Chocolate Roll Cake

Whether you call it a Swiss Roll, a cake roll or a roll cake, this is one super fun, very delicious dessert to make. After this mango version happened without any severe catastrophes, chocolate wasn’t far behind! A compact rolled up cake, filled with creamy chocolate ganache, dusted over with icing sugar. It’s pure joy to cut into this!

The first time I made this, I thought it was just a matter of adding cocoa to a basic sponge batter, but um, it backfired. The cocoa added too much dryness and it needed to be balanced out with more moisture. As I rolled it, it basically fell apart and didn’t taste good enough to eat either. So I went back to Sally’s Baking Addiction which is where I first learned how to make a roll cake. All I had to do was add a bit of butter for moisture, binding and flavour. This second one was smooth sailing!

Roll cakes are often made in large, flat pans that fit easily in large ovens. Since I have neither, I’ve been making a smaller recipe that fits in an 8×8 square cake tin. It spreads right to the edge and bakes up into a flexible, airy and light sponge. As long as you beat the egg whites very well, there’s no reason for your sponge to not be perfect!

The thing about roll cakes is you can’t really overfill them because it’s all just going to spill out once you start cutting. But even so, the fluffy cake actually doesn’t need a lot of ganache to be delicious, it’s great without an overdose too. Perfectly chocolatey and so cute to look at! I hope you try this today 🙂

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Chocolate Roll Cake

Light and airy chocolate sponge roll cake with chocolate ganache filling

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Makes: 10 small slices

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Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 2 eggs, at room temp (integral to the recipe, I have not tried substitutes)
• 3 tbsps caster sugar
• 3 tbsps brown sugar
• 30 gms butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30 gms)
• 1 and 1/2 tbsps cocoa (I like Dutch-process cocoa here)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 tbsps icing sugar, for rolling and sprinking

For the filling

• 30 gms dark chocolate (50% to 60% dark)
• 1/3 cup cream, whipping or regular (80 ml)

Instructions

• Line an 8x8 square baking pan with non-stick baking paper. Leave an overhang on two parallel sides so you can easily lift the cake out. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 175 C.
• Now separate the eggs, placing the whites in one mixing bowl and the yolks in another.
• To the bowl with the whites, add the caster sugar, then beat on high speed for about 5 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer, till stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Now add the brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla to the bowl containing egg yolks. Beat on medium-high speed until thickened and lighter in colour, 2 to 3 minutes. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Fold to combine.
• Now add the egg whites to the bowl and fold them in until combined. Try not to be too vigorous or they may deflate. If you feel there are still lumps of flour, run a hand mixer through the bowl on low speed for a few seconds. The batter will be runnier than average.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, spreading it out right to the end. It is a very thin layer of batter.
• Bake for 10 minutes, or until the center springs back when you lightly poke it.
• While the cake is baking, spread a clean kitchen towel (large enough to hold the cake easily) onto the counter and generously sprinkle it with icing sugar. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, use the overhang of the paper to lift it out, then flip it over and place it right onto the sugared towel. Peel off the paper.
• Now slowly and carefully roll up the hot cake along with the towel. Set this roll aside to cool completely at room temperature. You can also place it in the fridge but I find that if it gets too cold, the chances of it cracking are higher. At room temperature, it will cool in 1 to 2 hours.
• While the cake is cooling, finely chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan along with the sugar, until hot but not boiling. Pour over the chocolate and stir to make a smooth and creamy ganache. Place it in the fridge until ready to use. If it becomes too thick, let it sit at room temperature before using it.
• Once the cake has cooled, very slowly unroll it, taking care towards the end which is where it may crack (see notes). You won't be able to flatten it completely, so let the cake remain a bit curved at the edges. Now spread the cooled ganache in a thin layer all over the cake, but don't overfill it because it becomes very messy when you roll it back up.
• Roll the cake up again and if some of the filling oozes out, that's ok. Lift the roll and place it on a large piece of clingfilm. Wrap it up tightly, sealing the ends. Chill for at least 1 hour to let it set and firm up. When ready to serve, unwrap the cake, dust with icing sugar and slice! Store in the fridge at all times, it should keep for 5 to 6 days. Happy baking!

Notes

Shop this recipe: Caster Sugar, Brown Sugar, Icing Sugar, Cocoa, Chocolate, Baking Paper

*If you find your cake cracking is you unroll it, don't panic. Be gentle and make sure the crack doesn't deepen too much even if that means you have to be a little stingy with the filling. As long as it's not cracked all the way through, the filling will act as 'glue' and help keep the cake together once it's completely chilled.

*You could also use sweetened whipped cream as a filling instead of the ganache. If you have leftover ganache, it can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

*Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and this mango roll cake.

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