Chocolate Swiss roll
Chocolate Swiss roll is a delicious classic dessert. With a simple, light and fluffy chocolate sponge, filled with sweetened whipped cream, it’s the perfect treat for any chocolate lover.
Chocolate Swiss roll is a really delicious classic dessert. Although it looks a bit special which makes it great for dinner parties, it’s actually very simple to make. And this recipe comes with step by step instructions for you to follow.
Our plain Swiss roll always a popular recipe and this chocolate version is a delicious alternative for any chocolate lovers out there.
How can kids help make the Chocolate Swiss roll?
It might not look like it but, this actually a pretty simple recipe so it’s a great bake for kids to try.
With 4 eggs in the sponge there are lots of chances for kids to practice cracking eggs (a key skill to master for any young baker).
They will also get to measure out the ingredients and mix them all together.
The hardest part is rolling up the sponge without it cracking. But if you help your kids to do this first when it is still warm (see the note below), this should help stop that from happening.
What can you fill a Chocolate Swiss roll with?
I think the chocolate Swiss roll needs something with a little bit of sweetness in the centre. Mary Berry likes to fill hers with some jam and then whipped cream which sounds like a great combination. Not everyone in our house is a jam fan however, so we’ve used some whipped cream with a little bit of icing sugar in it.
If you want you can get even more adventurous and turn your Swiss roll into a Black Forest roll by adding some fresh cherries and a splash of Kirsch.
Or at Christmas time, add some ganache on top and turn it into a delicious Yule log. We’ve got an easy Yule log recipe which shows you how.
How do I stop my Swiss roll from cracking?
The key to stopping your Swiss roll from cracking is to roll it up while it is still warm. While it is fresh from the oven, roll it up in some baking paper and a tea towel and leave it to cool. That way, once it has cooled and you’ve added your filling, your sponge knows how to roll back up again.
Don’t worry too much if it does crack a little, especially if your kids are helping to do it. You can cover smaller cracks with some icing sugar or cocoa powder. And even if it cracks more, it doesn’t mean it won’t taste great!
How long does a chocolate Swiss roll keep?
We’ve filled this Swiss roll with whipped cream, which means once it’s made it needs to be kept in the fridge. It will keep there covered, for a day or two.
Other delicious chocolate desserts
If you enjoyed this chocolate Swiss roll you’ll love some of our other easy chocolatey desserts:
Chocolate pots
Chocolate roulade
3 ingredient chocolate mousse
Chocolate pavlova
Chocolate eclairs
Chocolate cheesecake
Chocolate waffle pudding
No bake chocolate cheesecake
Mini no bake chocolate tarts
Profiteroles
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this swiss roll
Swiss roll tin
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Spatula
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Ingredients
For the chocolate sponge
4 eggs
100g (½ cup) caster sugar
65g (1/2 cup) self raising flour*
40g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
To roll the chocolate sponge
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon icing sugar
For the filling
300ml double / whipping cream
50g icing sugar
*If you don’t have any self raising flour, simply use plain flour and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.
How to make a Chocolate Swiss roll
Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C Fan / 425F and grease a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) Swiss roll tin and then line it with baking or parchment paper.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together
Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl then add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. We don’t generally add our eggs straight in just in case any shell goes in. If it does, just fish it out with a larger piece of shell. It will stick to that better than it will your finger.
Now measure out the sugar and add that to the mixing bowl with your eggs.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together with the whisk attachment of your free-standing mixer or a hand held whisk until they are light and frothy. It’ll take a good few minutes. You can test that you’ve whisked them enough by lifting the whisk out of your bowl – it should leave a trail in the mixture that stays for a few seconds before disappearing into back into the mixture.
Add the flour
Get your kids to measure out the flour and the cocoa powder, then sift it into your mixing bowl.
Using a spatula, gently fold it into the egg/sugar mixture. Make sure you can’t see any flour left at the bottom of your mixture. If your kids are doing this make sure they are very gentle so they don’t knock the air out.
Bake the chocolate sponge
Pour the mixture into your prepared Swiss roll tin. Get your kids to gently turn and shake your tin so the mixture flows into all the corners of the tin, and is level across the top.
Bake the sponge in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes. It’s ready when the sponge has starting to shrink away from the edges of the tin. You can also check by pressing very gently down on the sponge – if it’s ready it will spring back up.
prepare Chocolate Swiss roll
While the sponge is cooking put a clean tea towel down on your work surface. Put a piece of baking paper / parchment paper, slightly bigger than the size of your Swiss roll tin on top. Finally, sprinkle the cocoa powder and icing sugar on the baking paper.
Once it is baked, remove the sponge from the oven and turn it out onto the baking paper. (This isn’t really a job for children)!
Now, very carefully peel the baking paper off the bottom of your sponge. Then if you need to trim the edges of your sponge with a sharp knife so you have a nice neat rectangle.
Score a line 2cm (just under an inch) from the short edge of your sponge. Don’t cut all the way through it – just enough to leave a mark.
Finally, starting at the score make, roll the Swiss roll sponge up. Use your tea towel to help you, then leave the sponge to cool.
Make the Chocolate Swiss roll
While the sponge is cooling, add the double cream and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl or your free-standing mixer and whip it until it has formed soft peaks (ie it is stiff enough to briefly hold its shape when you lift out the whisk).
Once your sponge has cooled, carefully unroll it then get your kids to spread the cream in the middle with a palette knife, spatula or the back of a spoon.
Gently roll the cake up again, nice and tightly.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and/or cocoa powder (optional) serve and enjoy.
Chocolate Swiss roll
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C Fan / 425F.
- Grease a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) Swiss roll tin and then line it with baking or parchment paper.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl then add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Now measure out the sugar and add that to the mixing bowl with your eggs.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together with the whisk attachment of your free-standing mixer or a hand held whisk until they are light and frothy. It'll take a good few minutes.
- Measure out the flour and the cocoa powder, then sift it into your mixing bowl.
- Using a spatula, gently fold it into the egg/sugar mixture. Make sure you can't see any flour left at the bottom of your mixture. And make sure you do it gently so you don't knock the air out.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared Swiss roll tin. Gently turn and shake your tin so the mixture flows into all the corners of the tin, and is level across the top.
- Bake the sponge in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes. It's ready when the sponge has starting to shrink away from the edges of the tin. You can also check by pressing very gently down on the sponge – if it's ready it will spring back up.
- While the sponge is cooking put a clean tea towel down on your work surface. Put a piece of baking paper / parchment paper, slightly bigger than the size of your Swiss roll tin on top. Finally, sprinkle the cocoa powder and icing sugar on the baking paper.
- Once it is baked, remove the sponge from the oven and turn it out onto the baking paper.Now, very carefully peel the baking paper off the bottom of your sponge. Then, if you need to, trim the edges of your sponge with a sharp knife so you have a nice neat rectangle.
- Score a line 2cm (just under an inch) from the short edge of your sponge. Don't cut all the way through it – just enough to leave a mark.Finally, starting at the score make, roll the Swiss roll sponge up. Use your tea towel to help you, then leave the sponge to cool.
- While the sponge is cooling, add the double cream and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl or your free-standing mixer and whip it until it has formed soft peaks (ie it is stiff enough to briefly hold its shape when you lift out the whisk).
- Once your sponge has cooled, carefully unroll it then spread the cream in the middle with a palette knife, spatula or the back of a spoon.Roll the cake up again, nice and tightly.Sprinkle with icing sugar and/or cocoa powder (optional) serve and enjoy.
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