I have loved Swiss cake rolls since elementary school, but I never thought of baking my own. After all, Little Debbie did a hell of a job with the tasty treat. And then I saw them bake a Swiss cake roll on the Great British Bakeoff. Consequently, I knew I had to give it a try. Yesterday I baked one for the first time and it was delicious, so I thought I’d share the recipe tonight.

Swiss Cake Roll

Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 10-12 minutes
Rest time: 3:5- 4:00 hours
Total Time: 4-4.75 hours

Tools needed:

• 11X17 jelly roll pan/baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Plastic wrap
• Stand mixer and hand mixer
• Large metal mixing bowl
• Medium microwave safe bowl
• Offset spatula
• Cooling rack
• measuring cups (dry and wet) and measuring spoons

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder plus ¼ cup for rolling
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

For the filling:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line a standard 11”x17” jelly-roll pan (rimmed baking sheet) with parchment paper; spray paper generously with nonstick baking spray. Do not skip the nonstick baking spray. Set pan aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and vanilla together on high speed for 4-5 minutes, or until mixture turns foamy and lemon yellow in color.
• Add sugar to the bowl in (3) separate ¼-cup additions, mixing for 1 full minute after each addition.
• Add oil and mix until well combined.

• In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Fold flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan. (Tip: Spread batter evenly to edges using an offset spatula.) Tap pan on counter several times to remove air bubbles.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched in center. While cake is baking, lay a large, thin kitchen cloth on counter. Sprinkle cocoa powder generously on top of cloth.
• Once baked, immediately flip hot cake out onto the cocoa-dusted cloth. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting with a short end of the cake, roll up cake (and cloth). Let rolled cake cool completely (2 hours) before continuing.

For the filling:

• Using a medium mixing bowl, add whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
• Carefully unroll cake and spread frosting evenly on top of cake. (Tip: Make sure to frost all the way to the edges.) Roll cake back up (this time without the towel). Wrap cake roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the glaze:

• Remove the plastic wrap from the cake and place on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan.
• Using a medium microwaveable bowl, add chocolate chips and whipping cream. Microwave in 20 seconds intervals, stirring after each round, until mixture is smooth.
• Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, or until mixture has thickened slightly but is still pourable.
• Pour chocolate glaze evenly on top, spreading evenly over entire cake.
• Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes to allow glaze to set before slicing.

Notes:

• If you like mint, you could substitute mint extract for the vanilla extract in the filling
• You can add sliced strawberries or raspberries on top of the filling for added flavor
• Cooling time may very based on your climate. The times in this recipe are based on the South Florida climate.