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A Chocolate Roll Cake is a classic dessert – it’s a chocolate sponge cake baked in a jelly roll pan then rolled and filled with whipped cream and topped with ganache. This is like a giant Swiss roll in cake form and it’s SO good.
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Decadent Chocolate Swiss Cake Roll
Mostly everyone has a fond childhood memory of a “Lil debbie” chocolate Swiss cake roll. There was nothing like that feeling of opening up your lunch box and seeing one of those packaged swirly chocolate cakes. Now, when I make one of these cake rolls I get that same feeling, and now I get to make it myself!
I have made all kinds of cake rolls but the original swiss cake roll really can’t be beat! The chocolatey cake with a creamy frosting center coated with chocolate ganache is seriously to die for and a classic that everyone can appreciate.
Ingredients in Chocolate Cake Roll
- Eggs – Eggs are the main ingredient in a sponge cake – you need to beat the eggs the full amount of time so that the cake will rise.
- Brewed coffee- You can also use water if you don’t have coffee, it’s just to give moisture and enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Cocoa powder- Use unsweetened cocoa powder for best results, but you can also substitute Dutch process.
- All purpose flour – be sure to measure it correctly
- Heavy whipping cream- Used in the whipped cream filling and in the ganache on top.
- Powdered sugar- To sweeten the filling and also used to roll the cake
- Semi sweet baking chocolate – This is used to make the ganache on top.
How to Make Chocolate Roll Cake
- In a large bowl beat the eggs at a high speed for 3 minutes, until they are dark yellow and frothy.
- Mix in sugar, coffee (or water), and the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir into the wet ingredients until you see it start to blend together.
- Spread the batter into a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes. When it’s done, the cake will slightly bounce back if you poke it lightly with your fingertip. While the swiss cake roll is still baking, get your sheet of parchment paper or towel ready for rolling.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the parchment paper and remove the foil. Use the parchment paper to roll the cake up. Roll the paper up in the cake and let it cool completely this way for at least one hour in the fridge.
- Beat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Slowly add in powdered sugar while beating, one tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla extract and beat until you get whipped cream.
- Once the cake has cooled completely unroll it with care. Spread the whipped cream on the cake leaving 1 inch on either end. Re-roll the cake. If any filling spills out, simply scoop it out. Cover the entire roll with plastic wrap and chill for as least one hour before frosting.
- Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat up ⅔ cups heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat for a few minutes or in the microwave just until it simmers. Pour over the chocolate chips and let it sit for one minutes so it melts. Then, whisk the mixture until it’s completely smooth. Whisk in smalls chunks of butter until it’s all melted together. Then, you have your topping!
- Place the completed swiss cake roll on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. Pour the ganache topping over the cake evenly. Let it chill until its completely set.
Expert Tip
- You must roll the cake while it’s hot!
- Allow it to cool completely before filling.
- If your cake cracks, just use extra ganache to glue it together.
- You can chill the assembled cake up to 2 days before serving.
FAQs
Swiss cake rolls will last in the fridge for 2-3 days. Any longer, and the filling will start to get runny and a little strange. This is a treat you will want to enjoy in the next couple days after baking.
Not all cake rolls can be frozen, it really depends on the ingredients. That being said this swiss chocolate cake roll is perfectly fine to freeze! Make sure you keep it in a freezer-safe container.
Cake rolls usually crack because you either over cooked it, under cooked it, or didn’t roll it straight out of the oven when it’s still hot. Make sure to keep a close eye on it when it’s baking and following the appropiate time stamps for rolling and setting.
Swiss Chocolate Cake Roll
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons brewed coffee or water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup (93g) all purpose flour
- Powdered sugar to aid in rolling
For the Filling:
- 1 cup (237ml) heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons (28g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped
- ⅔ cup (158ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter softened
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a jelly roll (10×15”) pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (I like to use the spray with flour).
- Beat eggs at high speed for 3 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, coffee or water, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir into wet ingredients just until blended.
- Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you will need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes. You’ll know it’s done because if you lightly poke the top with your fingertip it will slightly bounce back.
- While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel out on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove foil carefully.
- Working at the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled, at least one hour (or you can wrap it and chill it overnight).
Make the Filling:
- Beat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Slowly add in powdered sugar during beating, one tablespoon at at time. Add extract. Beat until whipped cream forms.
Assemble Cake:
- Once the cake has cooled, unroll it carefully. Spread the whipped cream on the cake, leaving 1” without filling at either end. Re-roll cake, scooping out any filling that spills out as you roll. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before frosting.
- Make the topping: place chocolate in a bowl. Heat 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat for a few minutes or in the microwave for 60-90 seconds until it just simmers. Pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for one minute, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in small chunks of the butter until it’s melted.
- Place cake roll on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet. Pour the ganache over the cake evenly. Chill until set.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
Other Cake Roll Recipes
Swiss Cake Roll is an easy chocolate cake roll recipe full of whipped cream and topped with ganache. This is a decadent dessert that is perfect for any special occasion.
Last Updated on October 28, 2023
I made this for thanksgiving dessert today and it turned out so very dry!! I was thinking why didn’t the recipe call for butter or something g? I only baked it for 10 minutes. I was so disappointed and I had to tell everyone that it came out so dry! ☹️
Normally I do not add oil to my cake rolls – how long did you beat the eggs for?
Recipe sounds great but can I also bake this cake in standard size cake pans? 8 inch or 9 inch pans?
For that I would make a traditional chocolate cake – this will not rise like a normal cake will.
I tired this. Very dry, tasted great. Wouldn’t release from paper.
Use parchment paper sprayed with Pam. Works every time! I make pumpkin logs every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I think I’m missing something. The recipe names the ingredients but not the qualities used – ex. Large eggs, flour, white sugar, etc. Need to know exactly how many/much of each is needed. Thank you
If you jump to the recipe in the pink box the ingredient amounts are listed there.
I recently made your carrot cake roll and it was a BIG hit! Thank you!😊
First attempt and it worked. Trued 2 other recipes and they flopped. Batter never cooked right.
For my first Swiss roll in decades this turned out really well. I could have whipped the heavy cream a bit longer but was worried it would separate. I’m definitely going to play around with filling flavors this fall. Overall it’s not too sweet and when served cold it’s refreshing and light in this summer heat.
Could I please have the length and width of a jellyroll pan. I don’t know if I have a pan the right size. Thank you in advance.
Mine is a 15×10
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