Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chocolate-cake-roll, swiss-roll, swiss-roll-recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 12

Chill time 4

Total Time 4 42

Servings servings

Calories 518kcal

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge Cake:
6 large eggs whites and yolks separated (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Whipped Cream Filling:
4 oz cream cheese softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk or cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cold heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks
Chocolate Topping:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (recommend Ghirardelli)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 17x12-inch rimmed baking pan with waxed paper or parchment paper; grease paper brushing lightly with oil or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
Arrange clean towel on counter; sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Set aside.
In a small bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
Place egg whites only into a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat at high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat on medium high until glossy stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Combine egg yolks with remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, melted butter, baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a separate bowl. Beat until well mixed. Add sifted flour and cocoa powder; mix well on low speed.
By hand, gently fold beaten egg white mixture into the batter folding in just until combined. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake cake 10-12 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly touched. (check the center with a toothpick if you're unsure) Immediately run the tip of a knife around edges of cake to loosen. Invert hot cake onto prepared towel; remove parchment paper from bottom.
Dust cake generously with powdered sugar. Tightly roll up hot cake in towel, starting with the short side. Let cake cool at room temperature to prevent cracking when unrolling to fill cake.
Filling: Use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. With the mixer on low speed, add the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture mixing just until combined.
Unroll cooled cake; remove towel. Spread cake evenly with filling leaving a 1 1/2- inch border at the far end. (Pro Tip: The filling will move slightly as you roll the cake.) Roll up the cake starting at the short side ending seam side down. Place cake on a wire rack over a sheet pan. You can chill at this point or set aside just while you make the ganache.
Chocolate Ganache Topping: In a double boiler, melt together chocolate, heavy cream and oil, stirring until completely smooth. Let stand until thickened but still pourable. Gently pour ganache over cake, spreading to cover with an offset spatula, if needed.
Allow to stand at room temperature until the chocolate is set, then chill for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.

Notes

Pan Options - You can bake this cake in a classic jelly roll pan. It will be slightly thicker and may take up to 5 minutes longer for the sponge cake to bake. Don't overbake it! A thinner cake is easier to roll.
Flour - You can use cake flour or all purpose flour in the same amount.
Cocoa - Use classic unsweetened cocoa powder or dutch process cocoa powder. The amount remains the same.
Espresso Powder - You can sift 1-2 teaspoons of espresso powder with the flour and cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor. You could also brush the surface of the cake with cold coffee prior to adding the whipped cream filling for a mocha flavor. Don't go crazy just use a pastry brush to lightly brush the surface to add moisture.
Chocolate - If you prefer, you can make a dark chocolate ganache using dark chocolate chips.

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