Soft Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake (No-Fail)
This soft and irresistibly soft no-fail Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake is rich in chocolate flavor, filled fluffy Chantilly cream and covered in glossy chocolate glaze!
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 jelly roll pan measuring 37 x 24cm / 14.5 x 9.5-inches. Spray the bottom only with oil spray and line with baking paper. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients - To a medium sized mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the 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 egg yolks through meringue - 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 | Carbohydrates: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
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