Emma peeked over the counter last Sunday afternoon watching me spread whipped cream on a flat chocolate cake, and he looked genuinely confused. "Mom, why is the cake flat? Did something go wrong?" I laughed and told him to wait and see. When I rolled it up into a spiral log and sliced off the end to show him the swirl inside, his jaw dropped. "Whoa! How did you do that?!" This Chocolate Cake Roll is one of those desserts that looks way more complicated than it actually is. After thirteen years of baking professionally and making dozens of Swiss rolls in pastry kitchens.
Why I Love This Chocolate Cake Roll
This chocolate cake roll hits every note I want in a dessert. The cake itself is light and airy, not dense or heavy like regular Chocolate Cake Roll. It has this tender, spongy texture that melts on your tongue. The whipped cream filling is sweet but not overpowering, and when you bite through the whole thing, you get cake and cream in every bite because of those swirls. The chocolate flavor is rich without being too intense, so even people who aren't huge chocolate fans still like it. Emma loves it because it's "fancy cake that's not too fancy" and he can eat two slices without feeling stuffed.
I love it because people always gasp when I bring this to parties. They see those perfect spirals and assume I went to pastry school (which I did, but they don't know that). It photographs beautifully, tastes amazing, and you can make it a day ahead without it getting soggy or weird. When I made this for Emma's birthday party last year, three moms asked if I'd ordered it from a bakery. My mother-in-law still talks about the one I made for Christmas dinner two years ago. The best part? Once you master the rolling technique, you can fill it with anything different flavored creams, fruit, chocolate mousse, whatever.
Jump to:
- Why I Love This Chocolate Cake Roll
- Ingredients You'll Need For Chocolate Cake Roll
- How To Make Chocolate Cake Roll Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Chocolate Cake Roll
- Chocolate Cake Roll Variations
- Equipment For Chocolate Cake Roll
- Storing Your Chocolate Cake Roll
- Top Tip
- The Recipe That Got Passed Down From My Aunt's Kitchen
- FAQ
- Bakery-Perfect Swirls Made Easy!
- Related
- Pairing
- Chocolate Cake Roll
Ingredients You'll Need For Chocolate Cake Roll
For the Chocolate Cake:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
For the Whipped Cream Filling:
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Topping:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Chocolate ganache
- Fresh berries
- Chocolate shavings
Optional Add-ins:
- Raspberry or strawberry jam
- Espresso powder
- Cream cheese
- Chocolate chips in the filling
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Chocolate Cake Roll Step By Step
Bake the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line 10x15 jelly roll pan with parchment paper
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together
- Beat eggs and sugar 5 minutes until thick and pale
- Fold in vanilla and dry ingredients gently
- Spread evenly in prepared pan
- Bake 12-15 minutes until cake springs back when touched
Roll While Warm:
- Dust clean kitchen towel generously with powdered sugar
- Immediately flip hot cake onto towel
- Peel off parchment paper carefully
- Roll cake up with the towel inside, starting from short end
- Let cool completely rolled up
Fill and Finish:
- Dust with powdered sugar and refrigerate 1 hour before slicing
- Whip cold cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks
- Carefully unroll cooled cake
- Spread whipped cream evenly, leaving ½ inch border
- Roll back up without the towel this time
Smart Swaps for Chocolate Cake Roll
Healthier Options:
- Whole wheat flour → All-purpose (denser but works)
- Coconut sugar → White sugar (less refined)
- Greek yogurt → Some whipped cream (protein boost)
- Less sugar in filling → Full amount (still sweet)
Dietary Needs:
- Gluten-free flour blend → Regular flour (use 1:1 ratio)
- Dairy-free whipped topping → Real whipped cream (vegan)
- Coconut cream → Heavy cream (dairy-free, rich)
- Egg substitute → Real eggs (harder to get fluffy)
Filling Options:
- Chocolate buttercream → Whipped cream (richer, more chocolate)
- Cream cheese frosting → Whipped cream (tangier)
- Chocolate mousse → Whipped cream (decadent)
- Peanut butter filling → Plain cream (different flavor)
Flavor Twists:
- Almond extract → Vanilla (nutty undertone)
- Add coffee to cake batter → Plain (mocha flavor)
- Peppermint extract → Vanilla (holiday version)
- Orange zest → Plain (chocolate orange)
Chocolate Cake Roll Variations
German Chocolate Cake Roll:
- Use the same cake base
- Fill with coconut-pecan filling
- Top with chocolate ganache
- Add toasted coconut on top
- Way easier than actual German chocolate cake
Oreo Cream Roll:
- Fold crushed Oreos into whipped cream
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce
- Top with more Oreo pieces
- Emma calls this "the best one ever"
- Kids go absolutely crazy for it
Strawberry Chocolate Roll:
- Spread strawberry jam on cake first
- Add whipped cream on top
- Roll up with both layers
- Top with fresh strawberries
- Perfect for summer parties
Yule Log (Buche de Noel):
- Make chocolate ganache instead of cream
- Use chocolate buttercream filling
- Score bark pattern with fork
- Add meringue mushrooms if fancy
- Traditional Christmas version
Equipment For Chocolate Cake Roll
- 10x15 inch jelly roll pan (very specific size!)
