Love and Olive Oil
Giant Swiss Cake Roll

Giant Swiss Cake Roll

Giant Homemade Swiss Cake Roll

Taylor always talks about the “good old days” back in elementary school, when he would scour car seats, jacket pockets, couch cushions and the school grounds hoping to find to stray change. When he managed to scrounge together two quarters, he’d head straight to the school lunch counter and buy himself a two-pack of Swiss cake rolls. This constituted a really good day for young Taylor.

He doesn’t eat them often nowadays, knowing that they are filled with who-knows-what-kind-of-preservatives, but that doesn’t stop him from fondly reminiscing of his childhood snack and the effort it took to get them.

I decided to treat his inner child and bake him a giant homemade version of this nostalgic treat.

(And boy, you should have seen his face light up when I sliced into this baby!)

Giant Homemade Swiss Cake Roll with Marshmallow Filling

It’s decadence with a touch of nostalgia: dark chocolate cake rolled up with a fluffy marshmallow filling and coated with a dark chocolate glaze. Call it a grown up version of the snack-size treat, both bigger in size but also less sweet and richer than the pre-packaged version.

It might look complicated, but with a few simple tricks it’s really quite straightforward, ready in under 2 hours from start to finish, and not to mention oh-so-impressive.

How to Make a Homemade Swiss Cake Roll

Most roll cake recipes call for a sponge cake, which separates out the egg whites and beats them to peaks. This recipe aerates the eggs whole, which adds lightness and lift to the final cake but without the need to separate the eggs (and clean two bowls). The rich chocolate flavor in the cake comes in two forms, melted semisweet chocolate and Dutch-processed cocoa powder, for an ultra rich and decadent chocolate flavor.

How to Make a Homemade Swiss Cake Roll

The fluffy marshmallow frosting is light and airy and downright delightful. It’s a bit on the sweet side on its own, but when paired with the dark chocolate cake and bittersweet glaze, it balances out the sweetness perfectly.

That’s one of my favorite parts about this homemade version… it’s less sweet, less cloying, and the chocolate flavor is much more refined and mature.

Giant Homemade Swiss Cake Roll

I can’t think of a better way to satisfy your grown-up sweet tooth… and make your inner child giddy with delight at the same time.

Giant Swiss Cake Roll

Giant Swiss Cake Roll

Dark chocolate cake rolled up with a fluffy marshmallow filling and coated with a dark chocolate glaze; it’s a grown up version of the snack-time favorite.

Ingredients:

For Cake:

  • 3/4 cup (3.5 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (.75 oz) dark or dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate (60-70%), finely chopped

For Filling:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons unflavored vegetable shortening, room temperature
  • 8 ounces marshmallow fluff
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (more as needed)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

For Glaze:

  • 4 ounces dark chocolate (60-70%), finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter, cut into cubes

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan; line bottom with parchment paper and lightly butter parchment.
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla and espresso powder.
  4. Gently melt butter and chopped chocolate in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds. Stop heating when the chocolate is almost melted, the residual heat should be enough to melt it the rest of the way.
  5. With the mixer running on low speed, drizzle in the melted chocolate mixture until evenly incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  6. Sprinkle dry ingredients over top, and fold into batter using a large rubber spatula. Spread into prepared pan, using an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly into the corners.
  7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched with a fingertip. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes, then turn out the cake upside down onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar. You can also use a clean dish towel. Peel away parchment paper from bottom of cake, then gently roll up cake starting with the short side. Doing this while the cake is still warm will give the cake some ‘muscle memory’ and allow it to be rolled with the filling without cracking. Set the rolled-up cake seam-side down, and let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

  8. While cake is cooling, prepare the filling. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and shortening together until fluffy. Add marshmallow fluff and beat until evenly incorporated, then add sifted powdered sugar, beating on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add heavy cream and mix until incorporated, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. If the filling is still rather loose, you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more powdered sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency.

