Elephant's Tear Cake: Cocoa Sponge, Banana, and Walnut Cream

This is an archival recipe for a cocoa sponge cake roll often called Elephant's Tear Cake. It is suitable for a special occasion, but the source does not establish a total preparation time or a tested yield.

Cocoa sponge ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 300 g powdered sugar or granulated sugar
• 40 g cocoa powder
• 60–70 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (the source alternatively says baking soda but gives no acid)

Mix the flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a small bowl. Keep raw flour and egg separate from ready-to-eat foods. Do not taste the raw batter, and wash hands, utensils, bowls, and work surfaces after handling it.

Make and bake the sponge

Separate the eggs. In a clean bowl, whip the whites to a foam, gradually adding the sugar. Add the yolks one at a time, then fold in the cocoa-flour mixture just until combined. Keep hands and utensils away from moving beaters, and switch off the mixer before scraping the bowl.

Pour the batter into a parchment-lined baking pan. Grease the pan or parchment only if the product instructions call for it. Smooth the batter evenly.

The source gives a broad oven range of 180–200°C (356–392°F) and a baking time of 10–20 minutes. Oven performance and pan size vary, so begin checking at 10 minutes; bake until the sponge is set and a tester comes out without wet batter. Use oven mitts for the hot pan.

While still warm, remove the parchment and shape the sponge around a clean rolling pin or similarly sized clean cylinder lined with parchment. Do not place a damp kitchen towel in contact with the cake. Press the edges lightly and cool completely before filling.

Syrup and walnut cream

• 100 g water
• 100 g sugar
• 1½ tablespoons cognac, optional
• 150 g chopped walnuts
• 250 g butter, softened
• 150 g milk
• 150 g powdered sugar or granulated sugar
• Bananas, sliced (amount not specified in the source)

For the syrup, dissolve the sugar in the water and bring it to a boil, then cool it. Add cognac only after the syrup has cooled. Omit it for children and for anyone avoiding alcohol; do not assume that cognac essence is alcohol-free without checking its ingredients.

For the cream, bring the milk and walnuts to a boil and simmer for a few minutes, then cool the mixture completely. Separately beat the softened butter with the sugar, then beat in the cooled milk-walnut mixture. Walnuts are a tree-nut allergen; avoid cross-contact when serving people with an allergy.

Brush the cooled sponge with syrup and spread the cream evenly over it.

Arrange sliced bananas along the centre of the cream.

Fold the sponge around the filling and decorate with glaze if desired.

Serve once assembled. Refrigerate the finished cake and any leftovers within 2 hours because it contains milk, butter, and banana; keep it chilled until serving.