- Parchment paper (not wax paper)
- Clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth)
- Electric mixer (hand or stand)
- Rubber spatula for folding
- Fine-mesh sieve for sifting
- Offset spatula for spreading
Storing Your Chocolate Cake Roll
Refrigerator (3-4 days):
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap
- Store seam-side down
- Keep in airtight container if possible
- Bring to room temp 30 minutes before serving
- Cream stays fresh and fluffy
Freezer (1-2 months):
- Wrap in plastic wrap, then foil
- Freeze whole or slice first
- Thaw overnight in fridge
- May lose some moisture
- Still tastes good frozen
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Bake cake day before, keep rolled in towel
- Fill and roll morning of serving
- Refrigerate until ready
- Dust with powdered sugar right before serving
- Looks freshly made
Best Serving Practice:
- Cream can weep after 2 days
- Slice with serrated knife
- Wipe knife between cuts
- Serve chilled or room temperature
- Looks prettiest on first day
Top Tip
- Back making this at least 20 times, here's what makes the difference between okay and amazing. First, beat those eggs and sugar for the full 5 minutes. I used to stop at 3 minutes thinking it was good enough, but that extra time makes the mixture thick, pale, and tripled in volume. That's what creates the light, airy texture you need for a flexible cake. Under-beaten eggs give you dense, heavy cake that cracks when you roll it. Also, fold in the dry ingredients gently.
- Don't stir or beat fold with a rubber spatula using big sweeping motions from the bottom up. Overmixing deflates all those air bubbles you just worked so hard to create.Dust that towel generously with powdered sugar before you flip the hot cake onto it. I mean really coat it. The sugar prevents the Chocolate Cake Roll from sticking to the towel and also adds a little sweetness. I went light on the sugar once trying to save calories, and the cake stuck to the towel so bad I had to peel it off in pieces.
- Not pretty. Also, work fast when you're rolling it the first time. The Chocolate Cake Roll needs to be hot like right out of the oven hot. I keep my towel ready on the counter so I can flip and roll in one smooth motion. Every second counts.Don't spread the whipped cream all the way to the edges when you're filling it. Leave about half an inch border on all sides. When you roll it up, the cream will spread to the edges naturally from the pressure.
The Recipe That Got Passed Down From My Aunt's Kitchen
My aunt used to make this chocolate cake roll for every single family gathering when I was growing up. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays if there was a party, she brought the swirly chocolate cake. I remember being about Emma's age and thinking it was the most magical dessert I'd ever seen. How did the cream get inside in perfect spirals? Was it a special tool? Some kind of baking witchcraft? When I went to culinary school years later and learned the towel trick in pastry class, I literally laughed out loud.
After I graduated, I called her and said "I finally learned how you make that Chocolate Cake Roll." She laughed and said "Took you long enough! I've been making that since I was sixteen." Turns out, her version uses this exact recipe eggs beaten until fluffy, folded gently with cocoa and flour, baked thin and rolled fast. The only difference is she always used sweetened whipped cream instead of adding sugar separately because "it's one less step and tastes exactly the same." She was right.
