 65g golden syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 75g unsalted butter

1. Cut the butter into tiny cubes and put in the fridge for an hour to chill.
2. Cream and golden syrup in a pan, bring gently to a boil (move it off the heat as soon as it starts to bubble - don't leave it).
3. Immediately pour it over the chocolate, which you need to have put in a large bowl. Count to sixty.
4. Then use a balloon whisk. Place it in the middle of the bowl and use tiny, tight movements to whisk just in that one spot. It will feel mad and like nothing is happening, but I promise you need to do this and keep the faith for ages. Then suddenly the area will look grey, then abruptly that spot will turn into chocolate ganache, like Nutella in appearance. Keep going and slowly it will spread, and then when you have a large puddle of that chocolate, you can gently start to widen your area and involve the outer cream/chocolate. The reason for this neurosis in not just beating it all in from the start is that you have to avoid incorporating air, as that's when a ganache goes grainy - you want the lovely gloss paint shine. It's like making a roux - you have to be really gentle and slow, or it goes wrong.
5. As soon as the whole thing is glossy and chocolatey, stop. Add the butter cubes in - scatter as wide apart as you can - and stir very gently, just enough to cover all the little cubes. Leave for a couple of minutes so they soften and melt, and then very gently stir so the butter is incorporated. When it is, add in the vanilla extract.

That's it. Ganache. The only point for error is when you first start to whisk, but if you do it like this it never splits. If you want it runny, then add a little single cream. If you want it to set firm for the outside of the cake, use double cream (and double cream is also how you make chocolate truffles with this recipe). And it is unbelievably delicious - you are making a cake with the same recipe as chocolatiers use for their wares. For adults, you can add in a shot of some really good alcohol. Brandy, rum, calvados.

My DD does one with malted chocolate filling and you can garnish with maltezers, really lovely.

Might be based on this:

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/malted-chocolate-cake/

Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling. Angel Delight with slightly less milk could work. Or stir icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla essence into the cream then whisk it. Or whipped cram and nutella.