Soft Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake (No Cracks!)
This is my soft and irresistible Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake. It’s rich in chocolate flavor, filled with a fluffy Chantilly and it rolls to perfection without cracking! It’s all covered in my one-bowl chocolate sauce which gives it a glossy finish.
Krista
Nick, this cake is unbelievably delicious. The Swiss roll of my dreams, seriously.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for publishing this recipe.
You were right, it wasn’t difficult; the most challenging part for me was getting the cake batter spread evenly (which I failed at, but just cut off the wobbly edge and ate my mistake :-D).
Hey team, Nick here! Swiss Roll Cakes are a bit of a hot button issue with me. They always bloody crack! The only thing I’ve cracked here is the code for no cracks! See what I did there?
So what you’re getting here is a rich chocolatey sponge that I’ve filled with my Chantilly cream. I think it helps the roll stand out. And then I’ve covered it in a glossy one-bowl chocolate sauce recipe. It looks simple, and it is, but it delivers on looks and flavor. And that’s what you want right?
I actually have a couple Swiss roll recipes on the site. My Vanilla Swiss Roll is a stunner. It’s filled with cream and jam (unbeatable flavor combo imo) and I have a lamington Swiss roll which is covered in chocolate sauce and coconut. Adds a nice crunch.
- Start by prepping your baking tin. I’m using a rimmed backing tray that’s just a little bit bigger than a standard jelly roll pan. Rub cold butter on the bottom of the tray and then line with baking tray. The bottom only, not the sides.
- Combine your dry ingredients in a small bow.
- Whip the egg whites on medium speed in a clean bowl until frothy. About 60 seconds. Slowly add the sugar with the mixer on high speed until thick, pale and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl whip, the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract for 5 minutes until it becomes thick and glossy
Tip – When whipping the meringue, make sure your bowl is very clean and dry before whipping the egg whites.
- Fold half the meringue through the egg yolk mixture using a spatula until combined. Then repeat with the remaining meringue.
- Sift the dry ingredients through the mixture and gently fold through making sure to get any dry ingredients that might sink to the bottom
Tip – When you’re folding ingredients through with a spatula, be gentle. You don’t want to delate all the air you whipped into the meringue and egg yolks, that’s where this cake gets all its fluff from!
- Pour the cooled butter into the batter and fold through.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking tin and use a spatula or spoon to spread out as flat and as evenly as you can. Bake.
How to tell when your cake is baked – The cake should spring back when touched but appear slightly shiny on the top.
- Use a sharp knife to gently cut away any cake that has stuck to the side of your cake tin.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, dust it with cocoa powder.
- Place baking paper on top of it.
- Place a large cutting board on top.
- Flip over and take the sheet away.
- Peel the baking paper away.
- Roll up with the baking paper.
- Wrap in a clean tea towel to absorb moisture and let it cool at room temperature until it’s barely warm. That’s when it’s at it’s most pliable and least likely to crack. Do not chill it in the fridge.
- Carefully unroll once cooled.
- Spread Chantilly Cream using a spatula.
- Roll it back up.
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Let it set in the fridge for an hour before using a large sharp knife to slice and serve.
Once you’ve filled and rolled the cake it can be served immediately but it’s best served once it’s been chilled as the filling and cake become even more moist.
A Quick Baking Guide
If you’re new to baking or just want to brush up on the basics, these guides are a great place to start!
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Soft Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake (No-Fail)
This soft and irresistible Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake is rich in chocolate flavor, filled fluffy Chantilly cream and covered in glossy chocolate glaze!
