German Chocolate Roll Cake

 

This week's bake is an all-time favorite of mine! It's from my mother's recipe from the "old country!"   It's a chocolate roll cake filled and topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls!

A Swiss roll, jelly roll (United States), roll cake, cream roll, roulade or Swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake is believed to have originated elsewhere in Central Europe, possibly Austria or Slovenia.  It appears to have been invented in the nineteenth century, along with Battenberg cake, doughnuts, and Victoria sponge.

In the U.S., commercial versions of the cake are sold with the brand names of Ho Hos, Yodels, Swiss Cake Rolls, and others. A type of roll cake called Yule log is traditionally served at Christmas.

The spiral layered shape of the Swiss roll has inspired usage as a descriptive term in other fields, such as the jelly roll fold, a protein fold, the "Swiss roll" metamaterial in optics, and the term jelly roll in science, quilting and other fields.

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Roll Cake 

from Ruth Wertheimer

Ingredients

Cake:

6 eggs separated

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Filling:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache (optional):

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake:

Beat egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar and cream of tartar to snow.

Beat egg yolks with other 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla.

Sift dry ingredients into yolks.

Fold in egg whites.

Grease a pan well and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper, as well.

Bake the cake at 350F for 20 minutes

When finished baking, lay out new parchment paper and sprinkle confectioner's sugar on it.  Remove the warm cake from the pan and flip it upside down onto the new parchment paper.  Remove the old parchment paper from the cake.  Roll the cake in the new parchment paper and allow to cool for approximately 30 minutes.  Leave it on a rack to cool. 

Cream Filling:

Combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl, and whip with a hand mixer to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes on medium speed.

Unroll the cooled cake, then spread the cream all over, leave a 1 inch border around all edges. Roll the cake up gently (leaving the parchment paper behind), then place on a wire rack.

Decorate the top fo the roll with remaining whipped cream or - 

Ganache: (optional)

Microwave the cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until combined. Use the chocolate ganache to decorate as desired.  Refrigerate 20 minutes before serving to allow ganache to firm up.

Here are some pictures from the bake:

Have a great day !