When you don’t know what to do with sourdough discard this recipe comes to the rescue.
The crumb is moist and airy and It’s simple to make. Have it out of the oven, ready to cool and serve within 40 minutes. Best of all it uses two cups of discard, so all that goodness you don’t want to waste is made into this epic sourdough sponge.
the sourdough discard only deepens the chocolate flavour, and you can mix it up in one go or you can let the batter rest for a few hours or overnight to get that deep sourdough flavour and a little extra sourdough ferment goodness!
I tend not to, I like to just use the discard and throw it in the oven, quick enough to make for the family on a whim, while being so good you’ll be making it for every occasion!
This cake is so light and soft that it’s best cooked in two or three cake tins and stacked with a ganache.
The cake is moist, soft and delicate and coated with indulgent dark chocolate ganache. Served with whipped cream and fresh berries, it’s wonderfully divine.
The ingredients are staples, ones you almost always have on hand. If you have a few cups of sourdough starter in the fridge waiting to be used, this is a fantastic excuse!
If you don’t have a sourdough starter and want to try your hand at fermenting your own, I have a recipe for a sourdough starter it’s so easy and good for you!
Creaming of the butter
When creaming the butter and sugar, you need pinch-ably soft butter, not too hard, not melted! a butter you can mould between your fingers. Cream your sugar and butter for 5 minutes, time this! it truly is the difference between a moist sponge and a dry sponge.
I find this recipe one I always come back to as a staple. Such an effortless recipe for an indulgent cake, and you feel just that little better knowing it’s full of fermented sourdough discard goodness.
sourdough discard chocolate sponge cake
Decadent, three tier chocolate sponge, with rich dark chocolate ganache, this cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 80 grams of cocoaย
- 150 grams of brown sugarย
- 250 mls of boiling waterย
- 1 tsp vanillaย
- 200 grams of softened butter,(pinchably soft)ย
- 225 grams of castor sugar.ย
- 3 large eggs, at room tempย
- 185 grams plain flourย
- 1 tsp baking powderย
- 2 tsp baking soda( bi-carbonate soda)ย
- 2 cups of sourdough discard
- For the ganache- 170 grams of butter
- 220 grams of dark cooking chocolateย
- pinch of salt.
- 100 ml of double cream
Instructions
- Grease with butter and line the bases of three 20 cm(8 inch) round, cake tins. (note: if you want to serve this cake soon after baking, get started on melting your ganache ingredients now!)
- preheat oven to 175 degrees fan forced.
- In bowl, combine cocoa, brown sugar, vanilla and hot water, mix until combined and set aside to cool.
- With an electric mixer, cream the butter and white sugar, for five minutes, it will be pale and fluffy.
- add eggs, one at a time. Mixture may curdle, this is no cause for alarm.
- triple sift flour, with combined baking powder and soda. add to creamed butter and egg mixture.
- mix until combined, then add the cooled chocolate mixture, mix until combined.
- add the two cups of sourdough discard, and mix again, until combined.
- evenly distribute the cake batter into the three greased and lined tins,
- bake at 175 for 23-27 minutes. If you have used two cake tins, extend time from 25 to 30 minutes, checking after 25.
- For the ganache, in a double boiler, melt all ingredients, and once melted and stirred until combined, let to cool, it will thicken as it does so,
- spread onto cakes, and stack, serve with fresh berries and whipped cream, Enjoy!
Notes
if your sourdough discard is very runny like a thin pancake batter, then add less water by half, (125 Mls instead of 250) My sourdough discard is often very thick, like a spongy brownie batter.
I discovered this recipe when I had oodles of sourdough discard when I first started sourdough fermenting. Now I just save my discard in the fridge until I have enough to bake with, and this cake is usually on the menu for a Sunday afternoon tea.
I have a recipe for a great sourdough fruit buns, which is also hot in my house! It’s even easier than this recipe and great to serve for morning or afternoon tea, or have it prepared and ready to bake in the morning for breakfast.
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