Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake (Oetker)

Tempo

50 min

Picante

Dificuldade

Fácil

Rende

8porções

Ingredientes

Cake:

225 g

butter or margarine (manteiga ou margarina culinária)

225 g

caster sugar (açúcar refinado fino)

medium eggs

175 g

self-raising flour, sieved (farinha com fermento peneirada — or 175 g plain + 1½ tsp baking powder)

50 g

cocoa powder (cacau em pó 100% — *não achocolatado*)

Chocolate icing (buttercream):

75 g

unsalted butter (manteiga sem sal, em ponto pomada)

175 g

icing sugar, sifted (açúcar de confeiteiro peneirado), plus extra to dust

45 g

cocoa powder (3 tbsp)

~10 ml milk or warm water (just enough to bring it to a spreadable consistency)

Modo de preparo

01**Preheat** AFO to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4 convection.
02**Tins.** Grease and line two 20 cm (8 in) sandwich tins (*formas redondas para bolo, 20 cm*).
03**Cream.** Beat butter + sugar **5 min** with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
04**Eggs.** Gradually beat in eggs one at a time. If the mixture starts to curdle, add 1 tbsp of the flour to stabilise.
05**Fold dry ingredients.** Sift flour + cocoa together. Fold gently into the batter with a metal spoon — don't overmix.
06**Divide + bake.** Split batter equally between the two tins. Smooth tops. Bake **25 min** until risen, springy, and a skewer comes out clean. (AFO convection can run faster — check at 22 min.)
07**Cool** in tins 5 min; turn out onto a wire rack; cool completely.
08**Chocolate buttercream.** Beat butter until soft. Gradually sift in icing sugar, beating after each addition. Sift in cocoa powder; beat. Add milk/water gradually until spreadable.
09**Sandwich.** Spread buttercream on the bottom layer; sandwich. Dust top lightly with icing sugar (sieved).

Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake (Oetker)

The chocolate variant of the classic Victoria sponge. Same creaming method, same 4-egg balance, just cocoa swapped in. Sandwiched with chocolate buttercream. Companion card to Desserts/bolo_victoria-sponge.md (the classic).

Heat: 0/5.

PROTECTED: Simon's variant.

Variations

Mocha: add 1 tsp instant espresso to the buttercream (dissolved in warm water).
Chocolate-cherry: spread sour-cherry jam under the buttercream layer.
Orange: add zest of 1 orange to the cake batter.
Top + bottom icing: double the icing recipe; cover top + sides.

Notes

Margarine vs butter: margarine gives a softer crumb but less flavour. Butter is preferable; manteiga com sal is OK but skip extra salt elsewhere.
Self-raising flour in BR: sold at supermarkets; or DIY (1 cup plain + 1½ tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp salt).
Cocoa powder: must be pure cocoa (e.g. Cacau Nestlé Dois Frades or Cacau Show). Don't use Nescau / Toddy — they have sugar + milk and won't work the same.
Don't overbake. Skewer should come out clean but the cake should still feel slightly springy — overbaking = dry crumb.
Make-ahead: unfrosted layers freeze 1 month wrapped well. Defrost wrapped; frost on the day.
Pair with: strong black tea (English breakfast); or coffee.