Serves 8
Ingredients
Chocolate Swiss Roll
- 75 g all-purpose flour
- 24 g Dutch processed cocoa powder + extra for dusting, see notes
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 10 g instant coffee powder
- 4 large eggs, 55g each, divided
- 140 g caster, superfine sugar, divided in half (see notes)
- 55 g unsalted butter, melted
- 7 g vanilla extract
Chantilly Cream
- 250 g heavy cream, cold (see notes)
- 50 g powdered sugar, sifted (see notes)
- 7 g vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, see notes
- 250 g mascarpone, cold
Chocolate Sauce
- 340 g dark chocolate, see notes
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 20 g brown sugar, see notes
- 250 g heavy cream, see notes
Instructions
Chocolate Swiss Roll
- Preheat your oven to 170C / 340F (fan off), 150C / 300F (fan on). For this recipe I used a rimmed baking tin measuring 40 x 27cm / 16 x 10.5-inches. Rub cold butter on the bottom of the tray and then line with baking tray. The bottom only, not the sides.
- Combine dry ingredients – To a medium sized mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder salt and instant coffee powder and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Whip meringue – To a separate large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and beat on medium speed using an electric hand mixer until you reach soft peaks, about 1 minute. Begin slowly adding half (70g) of the caster sugar, about 1 tbsp at a time, while the mixer is on high speed. The mixture will thicken and become glossy. Continue beating for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
- Whip egg yolks and sugar – Add the egg yolks, remaining 1/3 cup (70g) sugar and vanilla extract to a separate large bowl and whip on high speed for 5 minutes until it becomes thick and pale.
- Fold meringue through egg yolks – Add half of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture and use a spatula to gently fold through until almost completely combined. Add the remaining egg white mixture and repeat until mixture is uniform.
- Add dry ingredients – Sift the dry ingredients for a second time over the egg mixture. Gently fold through until well combined. Lastly, drizzle the melted and cooled butter over the cake batter and fold through until you can see no streams of shiny butter. This batter is very light.
- Bake – Add the batter to the prepared baking tray and use a spatula to gently spread the mixture as evenly as you can. Bake for 10 minutes.
- To take out of the baking tray – Take out of the oven and gently run a knife around the side of the tray to help loosen the cake. Dust with about 2 tbsp of cocoa powder. Place a large piece of baking paper over the cake followed by a large chopping board. Flip the cake over onto the chopping board and take the baking tray away. Peel the baking paper away from the bottom of the cake.
- How to cool the cake down – Tightly roll the cake with the baking paper starting from the narrow end. You will have baking paper rolled up with the cake. This is going to help stop the cake from sticking onto itself as it cools and help it retain some rolling memory which will stop it from cracking. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.
Chantilly Cream
- Add all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl (glass or metal, not plastic) and use an electric hand mixer fitted with beaters or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip until you reach stiff peaks. This usually takes about 3 – 4 minutes to achieve. What you’re looking for is a smooth but stiff whipped cream, not one that looks split. If it looks split or separated, congratulations, you’re on your way to making butter, start again!
Chocolate Sauce (Microwave Method)
- Add all the ingredients to a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high, for 20 seconds at a time, mixing well between each interval until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before pouring on top of some desserts. Goes nicely on top of ice-cream when it’s warm.
Chocolate Sauce (Double Boiler Method)
- To make the chocolate sauce over a double boiler, simply add the ingredients to a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl on top of a pot of gently simmering water making the sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir until melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely.
- If the sauce needs to be thinned out – microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval until it’s thin enough to drizzle.
Let’s put it together!
- To fill the cake – Slowly and gently unwrap the room temperature Swiss roll. Keep the baking paper underneath as it will help us roll it back up. Add the Chantilly cream and spread around evenly leaving about an inch gap on one end of the cake. Begin rolling from the end that has the gap. Do this slowly whole rolling tightly. Using the baking paper to do this make it a really easy process. Wrap tightly but gently in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for one hour or overnight so that everything sets.
- To cover the cake – Once chilled, unwrap the Swiss Roll Cake and carefully transfer onto a cooling rack with a baking tray underneath. Drizzle the chocolate ganache on top, completely covering it. Allow to set, slice and serve.
Notes
Dutch processed cocoa powder – is an unsweetened cocoa powder which has been treated with alkaline and potassium carbonate to neutralize the acidity that is naturaly found in cocoa powder. It’s darker in color and strong in chocolate flavor.
