It would not be Christmas without Chocolate Roll. I think that between my mom and my Nonnie, that they have made thousands of these chocolate and whipped cream creations. This is what my mom used to make for our teachers every year. Surprisingly, this was the first time that I have ever made one myself, despite the fact that I have eaten chocolate roll for most of the years that I have been alive.
This is a strange little recipe. Of course, I was reading my mother’s recipe and there was very little in the way of instruction. So I had to go back and remember watching her make it. I do have vivid memories of chocolate cakes rolled up in towels all over the counter tops. It is a very easy cake to make, but you do need to have a little faith. She would make these, and then freeze them, filled with the whipped cream until she was ready to frost them.
For the cake:
4 eggs
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons coffee
For the whipped cream:
2 cups whipped cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
In the bowl of a mixer, beat the eggs for about 5 minutes. Gradually, add the sugar and beat until the eggs are pale and lemon colored.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa over the bowl.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Pour in the coffee and vanilla. Fold together.
Pour the cake batter into a 10×15 jelly roll pan that has been lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. The cake will be ready when the cake pulls away from the sides and the cake springs back when you touch it.
Here is where this recipe gets a little weird. While the cake is still hot, turn it out onto a hand towel that has been coated with confectioners sugar.
Roll the cake up and let it cool completely in the towel.
When the cake is cool, whip the cream and add the sugar and vanilla.
Unroll the cake, and spread the whipped cream evenly over the top.
Roll the cake back up and put in the fridge to set up. Maybe a half hour or so?
Doesn’t that look delicious?
Meanwhile, make some Chocolate Buttercream. I reduced the butter to 1 1/2 sticks and added a few Tablespoons of cream cheese.
Frost the chocolate roll with the Chocolate Buttercream. I piped the extra frosting onto the bottom, but you do not have to do that.
Sprinkle with some powdered sugar. Merry Christmas Eve!
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 t. baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 Tablespoons coffee
- For the whipped cream:
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Chocolate Buttercream
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat the eggs for about 5 minutes. Gradually, add the sugar and beat until the eggs are pale and lemon colored.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa over the bowl.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Pour in the coffee and vanilla. Fold together.
- Pour the cake batter into a 10×15 jelly roll pan that has been lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. The cake will be ready when the cake pulls away from the sides and the cake springs back when you touch it.
- Here is where this recipe gets a little weird. While the cake is still hot, turn it out onto a hand towel that has been coated with confectioners sugar.
- Roll the cake up and let it cool completely in the towel.
- When the cake is cool, whip the cream and add the sugar and vanilla.
- Unroll the cake, and spread the whipped cream evenly over the top.
- Roll the cake back up and put in the fridge to set up. Maybe a half hour or so?
- Meanwhile, make some Chocolate Buttercream. I reduced the butter to 1 1/2 sticks and added a few Tablespoons of cream cheese.
- Frost the chocolate roll with the Chocolate Buttercream. I piped the extra frosting onto the bottom, but you do not have to do that.
- Sprinkle with some powdered sugar.
That looks amazing…and now I want to make one..even though I’ve spent literally ever spare moment the past few days baking cookies…I must have a chocolate roll!
it looks a lot harder than it is. It is worth having to wash another bowl.
Omg adorableness! I love love love these cakes! Cork raved about this one!!
you should make it. Really easy and so good.
Looks so incredible divine! My one question is…doesn’t the cake break when you roll it up in the towel???
It does crack a bit, but it is going to be covered in buttercream so it doesn’t matter. If you do not roll it while it is still warm, it really will break.
Oh, this looks soooo delicious!! I must try it for New Year’s Day! One question: When you roll the cake up in the towel, do you roll it so that the towel is sandwiched in between (like the whip cream later is) or do you roll the cake so that it is only touching itself with the towel on the outside and nowhere in the middle? I hope that made sense. I can’t wait to try it!
I roll it so that the towel is touching the cake like the whipped cream would be doing.
This looks fantastic. And your directions with so many pictures make me want to try it now. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Margaret (Nanny Goats) recently posted..Christmas in the Capitol Also Harvest Festival Dudes
It is really easy and fun to make. I hope that you do try it soon.
This looks delicious! The combo of chocolate cake, whipped cream and chocolate buttercream sounds very addicting. This is definitely one I will have to try.
Jenn@eatcakefordinner recently posted..RED VELVET CHEESECAKE CAKE
please do! It is really easy and everyone loves it.
Yum! I featured this today on my blog – Today’s Top 20! Feel free to stop by and grab a button!
Amanda
todaystoptwenty.blogspot.com
thanks Amanda!
I can’t wait to try this in a few days! For the coffee… is it instant or just regular?
Whatever you have. I used the instant from Starbucks, I don’t drink coffee. I just keep it in the house for baking.
I really think this is the strangest cake I have ever made (the process, not the outcome!) I kept thinking it wasn’t going to come together properly, but you said to have faith, so…I did. And it was amazing! Served it tonight for my son’s 5th birthday and it was devoured by all. Thanks so much!
I told you so! I even called my mom to check to make sure the recipe was right. But it comes together and it is delicious. Happy Birthday to your son!
The coffee taste is subtle, but could you replace the coffee with something else? Im at a loss as to what to replace it with tho…
Help!
BOOZE! Kahlua, brandy, amaretto…. even orange juice might be nice.
Oh yum, yum, yum! I made two jellyroll type cakes. First one went in the trash. Second one was a pumpkin one that didn’t look really pretty, but I was told it tasted good (I don’t like pumpkin). But I L-O-V-E chocolate, so I think this is in my very near future!
Tami recently posted..Butter is Busy
This is a very strange recipe, but it totally works. You will love this chocolate roll.
I’m surprised there’s only 1/4 cup of flour in this cake…….is that correct?
It is correct. It is a really weird recipe, but I swear that it works.
Made this delicious baked goodness with my sis today! It was a relaxing experience, I loved that there were many steps to the recipe but all very simple!
Rachel Headrick recently posted..An ode to Michael, my older bro.
Sitting at my laptop, stalking…
Thanks Rachel, I love this recipe. It would not be Christmas without it.
I found the coffee taste overpowering. My 6 yr old would not eat it. I made 2 of them. I will see how the others like it tomorrow, Did I goof somehow? I used 4 Tablespoons of ground coffee per cake? It honestly felt like a lot to me when I put it in. I have to say other than the coffee taste it was delicious and not hard to make.
It is 4 Tablespoons of coffee, not grounds. I think that you read the recipe wrong.
Love your website! Great recipes and beautiful pictures.
I used to make a cake like this every year at Christmas and decorated it like a Yule log. I ground up peppermint candies and put them into the whipped cream instead of vanilla. The recipe I used was a sponge cake where the whites and yolks were beaten separately and then folded together. I have saved this recipe and called it Easy Chocolate Roll
(with your URL at the bottom to give credit and so when I open it on my iPad in the kitchen I can go to your site for a refresher). Looking forward to baking it!
Sounds good Mary!
I made this and unfortunately the cake was very hard n slightly crunchy. Im guessin i over cooked it. Will have to try again.
It sounds like you over-baked it, this cake is very light and spongy.