FAQ
Can I use box cake mix for Chocolate Cake Roll?
Yes, but it's trickier than using the sponge Chocolate Cake Roll. Box cake mix is denser and has more fat, which makes it harder to roll without cracking. If you want to use a mix, use a basic yellow or chocolate cake mix, but spread it really thin in the jelly roll pan and watch it closely because it bakes faster than you'd think. I've done it when I was short on time, and it worked okay but the texture wasn't as light and airy as the homemade version.
How to make a cake roll without cracking?
The secret is rolling it while it's still hot! Straight out of the oven, flip it onto a powdered-sugar-dusted towel, peel off the parchment, and roll it up immediately with the towel inside. Let it cool completely in that rolled shape. The warm cake is flexible and will set into that spiral as it cools. If you let it cool flat first, it gets brittle and will crack into pieces when you try to roll it. I've cracked more cakes than I can count by waiting too long.
What is a chocolate Swiss roll called?
It's called a Swiss roll, chocolate roll cake, or chocolate roulade. In France, they call it a roulé. Some people call it a jelly roll even though there's no jelly in it. The technique is the same no matter what you call it thin sponge cake rolled up with filling. I've heard it called all these names in different kitchens I've worked in. Emma just calls it "the swirly cake" which is honestly the most accurate description.
What is the difference between a Swiss roll and a Yule log?
A Yule log (Bûche de Noël) is basically a fancy Swiss roll decorated to look like a tree log. Same rolling technique, same sponge cake base, but the Yule log usually has chocolate buttercream or ganache instead of whipped cream, and you decorate it with bark patterns, meringue mushrooms, and powdered sugar to look like snow. Swiss roll is the everyday casual version. Yule log is the dressed-up holiday version. I make Swiss rolls year-round but only bust out the full Yule log treatment for Christmas.
Bakery-Perfect Swirls Made Easy!
Now you have all the tricks to make perfect chocolate cake roll from beating those eggs until fluffy to rolling while it's still hot. This chocolate cake roll recipe proves that impressive desserts don't need complicated techniques or fancy equipment. Just a simple sponge cake, whipped cream, and that hot-towel rolling trick create something that looks like it came from a professional bakery.
Craving more chocolate treats? Try our Delicious German Chocolate Cookies Recipe for those coconut-pecan topped beauties everyone loves. Need something sweet and crunchy? Our Delicious Churro Saltine Toffee Recipe delivers addictive cinnamon-sugar magic in 20 minutes. Looking for another show-stopping cake? Our Best Marble Cake Recipe in 3 Steps creates stunning swirls with minimal effort!
Share your cake roll creations! We love seeing your beautiful spirals and creative fillings!
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Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chocolate Cake Roll
Chocolate Cake Roll
Equipment
- 1 10x15 inch jelly roll pan (essential for even baking)
- 1 Parchment paper (prevents sticking)
- 1 Clean kitchen towel (for rolling (not terry cloth))
- 1 Electric mixer (hand or stand)
- 1 Rubber spatula (for folding batter)
- 1 Fine-mesh sieve (for sifting dry ingredients)
- 1 Offset spatula (for spreading batter and filling)
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs - room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- — — powdered sugar - for dusting towel and rolling
For the Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream - cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Toppings & Add-Ins
- — — chocolate ganache - for drizzling
- — — fresh berries - for garnish
- — — chocolate shavings - optional
- — — raspberry or strawberry jam - spread before cream
- — — espresso powder - for mocha flavor
- — — cream cheese - mix into filling for tang
- — — chocolate chips - fold into cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until thick and pale. Add vanilla and gently fold in dry ingredients until combined. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched. Do not overbake or it may crack.
- While hot, flip cake onto a powdered-sugar-dusted towel and peel off the parchment paper. Roll it up with the towel inside starting from the short end. Let it cool completely while rolled.
- Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Unroll the cooled cake and spread whipped cream evenly, leaving a small border at the edges.
- Roll the cake back up without the towel and place seam-side down. Dust with powdered sugar, chill for 1 hour, then slice and serve. Store leftovers wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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