Best Hot Cocoa Cake Roll Recipes

CHOCOLATE SWISS ROLL CAKE (REGULAR & MINI)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 12×17 inch baking pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter, so the parchment paper sticks. Then line it with parchment paper so the cake seamlessly releases. Spray or grease the parchment paper too. We want an extremely nonstick surface for this cake roll.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar together in a medium bowl on high speed for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, remaining sugar, and vanilla extract together until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Sift the flour, 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl bowl. Pour the melted butter, coffee, and egg yolk mixture over the dry ingredients. Beat everything together on medium speed until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold in the egg whites until completely combined. Avoid over-mixing and deflating those whites. Batter will be very light.
• Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. It will be a very thin layer. Shimmy the pan on the counter to smooth out the top. Bake for 10 minutes or until the top of the cake gently springs back when touched with your finger. Do NOT over-bake.
• As the cake bakes, place a piece of parchment paper (larger than the cake) or a thin kitchen/tea towel flat on the counter. (Note: I find a kitchen towel is better to help prevent cracking.) Using a fine mesh sieve, dust parchment/towel with 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder. Once the cake comes out of the oven, quickly run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake as it baked. Starting with the narrow end, begin tightly rolling the hot cake up with the parchment/towel. Do this slowly and gently. The cake will be warm. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 3 hours and up to 1 day. (Note that you must bring it back to room temperature before unrolling, so make sure you set aside enough time.)
• Bring cake to room temperature if it was in the refrigerator. The cake is prone to cracking if unrolled while cold.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Then beat in the marshmallow creme, if using.
• Slowly and gently unroll the cake. Spread whipped cream evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the cake. Gently roll the cake back up, without the parchment/towel this time. Place on a wire rack set on a baking sheet (to catch the extra ganache). Set aside on the counter or in the refrigerator as you prepare the ganache.
• Place chopped chocolate and corn syrup, if using, in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil- that's too hot.) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted.
• Pour ganache all over cake roll. Feel free to spoon up any dripped ganache and spoon over the cake again. Refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing and serving.
• Cover leftover cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

HOT COCOA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter on medium speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the sour cream and mix in well. Add the eggs and then the egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added. Once all of the eggs are in, add the vanilla extract.
• Combine the coffee powder with the hot water. Add to the mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until homogeneous.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the dry ingredients into the mixture. Use a spatula to mix gently until all of the ingredients are completely combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix gently until evenly.
• Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then release onto a cake circle or a plate.

CHOCOLATE SWISS ROLL

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line bottom of a 17x12" rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (do not grease pan or parchment). Separate yolks from 4 large eggs, room temperature, over a medium bowl to catch egg whites. Place yolks in a large bowl and set aside.
• Add 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. cream of tartar, and ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar to egg whites and beat with an electric mixer until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form, 8-10 minutes. (You can also beat on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.)
• Add remaining ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar to reserved egg yolks and whisk to combine, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup (32 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract, and ⅓ cup room-temperature water and whisk until cocoa is fully dissolved. Sift ½ cup (58 g) bleached cake flour and ½ tsp. baking powder over, then whisk vigorously to combine.
• Add one fourth of meringue to cocoa mixture and mix thoroughly (you can use either a whisk or rubber spatula). Add remaining meringue in 3 batches, gently folding after each addition until only a few streaks of meringue remain (err on the side of mixing slightly less rather than more to keep the batter billowy).
• Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and, using a small offset spatula, gently spread to edges of pan, smoothing surface. Bake cake until top springs back when lightly pressed, 18-20 minutes (cake may start to shrink from sides of pan). Let cake cool in pan, 30-40 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 2 cups heavy cream, 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract in a large bowl until medium-firm peaks form, about 4 minutes. (Or, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, about 1 minute.)
• Run a small offset spatula along edges of pan to release cake from sides. Place a wire rack (same size as cake and rimmed baking sheet) on top of cake and flip over to invert cake onto it; remove baking sheet. Carefully peel away parchment paper (start from a long edge where it might be embedded in the cake and pull gently to ensure you don't tear cake); discard. Place a clean sheet of parchment on top of cake and flip cake over so wire rack is now on top; remove wire rack.
• Dollop filling over surface of cake. Using spatula, smooth cream evenly over cake, working all the way to the edges. Starting from a short end and using parchment as a guide, roll up cake. Transfer cake, seam side down, to a platter and chill until filling is set, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Using a serrated knife, trim ¼"-½" off both ends of cake to create clean edges; discard (or consider them a snack!). Using a small fine-mesh sieve, dust top of Swiss roll with powdered sugar. Slice with serrated knife to serve. Do ahead: Cake (without powdered sugar) can be assembled 2 days ahead. Tightly wrap and keep chilled. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.