  9. Gently unroll cooled cake, peeling back parchment paper as you go. Spread a 3/8-inch thick layer of filling over the top of the cake. Don’t make this layer too thick or you’ll find yourself with a big old mess when you try to roll it up (you may not need all of the filling). Starting with the same short side as before, carefully roll up the cake, trying not to let the filling squish out too much. Set seam side down, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to set up a bit (this will make it much easier to slice later).

  10. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Warm cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it just begins to bubble around the edges (do not let it boil). Pour evenly over chopped chocolate; let sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk, in concentric circles starting in the very center, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter, one cube at a time, until melted and completely smooth.

  11. Transfer cake roll to a wire rack set inside a sheet pan (this will catch any excess glaze). Pour glaze over top, spreading as needed to get any remaining exposed areas, until top and sides of cake are completely covered in glaze.

  12. Slice cake with a large chef’s knife, using a single clean slicing motion (do not saw the knife back and forth). Wipe knife clean between slices.

  13. Cake is best enjoyed the day it is made, but will also keep in the refrigerator, lightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. Let sit room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

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47 Comments

  1. I made it yesterday and I could not roll it up to perfection, it crumbled and tore into pieces. Not fond of the filling either. I was excited to use marshmallow but it did nothing much to the flavor. Just my experience

    • Cracking can occur if the cake was overbaked or there was too much flour in the batter. Try baking it for less time (also double check to make sure your oven doesn’t run hot).

      The marshmallow filling was meant to replicate the flavor of the original snack cake. You could add some vanilla if you wanted (some marshmallow fluffs have a strong vanilla flavor already but this depends on the brand).

  2. Have you ever tried making the cake in advance and freezing it and then pulling from the freezer to glaze? Or how long does it keep pre-party in the fridge?

  3. Can I make this into a bundt cake? The taste is AMAZING and wanna know if there’s a way to make this in a bundt cake pan? Let me know!

  4. Can I make this into a bundt cake? The taste is AMAZING and wanna know if there’s a way to make this in a bundt cake pan? Let me know!

  5. Hi, this cake looks delicious and I really want to make it for when my family come to visit this weekend but I only have an 18-by-13 inch jelly pan. Can you please guide me as to how I need to adjust the measurements for the ingredients? I’m new to baking so I really have no idea! Thanks in advance. 

    • I also have a 9-by-13 inch baking dish if that can be used.

    • I’ve only made this in a standard 15×10 jelly roll pan, so I’m not sure about the measurements you’d need for a larger one. Sometimes when converting pans it helps to fill it up with water about to the depth that the batter would be, then transfer the water to a liquid measuring cup and see what the volume is. Do this with both pans and you should be able to figure out how to scale the recipe. That said, for this recipe in particular a larger size cake is going to make your final cake roll abnormally large, which could cause other issues when rolling. I’d really recommend tracking down the proper size pan for this one!

  6. This is not the first time I’ve made this recipe of yours, although it is one of my favorites. When asked to make something decadent, I immediately think of this. It’s so wonderful, and not to mention chocolatey, it soothes the most savage of chocolate beasts!!! 
    Thank you very much!!!

  7. This is not the first time I’ve made this recipe of yours, although it is one of my favorites. When asked to make something decadent, I immediately think of this. It’s so wonderful, and not to mention chocolatey, it soothes the most savage of chocolate beasts!!! 

  8. Hi Lindsay, the cake was a success. However, I glazed the cake the following day and when slicing the cake later on, the glaze did not stick onto the cake but came apart! Any idea why? 
    J

    • Assuming you refrigerated it? The nature of ganache-style glazes like this is they do set up when chilled. Still tasty, obviously, but if you’re looking for that perfectly shiny presentation I’d suggest chilling the unglazed roll, and just glazing it prior to serving. ;)

  9. looks so good! going to try this today? Are these US measurements?

  10. Want to make this today for the first time. Can I substitute cake flour? That is all I have at the present time. Either that or bread flour.
    Don’t know which would be best as a substitute today.

    • Maybe use half and half, that should approximate the protein content of AP flour. I’d worry all cake would make it too fragile to roll. 

