Chocolate roll

A sponge that doesn't break on you. If you're familiar with making a Swiss cake rolls, you know that without a good sponge, this rolled cake is impossible to make. It should be soft, moist, and bendable so you can roll it without breaking. This recipe provides all the knowledge you need to make a perfect sponge for a chocolate Swiss roll cake. If you want to try a roll cake with a different flavor, check out my Pumpkin Roll recipe.

Perfectly sweetened. If you enjoy light desserts that are not overly sweet, you should give this cake roll a try.

Flour - Use all-purpose flour to make this chocolate roll recipe.
Cocoa powder - You will need unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Salt
Baking powder
Large eggs - You'll need 4 large eggs at room temperature.
Sugar - Use white granulated sugar for the sponge and powdered sugar for the cream.
Vanilla extract
Whole milk
Vegetable oil - You will need any odorless vegetable oil, such as canola or sunflower seed oil, for the sponge.
Instant coffee - Instant coffee gives this dessert an even deeper chocolate flavor. But if you are worried that you will taste the coffee, just skip adding it.
Cream cheese - Use cold cream cheese, such as Philadelphia cream cheese.
Heavy cream - You will need heavy cream for the cake filling as well as for the glaze.
Chocolate - I use milk chocolate for the glaze, but you can replace it with semi-sweet chocolate if you want, or use Chocolate ganache instead.

Bake the cake batter right away. Similar to Genoise sponge or to Chiffon cake, this chocolate sponge is made with egg foam which means that the faster we work with the batter, the fluffier the cake will turn out. If you leave the freshly whipped batter in the bowl for too long, the air bubbles inside will start bursting which will cause our sponge to bake flatter than we would like.

Don't overbake the sponge. This chocolate sponge is very thin and it takes only 9 minutes to bake. So, don't go far away from your oven, and check for doneness once the time is up. If the sponge has set on the top and it bounces back if you gently press on it, take it out from the oven and remove from the pan onto the kitchen towel as fast as you can. An overbaked sponge will become very dry and brittle.

Don't overwhip the cream. When working with Cream cheese frosting, be careful to not overwhip it. If you do, you will need to start all over again. To avoid overwhipping, stop your mixer every 10 seconds once you notice that the cream starts to become thicker to check the texture. Once the cream is thick enough to hold shape well, stop your mixer.

Making the sponge

Preheat your oven to 390F (195C) and line a 12 x 17-inch (30 x 40 cm) pan with a Teflon mat, silicone-coated parchment, or perforated silicone mat. Regular parchment will stick! In one bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. In another, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed for 7-10 minutes until thick, pale, and tripled in volume. Gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Mix the milk, oil, and instant coffee with a small portion of the batter, then fold this back into the main mixture. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 9 minutes, until the top is springy to the touch.

Dust a clean kitchen towel with powdered sugar. Once baked, carefully lift the sponge from the pan, flip it onto the towel, and peel off the mat or parchment. Roll the cake in the towel and allow it to cool completely to prevent cracking.

Making the cream cheese filling

Place the filling ingredients in a stand mixer or large bowl and whip on medium speed for about 30 seconds to combine. Scrape the sides and beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Avoid overwhipping to keep the texture smooth and stable.

Assembling and decorating the cake

Unroll the cooled sponge and spread the filling evenly over the surface. Roll the cake back up gently, keeping it loose enough to prevent cracks and to avoid sticking to the towel. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight so it firms up.

Place the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until the cream is hot. Whisk until the chocolate melts and the glaze is smooth.

Trim the ends of the cake roll. Place the chilled roll on a cooling rack set over a large piece of plastic wrap. Pour the glaze over the cake, letting the excess drip onto the plastic wrap below. For a thicker coating, lift the cooling rack with the cake, set it over a clean sheet of plastic wrap, and pour the collected glaze back over the cake, allowing it to drip again. Use a long offset spatula-or two, one on each side-to carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate. Refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Decorate with the cream - Go ahead and make it look fancy! Just throw on extra cream in a fun swirl (I recommend using half of the batch of cream cheese buttercream from my Easy carrot cake recipe for a stable frosting). It's not just about how it tastes; it's about making it all pretty and exciting for your taste buds.

Add nuts or dried fruits - Want a bit of a crunch or a sweet surprise? Fold some chopped nuts or those little chewy dried fruits like apricots or cranberries into the cream and then assemble the cake.

Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar - Finish it off with a sprinkle of cocoa powder or powdered sugar. You know, for that extra flair. Cocoa if you're feeling all chocolatey, or powdered sugar if you want a touch of sweetness. It's the last little detail that makes it look and taste awesome.