Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake

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This Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake Recipe is a show-stopping, ridiculously sweet, and rich dessert that will blow your socks off! It’s basically a super delicious Chocolate Cake rolled up in some frosting and then covered with a chocolate-y glaze! What could go wrong!

Swiss Roll | It’s Easier Than You Think!

Have you ever made a swiss roll before? They used to give me heart palpitations. Like, for reals. But then I made one and got over that fear real quick. This dessert is seriously fancy, but no one tells you these are so so easy to make. Bakers are LIARS!

If you follow the recipe directions, things tend to work out. And even if they don’t, cover the whole thing in glaze and sprinkles. No one has to know!!

If you’ve never made a swiss roll before, I assure you it’s not as hard as you think. I made my swiss roll based on the little Debbie swiss rolls, but used real ingredients, made the glaze extra rich with dark chocolate, and topped the whole thing with sprinkles…because deep down, I’m a 6-year-old girl. #truth

Main Ingredients Needed

Don’t let this big long list scare you, a lot of the same ingredients are used in different parts of a swiss roll. Here’s everything you’ll need:

For the Swiss Roll Cake

• Eggs + Sugar – the eggs are separated (whites and yolks) then separately beaten withs sugar into peaks to sweeten and add elasticity to the cake.
• Flour – this fills out the swiss roll.
• Cocoa + Vanilla – both are used to flavor.
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda – used for rise.
• Water – this helps create the consistency of the batter without weighing it down.
• Salt – to balance out the sweet.

For the Filling

• Butter + Powdered Sugar – for flavor, structure, and sweetness.
• Vanilla – for flavor.
• Marshmallow Fluff – more sweetness as well as stickiness and smooth texture.
• Milk – this is to get the filling to the right consistency and isn’t always needed.

For the Glaze

• Butter + Dark Chocolate Chips – these two are melted and mixed together for flavor and smoothness.
• Cocoa Powder + Vanilla – more ingredients for taste.
• Milk – this thins out the glaze.
• Powdered Sugar – this thickens the glaze, sweetens it, and helps it solidify.

How to Make a Swiss Roll

I got this swiss roll cake recipe from Hershey’s Chocolate Mousse Cake Roll but the filling and glaze are my own recipes! For full details on how to make this swiss roll, see the recipe card down below 🙂

For the Cake

Prep

Preheat the oven. Line a jelly-roll pan with foil; generously grease foil. Sprinkle linen or thin cotton towel with some powdered sugar.

Make the Batter

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form; gradually add some sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat egg yolks and vanilla in medium bowl on medium speed of mixer. Gradually add remaining sugar; continue beating for a couple of more minutes.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to egg yolk mixture alternately with water, beating on low speed just until batter is smooth. Gradually fold chocolate mixture into beaten egg whites until well blended. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake + Roll

Bake until the top springs back when touched lightly in the center. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; invert onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off foil.

Immediately roll cake and towel together starting from narrow end; place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Marshmallow Filling

For the filling, we’re basically going to make buttercream laced with plenty o’ marshmallow creme. So good!

Make the Filling

Stir butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together to start incorporating. Add in the marshmallow fluff and whip it really well. Scrape sides and stir again briefly. If you think it’s too thick, add in some milk.

Unroll, Fill, Roll Again

Unroll cooled cake, spread the filling evenly across the entire thing, then roll up again gently. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling firms up. While cooling prepare the chocolate glaze.

For the Chocolate Glaze

Make the Glaze

Melt butter, chocolate chips, cocoa, and milk together in a small pot. Once everything has melted together, remove from heat then stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Pour Over Swiss Roll

Once the swiss roll is cooled remove plastic wrap and place swiss roll onto a cooling rack with foil underneath to catch any drips.

Pour warm glaze over the swiss roll, using the back of the spoon to spread gently, covering every exposed part of the cake. Top with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until the glaze has firmed up.

Slice into pieces and serve!

More Chocolate Cakes to Try!

• Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Dark Chocolate Cake
• Flourless Chocolate Cake
• Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
• Chocolate Birthday Cake

If you want a show-stopping, ridiculously sweet, and rich dessert, this is your ticket!! It’s a few steps, but really not too difficult at all!! And ohmahgarsh so totally worth it.

Printable recipe card below, enjoy!

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4.86 from 7 votes

Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake

This Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake Recipe is a show stopping, ridiculously sweet and rich dessert that will blow your socks off!

servings 15 servings

Prep Time 4 hrs

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

for the cake-

• ▢ 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/3 cup, divided
• ▢ 4 eggs separated
• ▢ 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/3 cup cocoa
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/3 cup water

for the marshmallow filling-

• ▢ 6 tablespoons butter softened
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 7 oz marshmallow fluff 1 container
• ▢ 1 tablespoon milk if needed

for chocolate glaze/frosting-

• ▢ 1/4 cup butter
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ▢ 1/4 cup milk
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

for the cake-

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15-1/2×10-1/2×1-inch jelly-roll pan with foil; generously grease foil. Sprinkle linen or thin cotton towel with 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
  
• Beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form; gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
  
• Beat egg yolks and vanilla in medium bowl on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar; continue beating 2 additional minutes.
  
• Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt;
  
• add to egg yolk mixture alternately with water, beating on low speed just until batter is smooth.
  
• Gradually fold chocolate mixture into beaten egg whites until well blended.
  
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
  
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; invert onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off foil.
  
• Immediately roll cake and towel together starting from narrow end; place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  

for the marshmallow filling-

• Stir butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together to start incorporating.
  
• Add in the marshmallow fluff and whip it good for 1 minute. Scrape sides and stir again briefly. If you think it's too thick, add in 1 tablespoon milk.
  
• Unroll cooled cake, spread the frosting evenly across the entire thing, then roll up again gently. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours until the filling firms up. While cooling prepare the chocolate frosting.
  

for chocolate glaze/frosting-

• Melt butter, chocolate chips, cocoa, and milk together in a small pot over low heat. Once everything has melted together, remove from heat then stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.
  
• Once the swiss roll is cooled remove plastic wrap and place cake roll onto a cooling rack with foil underneath to catch any drips.
  
• Pour warm frosting over cake, using the back of the spoon to spread gently, covering every exposed part of the cake.
  
• Top with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes until frosting has firmed up.
  
• Slice into pieces and serve.

Notes

Cake Recipe was taken from Hershey’s Chocolate Mousse Cake Roll Recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Cake, Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake, Swiss Roll, Swiss Roll Cake, Swiss Roll Recipe