One of our favorite cakes to bake and eat is our gluten-free chocolate roulade! It's a variation of Mary Berry's recipe from the Great British Bake Off, and you'll love its moist sponge and creamy filling!
Want to try more of our favorite chocolate cake recipes? You're going to love our sachertorte and sour cream chocolate cake.
Ingredients
Curious what you'll need to make your own chocolate roulade? This cake takes only six ingredients altogether! Let's talk about the key ingredients before you get baking.
- Chocolate: Use dark chocolate (60% cacao or higher) to provide lots of rich flavors to this cake. A good brand like Ghirardelli or Lindt is an excellent choice.
- Cocoa Powder: Adding a little cocoa powder increases the chocolate flavor even more.
- Eggs: They act as the leavening agent and as the binding agent in this recipe. There's no flour in this cake, so the eggs do a lot! Make sure they're at room temperature so they'll gain the most volume when they're beaten.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
- Melt the chocolate, then set it aside to cool while you make the rest of the cake batter.
- Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. If you turn the bowl upside down, the mixture should not fall out.
3. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until they are pale yellow. When you lift the beaters from the mixture, it should form a ribbon that holds its shape for a few seconds before sinking back into the mixture.
4. Pour the melted and cooled chocolate into the egg yolk mixture and stir until combined.
5. Stir in two large spoonfuls of the beaten egg whites to slacken the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no white flecks remain. Sift in the cocoa powder and fold it in.
6. Gently spread the batter in a 9x13-inch jelly roll pan that's lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
7. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then turn it out onto a large piece of parchment paper that's been generously dusted with icing sugar.
8. Whip the cream and spread it on top of the cake, leaving a 1 inch border on three sides. Cut almost all the way through the cake about an inch in from one of the short sides, then fold it over to start the roll. Continue rolling until the whole cake is rolled. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
These two desserts are actually the same shape, but the exact type of cake and filling used will vary depending upon the flavor. The main difference between a chocolate roulade and a Swiss roll is that a roulade is rolled up after it's completely cooled. With a Swiss roll, you'll want to roll it up while it's still warm so it doesn't crack.
This term refers to food that is rolled with a filling inside. The term is used for the spiral shape of cakes such as a Swiss roll which is a dessert made from a thin, rectangular sponge spread with a filling and rolled up in a spiral. Sweet roulades can also be made from meringue. Savory roulades usually involve thin slices of meat such as beer or salmon rolled around savory ingredients.
The cake is actually rather brittle and isn't as flexible as a traditional sponge, so it will crack as you roll it up. This is part of its rustic charm, so don't worry if you notice some cracks. However, if it is cracking severely, you may have overbaked it.
Yes, you can. Just bake the cake, let it cool completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and store it at room temperature overnight. Do not fill it with whipped cream until you're ready to serve.
Serve
If you're looking for other chocolate/mocha cakes, you'll definitely want to try our recipes for Boston cream pie, coffee cupcakes with mocha buttercream, sachertorte, and sour cream chocolate cake.
Store
- Make Ahead: You can bake the cake up to a couple of days ahead. But wait to roll it until as close to serving time as possible and no more than 24 hours in advance.
- Leftovers: Be sure to refrigerate it, as the cream is perishable and can't be kept out on the counter.
- Freeze: The roulade can freeze for up to 1 month. It's best to roll it up and pre-slice it, then freeze it in zip-top plastic bags or an airtight container. Dust it with additional icing sugar once it has defrosted in the fridge overnight.
Expert Tips
- Be careful not to overbake, or the roulade will crack too much and be too dry.
- Let the cake cool before rolling it up to make a chocolate roulade. It will crack a lot more if it's still a little warm!
- Love peppermint? Add ⅛ teaspoon of peppermint extract before whisking the cream.
- Roll it as tightly as possible. Don't worry if some of the cream filling squeezes out of the chocolate roulade; you can clean it up after rolling.
- The roulade should crack a little as you roll it up. The cracks make it look attractive, and won't affect the flavor.
- Save the trimmings from the ends and eat them as your reward for baking the roulade. Once you've trimmed the ends, you'll get 9 slices from this dessert.
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Recipe
Chocolate Roulade
Ingredients
- 6 ounces 60% cacao chocolate chips
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup icing sugar
Instructions
Making the Cake (45 min)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the base and sides of a 9x13-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper. Also, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is fully melted, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until stiff peaks form. The mixture should not fall out of the bowl when it's turned upside down.
- In a large, clean bowl, beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together with a handheld electric mixer. The mixture should be increase in volume and be pale in color. When the whisk is lifted, the mixture should fall in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a couple seconds before sinking back into the mix.
- Gently fold the melted and cooled chocolate into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, making sure they are fully mixed.
- Put two large spoonfuls of beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture and stir it in carefully to slacken the mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites until no white flecks remain. Sift in the cocoa powder and fold it in, being careful not to knock the air out of the batter.
- Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to move the batter into the corners. Make sure the batter is level.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, until the cake is well risen and the top feels a little crisp. Be careful not to overbake. Put it on a wire rack and let it cool completely in the pan.
Assembling the Roulade (15 min)
- Put a large sheet of parchment paper on a big cutting board and sift a little icing sugar all over the paper.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into a medium mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer until the cream forms fairly stiff peaks.
- Turn the cake out onto the sugar-dusted parchment paper and carefully peel off the paper. Spread the whipped cream evenly on top, making sure to leave 1 inch uncovered all the way around.
- Turn the cutting board so a short side of the cake is facing you. Using a sharp knife, cut almost all the way through the cake about an inch in from the short end. Start the roll by pushing this little strip over, then roll it up as tightly as you can. Use the parchment paper to help. It will crack as it's rolled.
- Trim the ends with a sharp serrated knife, then dust the roulade with more icing sugar if desired. Transfer it to the serving platter with a large cake lifter. Serve within a few hours.
Notes
- Be careful not to overbake, or the roulade will crack a lot and be dry.
- Let the cake cool before rolling, or it will crack far too much.
- Give it a mint flavor by adding ⅛ teaspoon of peppermint extract before whisking the cream.
- Roll the cake as tight as you can. If some cream squeezes out, that's okay; you can clean it up.
- It will crack as you roll it up, so don't worry; it's part of this dessert's charm.
- Eat the trimmings from the ends. You'll get 9 additional slices out of this cake.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Our chocolate roulade recipe was originally published on January 5, 2018.
Carolyn Fleshner
Can you omit the cocoa powder
Emma
You can replace the cocoa powder with an equal weight of flour, but the flavor of the cake won't be the same. I'd really recommend using the cocoa powder if you can.
Alex
The whipped cream is smooth as silk. It complements the chocolate cake exquisitely. This makes a lovely birthday cake.
Emma
Thank you so much, Alex! I'm glad that you enjoyed this cake on your birthday.
Beth
This cake is fluffy and smooth. The whipped cream is airy and the cake is perfectly chocolatey. It looks so elegant dusted with powered sugar! The smell is inviting.
Emma
Thank you, Beth! I love how the cake looks snowy with the powdered sugar on top.
Connie Gault
If you want a lite, delicious dessert, this is it. Not too sweet, but lite and airy. Even the kids will love it.
Emma
Thank you! Chocolate roulade is a great favorite with our family. We're glad you enjoyed it!