This delicious, decadent, chocolate Swiss roll recipe is a fabulous festive dessert option! It has a wonderfully creamy mascarpone filling. Plus it is oozing with rich chocolatey flavors from the cake and ganache. What’s not to love? Top it with almond flakes or berries depending on your preference and serve as desired.
About this Recipe
If you are looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert then you have come to the right place! This chocolate Swiss roll is guaranteed to tick all of your boxes and impress your guests. It features an incredibly moist chocolate cake with a cream filling. You can serve this swiss roll plain, dust it with icing sugar or you can go the extra mile and smother it with chocolate ganache. In my opinion, the chocolate ganache takes this dessert to the next level as it adds a richer chocolatey flavor to this much-loved dessert so definitely make some if you have extra time.
It is believed that the Swiss roll originates from Europe. It is also known as a jelly roll, cream roll, roll cake, roulade or Swiss log. This sponge cake is filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing and is rolled to create a gorgeous spiral. This chocolate Swiss roll is a spin on this classic cake. The cake is made with cocoa powder and is filled with a delicious cream.
Serve this easy chocolate Swiss roll plain, with berries or with chocolate ganache during festive seasons or all year round!
Chocolate Swiss Roll Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs: In this recipe you will have to separate the egg whites from the yolks. This will give the cake the a wonderful moist and fluffy texture.
- Plain flour: Use plain flour for this recipe instead of all-purpose flour.
- Caster sugar: This will add sweetness to the cake.
- Cocoa powder: Use good quality cocoa powder for the best results.
- Salt: Add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors in this recipe.
- Baking powder: This is a leavening agent which is used to make the cake rise while baking.
- Oil: Brush baking paper with oil to prevent the cake from sticking.
Chocolate Swiss Roll Filling
- Mascarpone: Is a soft Italian cream cheese. In this recipe, it is combined with double cream and sugar to make a delicious creamy filling.
- Double cream: Use good quality double cream for this recipe. Avoid low fat cream as you may not get the same creamy texture.
- Almond extract: This will add a delicious nutty flavor to the creamy filling. However, you can skip this if you don’t have any to hand.
- Powdered/icing sugar: This is used to sweeten the filling and make it extra fluffy.
Chocolate Ganache
- Dark chocolate: Use good quality dark chocolate to make the ganache.
- Double cream: Use good quality double cream to make the ganache.
How to Make Chocolate Swiss Roll
Chocolate Swiss Roll Recipe
1. Start by separating the egg yolks from the whites. Pour the egg whites into a bowl and the egg yolks into another a bowl.
2. Then, add half of the sugar to the egg whites and beat with a mixer for 5 minutes, until fluffy and dense as shown below.
3. Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar for another 3 minutes. Then, combine dry ingredients in another bowl – plain flour, a pinch of salt, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside for later.
4. Next, add whipped yolks to the bowl with egg whites and fold gently with a spatula. Pour half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and fold gently until well combined. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and fold again.
5. Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Cover an oven tray with baking paper and brush it with oil. Then gently transfer the chocolate batter onto the paper and smooth it using a spatula. Place the tray in the oven and bake the cake for 15 minutes or until done. The finished cake should spring back when pressed gently.
6. Once the cake is done, turn it over onto a cooling rack and carfeully remove the baking paper. Roll the sponge cake with a towel and leave to cool on the wire rack.
Chocolate Swiss Roll Filling
7. Add heavy cream, powdered sugar and almond extract to a bowl and whisk for a couple of minutes. Then add the mascarpone and beat the mixture for another 3 minutes. Once the filling is ready set it aside for later.
7. Spread the filling on the cake while it is still warm. It is easier to roll a warm cake. Smooth the filling using a spatula so that the finished roll looks neat and beautiful.
8. Roll the cake carefully to make sure it doesn’t crack. Once the cake is fully rolled, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 3 hours. You can also leave the roll in the refrigerator overnight and finish decorating the dessert in the morning instead.
9. Once you are ready to serve the chocolate swiss roll, add dark chocolate to a bowl, melt the chocolate on top of a hot water bath, add the cream and stir until smooth. Then evenly spread the roll with the chocolate-creamy ganache.
TIP: Make sure the bowl does not touch the water bath when melting the chocolate as this may cause the chocolate to harden.
10. Cut the finished roll into slices and serve as desired. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Batter: Do not overmix the cake batter as this will result in a tough sponge.
- Oven tray: The oven tray should have some depth so that the cake batter does not spill out of the tray.
- Filling: Be careful not to add too much filling to the cake as you will need to roll it. Adding the right amount of filling will help you to acheive the desired spiral shape. In addition, make sure the Swiss roll is not too hot when you add the filling as it will cause it to melt.
- Decoration: Serve plain, with icing sugar, berries or chocolate ganache it really is up to you and your preference.
FAQs
Traditional Swiss roll filling is made of jam and whipped cream or buttercream. However, there are some modern variations such as chocolate ganache, fresh berries and more.
