When we were kids, all moms, grannies and aunties were making chocolate cakes like this one: chocolate sponge cake with buttercream filling (frosting), melting, smooth and very chocolatey. I don’t remember how many years have passed since I last tried a cake like this Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake.
Then, somehow, people started to be afraid of butter, afraid of eggs, afraid of sugar… and traditional chocolate cakes became history.
I’m not advising anyone to eat such a cake every day, but once a year we can indulge in it, I suppose, just for the all times’ sake.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake - as our grandmothers used to make.
- DOUGH:
- 6 eggs
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 3 Tbsp ground walnuts
- 50 g chocolate
- FILLING:
- 6 eggs
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 250 g chocolate
- 250 g butter
- 1 Tbsp ground coffee*
-
FOR THE DOUGH: Whip egg whites until soft peaks form.
-
Mix egg yolks with sugar until sugar dissolves. Add melted chocolate and mix until incorporated. Fold in flour and walnuts. Gently add whipped egg whites.
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Transfer to a springform cake tin and bake in a 180 C preheated oven for about one hour or until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Let cool.
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FOR THE FILLING: In a double boiler, beat eggs with sugar until thick. Add chocolate and mix until it melts. Let cool.
-
Add butter and coffee and mix until incorporated.
-
Cut cooled cake once lengthwise. Fill with the filling and frost top and sides.
*Coffee is optional, but it enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
This recipe was first published on: December 12, 2013
looking for 15 layer chocolate cake thin layers
Do you melt the butter
No, do not melt the butter. It has to be room temperature.
Wow, this looks truly amazing. I’m going to bookmark it for my (January) birthday. I think I can hold off until then-once a year right?
Right! 🙂 And happy birthday!
wooooooaaaa. i have no words.
What kind of chocolate do you use? Semi-sweet? Looking at making this for a friend’s birthday…!
I used chocolate with about 30% cocoa. That would be what you call semi-sweet chocolate. I suppose dark chocolate would also work fine.
Is there a way to make this cake if you don’t have a springform pan?
Sure, you can use any pan that is about 15 cups volume, like 9×13 inch square pan.
there is no such thing as a square 9×13 inch pan.
That’s what happens when you write a blog in foreign language. 🙂 I meant rectangular pan.