Chocolate Cake Roll Recipe

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We used this delicious Chocolate Cake Roll recipe in the Yule Log Video Tutorial which is a free cake decorating video on our site! 
 

Whether decorated as a yule log cake as in the photo above, or more simply, this is a unique and delicious dessert that will make any occasion feel more special!

yule-log-cake
 
I love the simplicity of cake rolls, and I especially love that they look like a lot more work than they actually are! This can be our little secret ;0)
 
For the filling, we often use a light Whipped Cream Filling but really, anything goes!
 

Table of Contents

How to Make a Chocolate Cake Roll

You can find the full, printable cake recipe further down in this post. Here is a quick rundown of our steps!

  1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Prepare the Pan: Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 jelly roll pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, also grease the parchment paper then flour the pan including parchment
  3. Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cocoa and salt , whisk to blend and set aside for later
  4. Eggs: Separate your eggs
  5. Egg Yolks & Sugar: Beat the 5 egg yolks and ½ cup granulated sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy
  6. Egg Whites & Sugar: In another bowl beat the 5 egg whites until you reach soft peak stage. Slowly add the ¼ cup sugar so you will not deflate your egg whites. Continue beating until you reach stiff peak stage.
  7. Folding: Fold your egg yolk mixture into the egg whites then begin folding in your flour mixture also. I gradually add the flour mixture. Continue folding until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  8. Time to Bake! Spread the batter evenly in you prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until cake springs back.
  9. Roll and Cool: When the cake comes out of the oven, turn it out onto a clean towel that has been dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off the parchment paper. Roll the cake up in the towel, starting with the short side. Let it cool on a wire rack until room temperature.
  10. Whipped Cream: While this is cooling, make your whipped cream.
  11. Fill and Roll: Unroll the cooled cake, spread the whipped cream filling and roll up again. Place on a serving platter and and frost with buttercream of your choice.

More Chocolate Cakes

We hope that you enjoy this chocolate cake roll recipe! We have a great Pumpkin Roll cake as well! However, if you love chocolate cakes, we have many more recipes for you to try!

Some of our most popular chocolate cakes are Chocolate Cake from scratch, easy Brownie Cake, German Chocolate Cake, and Black Forest Cake.

Chocolate Cake Roll Recipe {From our Yule Log Cake Video Tutorial}

Learn to make a gorgeous Yule Log Cake from a simple Chocolate Cake Roll in this My Cake School video tutorial!

This chocolate cake roll recipe is delicious!

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 5 eggs, separated
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided (½ cup for egg yolks and ¼ cup for egg whites)
  • ½ cup (52g) cake flour
  • ¼ cup (19g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

For the Whipped Cream Filling

  • 1 cup (240g) heavy cream
  • ¼ (29g) cup powdered sugar
  • 1 (4g) teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

For the Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 jelly roll pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, also grease the parchment paper then flour the pan including parchment
  3. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt , whisk to blend and set aside for later
  4. Separate your eggs
  5. Beat the 5 egg yolks and ½ cup sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy
  6. In another bowl beat the 5 egg whites until you reach soft peak stage. Slowly add the ¼ cup sugar so you will not deflate your egg whites. Continue beating until you reach stiff peak stage.
  7. Fold your egg yolk mixture into the egg whites then begin folding in your flour mixture also. I gradually add the flour mixture. Continue folding until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  8. Spread the batter evenly in you prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until cake springs back. When the cake comes out of the oven, turn it out onto a clean towel that has been dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off the parchment paper. Roll the cake up in the towel, starting with the short side. Let it cool on a wire rack until room temperature.
  9. While this is cooling, make your whipped cream.
  10. Unroll the cooled cake, spread the whipped cream filling and roll up again. Place on a serving platter and and frost with buttercream of your choice.

(*We demonstrate making this recipe in our video tutorial)

For the Whipped Cream Filling

  1. Chill the mixing bowl and beaters/ whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  2. Pour the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into the chilled mixing bowl, begin beating on low speed gradually increasing to medium high speed.  
  3. The cream begins to thicken (approx. 1 ½ minutes) and soft peaks form....peaks that slightly bend over.  Watch closely as this happens quickly.  Do not over beat.
  4. Use immediately as the whipped cream will gradually begin to deflate over time.
  5. Makes about 2 cups

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10 Comments

  1. I need to make a cake roll but has be more like devil's food cake. Do I just add more cocoa powder so it will be a deeper chocolate.

  2. So help me I'm going to make a log cake. I have been putting it off too long.

    That's a beautiful Log Cake.

  3. Hi Andreia, I'm sorry butI don't know how to make a substitution for the cocoa as I have never tried that. It would be best if you found a cake roll online without cocoa powder. Hope you find one that works for you.

  4. Hi Lynn, Whipped cream cake filling often do not freeze well. When thawing your cake the filling could become watery, soak into the cake making for a soggy dessert. I have made cakes with whipped cream filling that were refrigerated 2 days in advance of serving, and did well.