Chocolate Roll Cake
A soft chocolate Swiss roll made with a light cocoa sponge, filled with a smooth ermine frosting, and finished with a glossy chocolate ganache. The cake rolls easily, chills to set, and slices into clean, layered pieces.
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 409kcal
Equipment
- Clean linen tea towel - it should be two inches longer at the top and bottom of the cake pan
- A large cutting board
Ingredients
Ermine Filling
- 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
Chocolate Cake
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Ermine Filling
- Using a small heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat, whisk together the flour, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a low boil, whisking constantly to prevent the milk from scorching. Cook until the mixture looks and feels like a thick pudding, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour the mixture into a small heat-safe bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap down onto the surface of the flour-milk mixture. This will stop a skin from forming on top.
- Place in the refrigerator until the mixture is completely cooled.
- Once the mixture is completely cooled, remove it from the refrigerator and set it aside.
- Using either a stand mixer or a handheld mixer on medium-high, beat the softened butter for 1 minute. It should become pale white and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium. Begin adding the flour-milk mixture 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Once all of the mixture has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and continue mixing for another 1½ to 2 minutes. The filling will become light and fluffy. Set it aside.
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan with parch ment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- Using either a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on high, beat together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is a frothy pale yellow.
- Fold in the flour mixture.
- Evenly pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Use a silicone spatula or an offset spatula to spread the cake batter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and using a sharp knife, carefully run the tip along the edges of the pan that were not covered by the parchment paper.
- Heavily dust the top of the tea towel with the powdered sugar.
- Immediately place the dusted tea towel, powdered side down, on top of the cake.
- Lay the cutting board on top of the tea towel. The cake pan will be hot, so you will need to be careful to protect your hands. Quickly flip the cake pan over so that the cake is lying on top of the dusted towel.
- Carefully and slowly peel the parchment away from the cake.
- Heavily dust the top of the cake with the remaining powdered sugar.
- Flip one end of the tea towel over one of the short ends of the cake. Carefully begin to roll one end towards the other. Once rolled, set aside to completely cool.
Cake Assembly
- Once the cake is completely cooled, carefully and slowly unroll the cake. If there are a few small cracks, it will be ok.
- Using a silicone spatula, or an offset spatula, spread the filling over the top of the cake, avoiding the edges.
- Slowly, with gentle, even pressure, carefully roll the cake back in a “roll”. Tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap to ensure it holds its shape. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to overnight.
Chocolate Ganache
- Using a small heat-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and the heavy cream.
- Heat the chips in the microwave for 45-second intervals, stirring after each interval until the mixture is smooth.
- Remove the cake roll from the refrigerator, and unwrap the cake.
- Place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. Place the chilled cake roll on top of the cooling wrap. This step helps keep the dripping chocolate contained.
- Spoon the ganache over the top of the cake roll. Keep the cake roll refrigerated until serving. Slice the cake roll into ½ inch slices.
Notes
- Cook the filling until it’s thick like pudding before removing it from the heat.
- Roll the cake while it’s still warm so it sets without cracking.
- Do not overbake or the cake will turn dry and harder to roll
- Chill the cake before slicing so the layers hold their shape
Nutrition
Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 582IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg