Chocolate Swiss Roll (With Ganache!) – Classic Holiday Cake Recipe

If you've ever dreamed of making a showstopping chocolate cake roll, this Chocolate Swiss Roll (also called a jelly roll or bûche de Noël) is the one to try. It's soft, light, rich in chocolate flavor, and topped with a shimmering ganache.

This is the cake my neighbors now request for birthdays, holidays-or just because.

If you like this recipe you might like my Italian Chocolate Cake or my Tiramisu.

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Originally published March 2012 and updated for content June 2025.

This is the cake my neighbors now request for birthdays, holidays-or just because.

It had been months that I was planning to make a tronchetto di Natale. A gorgeous yule log cake (in France it is called Bûche de Noël)  made during the holidays and usually decorated with pretty meringue mushrooms.  I planned. I dreamed. I set the date.

It never happened. I couldn't get a chocolate roll cake out of my mind. The chocolate bûche  taunted and tormented me. I had my recipe I was going to use. It was a Martha Stewart Chocolate Rum Swiss Roll recipe.

There were other recipes I was checking out with the traditional yule log decorations. There was a simple Bûche de Noël I came across on a lovely blog called Poire au Chocolat. The sponge she uses is adapted from David Lebovitz's book Ready for Dessert. Things got hectic getting closer to the holidays. Time slipped and I never baked my dream cake.

There was a special birthday coming up at my neighbor's house a few weeks ago. I volunteered to bring a cake (or they volunteered me)…I knew it had to be a chocolate Swiss roll cake (or as it's also called: a jelly roll cake). It was a huge hit. I had this post ready to go up on my blog this weekend. 

My great-aunt Mariskaneni from Hungary used to always make a jelly roll cake. It was one of her signature desserts. Simple and light as air. The jelly filling was just the perfect sweetness. It wasn't frosted or fancy. And that was the beauty of it.

This chocolate roll cake needed to be frosted. A shimmering chocolate ganache was the ideal way to top of this gorgeous cake. My neighbors agreed. The cake disappeared in seconds. 

Why You'll Love This Chocolate Swiss Roll

• Perfect for Any Occasion: Birthdays, holidays, or just because!
• Rich Chocolate Flavor: Thanks to Dutch-process cocoa and a silky ganache topping.
• Light and Tender Sponge: The key to an easy roll without cracks.
• Whipped Cream Filling: Simple, fluffy, and not overly sweet.
• Elegant Yet Simple: A dessert that looks impressive but is totally doable.

This is the cake that is already being requested for special and not so special occasions. Just because. Just because it is amazing!

As I'm putting together this post, my kids and one of the kids from next door are surrounding me, "I remember that cake! You brought it to our house. That was a really good cake!"

While prepackaged Swiss rolls are convenient, nothing beats the taste and texture of a homemade chocolate roll cake filled with fresh cream and topped with real chocolate ganache.

I came across several versions of this cake when deciding which recipe to make. I did make this recipe also and loved the directions. You could check out her website (Food is My Life) for more tips and lovely photos.

Substitutions and Variations

• Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder if you don't have Dutch-process (the cake will be lighter in color and slightly more acidic).
• Filling Options: Swap the whipped cream for chocolate buttercream, mascarpone cream, or even Nutella.
• Ganache Topping: Try white chocolate ganache or dust with powdered sugar for a snowy look.
• Flavor Additions: Add a splash of coffee or orange liqueur to the ganache for a flavor twist.

How to Make This Chocolate Swiss Roll

1. Preheat and Prepare

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Grease a 12.5 x 17.5-inch rimmed baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, and dust with cocoa powder.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, cake flour, and salt.

3. Beat the Eggs and Sugar

In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar until warm and the sugar dissolves. Then, using a mixer, beat on medium-high for 2 minutes, increase to high, and beat until pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.

4. Fold and Bake

Sift the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and gently fold with a spatula. Slowly fold in the melted butter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 6-7 minutes until springy to the touch.