Caster sugar – is also sometimes known as superfine sugar is best for making meringues because it dissolves quicker than granulated sugar without risking overwhipping. You can use granulated sugar if you don’t have caster, but I would recommend caster for the very best results!
Cream – make sure you use cream labelled heavy cream for this recipe. Whipping cream will work but won’t be as stiff as heavy cream. Low fat cream will not work.
Powdered sugar – I don’t like my cream too sweet, but if you like yours on the sweeter side you can use up to 1/2 cup. Make sure you sift it!
Mascarpone – is an Italian cheese that is similar in flavor to sour cream, but more creamy and less sour. Opt in for a better brand one as they tend to be thicker and make sure it’s cold straight out of the fridge!
Vanilla – I have a great recipe for Vanilla extract here on the blog which is alcohol based. It can be used for most recipes. However, I would advise against using it for whipped creams (yes, even stabilized ones like this one) or meringues as it can muck around with the air whipped in the mixtures. Instead use a syrup based vanilla extract. I find vanilla bean paste is best.
Chocolate – make sure you use good quality dark chocolate. Something with at least 70% cocoa
solids in it. I use the Nestle Bakers’ Choice Dark Choc Melts. A Lindt chocolate would also work but it’s much more expensive.
Brown sugar – you can use dark or light in this recipe. Both will work. If you’re making a white
chocolate sauce with this recipe using white chocolate, swap the brown sugar out for caster sugar or leave it out.
Storage – This Chocolate Swiss roll cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition – is based on per slice. This makes 8 slices.
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales!
Nutrition
Calories : 902kcal
Carbonhydrates: 59g
Protein: 12g
Fat: 70g
Saturated Fat: 42g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
Monounsaturated Fat : 15g
Trans Fat : 0.5g
Cholesterol: 227mg
Sodium: 276mg
Potassium : 503mg
Fiber: 6g
Sugar : 39g
Vitamin A: 1862IU
Vitamin C: 0.4mg
Calcium: 171mg
Iron: 6mg
Nutrition Disclosure
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54 comments
Seriously great recipes from Nick I make most of them. The new French Macron is another perfect example of how fabulous your recipes are. This roll fabulous.
Thanks so much Lyndal! N x
Made this roll today exactly as instructions state and have a lovely chocolate roll to look forward to eating. It turned out wonderfully and It smells just so chocolatey that I can hardly wait to dig in but I will wait for it to set a bit. I will defintitely be making it again.
Yay! so glad to hear this! N x
I’ve made this a couple of times, it tastes great but how do I stop it from cracking when I un roll it
Hi Michelle! Hmm, I’ve made this recipe a couple times and it’s never cracked on me. I would say make sure it’s cooled down properly (fully) and unroll slowly. Also, dust with cocoa powder to stop it from sticking to the baking paper before rolling up.
Your instructions say to “drizzle the melted and cooled butter over the cake batter and fold through until you can see no streams of shiny butter.” But I don’t see what melted chocolate you are referring to? There doesn’t seem to be any chocolate other than cocoa powder in the cake portion.
Hi Megan, I’m a little confused by your comment. Which portion says to use melted chocolate?
This was outstanding and so delicious. Thank you for the recipe
Thanks Stacey!
PERDON , PERO NO ME PUEDO SUSCRIBIR CON MI NOMBRE Y CORREO NO ME DEJA HACERLO HABER SI DAN UNA SOLUCION GRACIAS
Hi Gloria, unfortunately I’m unable to help with that. If you’re entering your name and email address it should work unless theres something blocking it in your browser or internet setting. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
I added strawberries to the cream and it was delicious but mine did all crack. I would say you need half the ganache in the recipe a lot of wasted.