  11. This is so good,i recomend for holiday parities but add Pepper,its good with mexican meals.

  12. Hi, this is a silly question, but the first time you roll the cake do you roll it with the parchment paper?

    • Yes! You can use a clean tea towel as well. The idea here being that the warm cake gets rolled up and creates a ‘muscle memory’ of the shape. So once it’s filled it can be rolled again without cracking. You need the parchment/towel in there though so the cake doesn’t stick to itself and can be unrolled again before filling.

  13. Is there a sub. For the shortening?

    • The shortening keeps the filling more stable than if it was made using all butter. In theory you could use all butter, or even something like coconut oil instead of shortening – though I haven’t tried it myself. I also wouldn’t recommend the substitution in warmer temperatures as the filling would be more likely to melt.

  14. In the recipe description the time information is incorrect. It says: Bake time: 2 hours, total time: 24 hours
    From what I understand the bake time is 10-12 minutes and the whole time would be like two hours.
    Anyway, what if I can’t eat marshmallow fluff? What would be a substitute?

  15. i MADE THIS CREAM CAKE ROLL AND IT TURNED OUT PERFECT. i DID CHANGE ONE THING IN THE CAKE PART OF THE RECIPE. i USED DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING AND IT CAME OUT NICE AND SPRINGY AND OH SO YUMMY. ALSO INSTEAD OF HEAVY CREAM I USED EVAPORATED MILK WITH CORNSTARCH IN IT.

  16. This didn’t work for me. The cake cracked terribly, maybe because I didn’t let the eggs reach room temp? The chocolate topping was WAY too runny and just absorbed in and dropped off. Final product tasted good but looked pretty sad.

    • Sorry you had trouble with this recipe! A cracking cake usually means the cake was too cool when you rolled it up or the cake may have been overbaked. Also be sure you measure your flour accurately as too much flour could have affected the consistency.
      If the ganache was runny, just let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes and it’ll thicken up just fine. :)

  17. Great recipe! Came out beautiful!

  18. Oooh yummy :) This swiss cake roll looks so delicious, I will definitely try to cook this. Thank you for sharing this amazing dessert recipe with us.

  19. My cake cracked and crumbled but the recipe was delicious and I definitely will be making it again! Any tips to prevent the cake from cracking. I will admit I didn’t allow my eggs to come to room temperature… would that cause the cracking? Thanks!

  20. This is a request of my son whom just graduated H.S. I am making to look as a diploma ;) So this is pretty easy and yummy?? I have so much to do, my mind is on a hamster wheel right now, but really want to pull this off. I was told it would be almost impossible to make a giant swiss cake roll like this. Thoughts?

  21. I really liked this recipe. Added my twist and tweaked just a little. I will be revisiting this one often. Thanks for sharing

  22. I love your Swiss rol cake it’s beautifull and yummmyyyy

  23. WOW – this Swiss roll takes me back!  I used to love these things as a kid.  But this looks 1,000 times better!  I need to give this a try ASAP  :)

  24. Just finished this! It looks amazing! (Just as pretty as yours- didn’t think I could pull it off) It tastes amazing! Thank you.

  25. This boggles the mind. Like, stop in your tracks … have to make currently kind of situation! I love the cake, I never found out about a swiss roll, but I’m additionally happy to earn new experiments.

  26. This looks so good! I loved Swiss rolls as a kid but this grown up version looks so much better! 

  27. This is UNBELIEVABLE. Like, stop in your tracks/must make now sort of situation!

  28. Yes. Please. 

  29. I actually think about good old times myself. Does it mean that I’m an adult? :D I love the cake, I never heard about a swiss roll, but I’m also happy to make new experiments.

  30. I would do a happy dance if this were in front of me.

  31. These looks so good…

  32. I have actually never had a swiss roll before (I know, what?!) but this looks sooooo good!

  33. I love swiss rolls and yours looks so delicious! You have definitely inspired me to get swiss rolls rocking in my kitchen this week!

  34. Oh, wow. This would be a hit even with folks who didn’t grow up with Swiss cake rolls. As I tell my kid: If you’re going to eat junk, at least make it homemade junk.
    Plus it’s always tastier!

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