Swiss roll is popular, sweet European dessert made with sponge cakes. This cake has a jam and cream filling rolled inside of it giving it a spiral like appearance when sliced. While, roulade can be made with pastry, bread or cake and can be savoury or sweet. Roulade also has a spiral like appearance.
Overmixing the cake batter can result in a rubbery Swiss roll because this causes the air bubbles in the meringue to disappear and makes the cake deflate while baking. You can prevent overmixing by using a spatula to fold the batter instead of an electric mixer.
A Swiss roll should not be rolled hot or cold, it should be rolled warm for the best results. Rolling the Swiss roll warm will help it to retain its shape and prevent it from cracking. Once the filling has been added to the Swiss roll and it can be rolled. Leave it to cool completely before serving.
Yule logs resemble logs and are served during Christmas. While, Swiss rolls have a cylinder shape and are served all year round.
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Chocolate Swiss Roll Recipe
Equipment
- Spatula
- Whisk
- baking tray
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Chocolate Swiss Roll
- 4 eggs
- 80 g plain flour
- 80 g caster sugar
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tbsp oil
Chocolate Swiss Roll Filling
- 50 ml Water
- 1 cup of mascarpone
- ¾ cups of double cream
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 4 tbsp Powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache
- 40 g Dark chocolate
- 3 tbsp Double cream
Instructions
Bake Chocolate Cake
- Grab the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Pour the egg whites into a large bowl then add 40 g of sugar to the bowl. Beat the egg whites with a mixer for 5 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy and dense.
- In a separate bowl, beat the yolks with the remaining 40 g of sugar for about 3 minutes.
- Then grab another bowl and combine the wheat flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside for later.
- Next, add the whipped yolks to the bowl of egg whites, mix gently with a spatula, making smooth movements from bottom to top.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients in 2-3 stages and stir gently with a spatula, making smooth movements from bottom to top.
- Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Cover an oven tray with baking paper and brush it with oil. Gently transfer the chocolate batter onto the paper and smooth it using a spatula. Place the tray in the oven and bake the cake for 15 minutes or until done. The finished cake should spring back when pressed gently.
- Turn the cake over on to a cooling rack and remove the baking paper. Then, roll the sponge cake with a towel and leave it to cool on the cooling rack.
Chocolate Swiss Roll Filling
- Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and almond extract in a bowl. Then add the mascarpone and beat the mixture for another 3 minutes. Once the filling is ready place it in the refrigerator while the cake cools.
- Spread the cream filling on the cake while it is still warm and smooth it using a spatula. This will ensure that the finished roll is neat and beautiful.
- Then roll the cake carefully and make sure it doesn’t crack. Once the cake is fully rolled wrap the roll in plastic film and refrigerate for 3 hours. You can also leave the roll in the refrigerator overnight and finish decorating the dessert in the morning instead.
Chocolate Ganache and Decoration
- Once you are ready to serve the chocolate swiss roll, add dark chocolate to a bowl, melt the chocolate on top of a hot water bath, add the cream and stir until smooth. Then evenly spread the roll with chocolate-creamy ganache.
- Garnish the roll with almond flakes or chopped almonds and serve. Alternatively, you can put the chocolate Swiss roll in the fridge for 1 hour to allow the chocolate ganache to set.
Notes
- Batter: Do not overmix the cake batter as this will result in a tough sponge.
- Oven tray: The oven tray should have some depth so that the cake batter does not spill out of the tray.
- Filling: Be careful not to add too much filling to the cake as you will need to roll it. Adding the right amount of filling will help you to achieve the desired spiral shape. In addition, make sure the Swiss roll is not too hot when you add the filling as it will cause it to melt.
- Decoration: Serve plain, with icing sugar, berries or chocolate ganache it really is up to you and your preference.
I haven’t made a chocolate Swiss roll since culinary school, but thought this looked like the perfect recipe to change that. It was so chocolatey and rich. I’m so glad I made it.
A great new favorite for the kids. They had so much fun making this Swiss roll and enjoyed licking the spoon and bowl. They can’t wait to make it again.
I grew up on swiss rolls and I am so glad I came across this recipe. I experienced my childhood again making this swiss roll. The roll came out perfect and I can’t wait to make it again!
This dessert was so special I’m going to try one again for Christmas!
I’ve been wanting to make a swiss roll for a long time but it’s really intimidating. These instructions made it much easier and it was so good. Everyone was totally impressed.
Swiss rolls were one of my favorite snacks growing up, so I was so happy when I found this recipe! Thank you for such detailed instructions and photos! This was so fun to make!!
My first time making a Swiss roll and I’m so glad I used this recipe! It came out perfectly!
Your photos and instructions were super helpful and spot on! My whole family thanks you as our swiss roll turned out perfectly!
Oh my goodness this was absolutely delicious! It brought me back to my childhood for sure.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!