Hey Molly, strawberries sound like a great addition! For the cracks, make sure to roll the cake while it’s still warm—it helps it keep its shape. And thanks for the feedback on the ganache! You can definitely halve it if you like a thinner layer. Glad you enjoyed it! N x
I always go to your website when looking for the best recipes. All your recipes are so well researched, they are fail proof! Kudos on all your hard work in refining the recipes, which is so important to every baker.
Why do you omit cream of tartar when you are whipping the egg whites?
Here in the US, our regular granulated sugar is often way too coarse for baking–especially meringues, so I usually whirr the sugar in a food processor to replicate caster sugar. Is that OK?
I have rolled this Swiss Roll the long way and turned it into a Bûche de Noël for Christmas. I usually add a few small cupcakes on the log to give it character before frosting it. My guests tell me it wouldn’t be Christmas without Nick’s Yule Log.
Again thank you for sharing your valuable expertise with us!
Thank you so much Leder, that means a lot to hear. I skip cream of tartar because the sugar stabilises the meringue well enough for this recipe. And yes, blitzing granulated sugar in a food processor is a great way to get it closer to caster. Love the Yule Log tradition with extra cupcakes too. If you ever post photos on Instagram, tag me, I’d love to see it – N x
I only used the chocolate sauce recipe from this post. I really liked it. I added 20g of glucose as well as gelatin and it was so silky, shiny and delish. I used half of the chocolate weight in Lindt chocolate and then the rest compound baking chocolate. I loved it. 5*
So glad you loved the sauce Samantha. Love that you added glucose and gelatin too, that combo would give it that ultra glossy finish. Mixing Lindt and compound chocolate is a clever way to balance flavour and structure. By the way, I have the recipe as a stand alone on the website if you ever need to come back for it! – N x
recipe works great – if you add the coffee its a full on coffee cake.
Love that you tried the coffee! It definitely brings out the chocolate and turns it into a proper mocha moment – N x
Question tips calls for 15 x 10-inches pan in the instructions it calls for 13×18. Which do I use
For my swiss roll recipes I use a baking tray that is 3cm / 1-inch in height, 24.5 x 37.5cm / 10 x 15-inches. I’ve gone in and changed that incorrect measurement. Thanks for letting me know! – N x
can the finished cake be frozen?
Hi Carol. Unfortunately not. The cream wouldn’t thaw properly and would likely split. Sorry! N x
Just to say I love making this and also eating of course. I dod actually freeze my last one and it was absolutely fine after thawing.
Good to know Kathy! Glad you loved it! N x
Hi, I’m making this recipe as we speak and I have a question. Is there a reason you add the dry ingredients to the egg white/egg yolk mixture last, instead of mixing the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture before adding the merengue? I’m being super careful with mixing in the dry ingredients but I feel like I’m losing a lot of air out of mixture. Just curious and trying to learn here 🙂 thank you so much!!
Hi Liza, love that you’re being so careful with it. I’ve just found that adding the dry ingredients after folding the yolks and meringue keeps the sponge fluffier. It helps preserve more of that volume which makes a big difference once baked – N x
Do you have any tips for cutting the roll so it doesn’t squash?
Hi Ann, if you chill the roll for a couple of hours it firms up enough to slice cleanly without squashing. Use a sharp serrated knife and wipe it between cuts for the neatest slices – N x
Do you happen to have this recipe with the ingredients in cups verses grams?
Hi Stacy, I only list ingredients in grams because it’s the most accurate way to get consistent results. Cup measurements vary too much depending on how they’re filled. A small scale makes a big difference in baking – N x
Hello Nick,
I tried your Vanilla no crack Swiss roll and for the first time in my life I got a roll without cracks! It was a delectable recipe too. Thank you! May I know why you aren’t using the “trapped steam” method here instead of rolling the cake before filling? Isn’t that the foolproof version?
Hi Kiran, I’m so glad the vanilla one worked for you! I skip the steam method for this chocolate version because the sponge is softer and more flexible thanks to the cocoa and egg structure. Rolling while warm helps it hold shape without cracking and avoids any sogginess. – N x
This is exactly what I have been looking for and I can’t wait to make it. I was hoping to decorate it as a log (think buche de Noelle but for a forest themed baby shower!). I love the glaze recipe but don’t think it will be thick enough to run an icing comb through it. Any thoughts on how I could revise that to give it more ‘body’?
That sounds like such a beautiful idea Melanie. You’re right, the glaze is too soft for an icing comb. You could use my chocolate ganache or even the chocolate buttercream if you want something thicker that holds texture. Both would work well for the log effect. – N x
For your chocolate sauce, microwave version says cool slightly before pouring, the double boiler method says to cool down completely. Is that on purpose due to the different methods? or is that an error? thanks
Hi Kate, that’s actually a small error on my end. It doesn’t matter which method you use, just cool the sauce down until it’s no longer warm before using. Thanks for spotting that – N x
i would love to make for Xmas. Can i just make the cake ahead of time and freezer it and finish it on Xmas day? Thanks!
Hi Pauline, I haven’t tested freezing the sponge but my gut says it could work, just be mindful that airy cakes like this can dry out and crack in the freezer. If you give it a go, wrap it really well and defrost slowly in the fridge – N x
Question only: My mom used to make an ice cream roll. I tried to make one for my family a few holidays back and the cake didn’t work out (she didn’t have a recipe). Have you ever used this cake recipe and put softened ice cream in as the filling and not a cream? Then it would be frozen, of course, serving it with hot fudge/chocolate sauce.
Hi Lynne, I haven’t tested it with ice cream as the filling so I can’t say for sure how it would go. The cake is soft and flexible, but freezing might change the texture a bit. If you try it I’d love to know how it turns out – N x
Thank you so much for the recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and it always turns out amazing — so delicious. I’m an absolute fan!
Thanks so much for letting me know Yuliia! I’m so glad you love it! N x
This just might tempt me away from making the traditional Lemon Meringue Roulade as my birthday ‘cake’ this year!
Of course I am going to have to ‘test’ bake this Swiss Roll once, twice perhaps thrice before JUN. 😉
This looks and sounds much better than the usual recipe I use, and can’t wait to give it a go.
I hope you love it Marian! It’s a great recipe 🙂 N x
Absolutely loved this recipe. First time making it, instructions very easy to follow (even when I forgot a step) and super tasty. Love it when it’s out of the fridge for an hour n it’s moist n soft. I also put defrosted cherries in my filling too use it up. Keeping this recipe
So glad to hear that Stephanie! Cherries in the filling sounds like a great addition! N x
Hi Nick, this Swiss roll cake and chantilly cream are fantastic!! Though I had a problem with the chocolate sauce, it was grainy and sort of greasy. I weighed all the ingredients and used the double boiler method. I used the Guittard Bittersweet baking wafers 74%, as well. I did not cube the 60 grams of butter and wondering if this could be the problem. Any ideas as to why it split and was grainy and greasy? I really want to try it again because I love the way it looks in your photos! Thank you!
So glad to hear it Sindia! Hmm… I’ve never had that problem with the sauce so it’s difficult to say. The corn/glucose syrup is there partly to stop this from happening. If it was grainy that could have had something to do with the chocolate or with the sugar not being fully dissolved… Greasy sounds like it was likely the type of chocolate. For reference, I use Nestle Cooking buttons, but I know not everyone has access to what I use. Was the chocolate you use a cooking chocolate? N x
hi Nick I really want to thank you for sharing the recipe with us
I already try it but my jelly roll pan is 30*38 so what can I do to make it same high as yours ??
Hi Rama! Your pan is quite a bit bigger than the one I used, so the sponge will bake thinner unless you scale the recipe up. I’d recommend increasing it to 10 servings in the recipe card by pressing the print button, which will scale the sponge up to 5 eggs and adjust the other ingredients for you too. I’d scale the Chantilly cream up as well, but you can leave the chocolate sauce as is because there’s already plenty 😊 – N x