5. Roll the Cake

Dust a clean kitchen towel with cocoa powder. Invert the hot cake onto the towel, peel off parchment, and gently roll it up from a short end with the towel. Let cool completely.

6. Make the Whipped Cream

Beat the heavy cream with confectioners' sugar until it holds stiff peaks.

7. Fill and Roll Again

Carefully unroll the cooled cake, spread with whipped cream, and roll it back up (without the towel). Chill for at least 30 minutes.

8. Make the Ganache

Heat the heavy cream until steaming, pour over the chocolate, let sit one minute, then whisk until smooth. Let it cool slightly before pouring over the chilled cake.

9. Chill and Serve

Chill briefly to set the ganache. Slice with a serrated knife for clean cuts and serve!

Expert tips to make chocolate roll cake

• Use Dutch-process cocoa for deep chocolate flavor.
• Roll while warm to avoid cracks.
• Chill before glazing so the ganache sets beautifully.
• Use a serrated knife for clean, perfect slices.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make Ahead: Bake the cake and assemble it up to 1 day ahead. Store in the fridge and glaze before serving if desired.
• Storage: Keep the rolled and glazed cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before slicing for best texture.
• To freeze: Wrap tightly (without ganache) in plastic and foil. Freeze for 1 month. Thaw in fridge and glaze before serving.

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Chocolate Swiss Roll (With Ganache!) - Classic Holiday Cake Recipe

If you've ever dreamed of making a showstopping chocolate cake roll, this Chocolate Swiss Roll (also called a jelly roll or bûche de Noël) is the one to try. It's soft, light, rich in chocolate flavor, and topped with a shimmering ganache.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time7 minutes mins

Chill in refrigerator1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 16 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate cake

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 173kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

• baking sheet

Ingredients

For the cake

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• ¼ cup sifted unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder plus more for pan
• ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour not self-rising, plus more for pan
• Pinch of salt
• 3 large whole eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tablespoons ½ stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled completely

For the filling

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tablespoons confectioners sugar sifted

For the ganache

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
• ⅔ cups heavy cream

Instructions

For the chocolate cake

• Prepare oven and baking sheet: Heat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in bottom half. Coat a 12 ½-by-17 ½-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.
• Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together cocoa powder, flour, and salt in a bowl.
• Combine eggs and sugar: Bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (not in) simmering water, whisk eggs, yolks, and granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Raise speed to high; beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.
• Add dry ingredients: Sift cocoa mixture over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold. When almost incorporated, pour melted butter down side of bowl; gently fold to combine.
• Dust a clean kitchen towel with cocoa powder and set aside. Using an offset spatula, spread batter evenly into prepared sheet. Tilt the sheet pan so the batter spreads out evenly and drop it several times on the counter top to burst the uneven air bubbles. Bake cake until golden brown and springy to the touch, 6 to 7 minutes.

For the filling

• While the cake is baking, make the filling. Beat cream with confectioners sugar cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks; spread over cake leaving a ½-inch border all around.
• Run a knife around sides of cake. Invert onto prepared towel, and remove parchment.
• While the sheet cake is still warm, gently roll, starting from one short side, into a log, incorporating the kitchen towel. Let the cake cool completely, rolled. (This will give the cake a "shape memory," so it will be easier to roll again with filling.)
• Unroll cake.
• Spread filling over cake leaving a ½-inch border all around. Carefully roll cake to enclose filling (without towel), starting at a short end. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours). Pour the ganache on the chilled cake, letting it drip down the sides for a rich, glossy finish. Chill briefly to set before slicing and serving.

For the ganache

• Place chocolate pieces in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a small sauce pan to almost boiling. The milk will be steaming hot. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate pieces. Allow to stand for one minute before whisking into a smooth and glossy chocolate sauce. Allow to rest in the fridge until thickened slightly, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 38mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 583IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.04mg

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