Description
This elegant Chocolate Cake Roll features a light and airy chocolate sponge with a beautiful faux-bois wood grain design baked into the surface. Filled with a luscious chestnut whipped cream enhanced with a hint of amaretto, this dessert offers a delightful balance of rich chocolate and sweet, nutty flavors, making it perfect for festive occasions or an indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Design Paste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened, softer than room temp but not melted)
- 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cake flour (sifted)
- 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sifted)
- 1 large egg white (34g)
Cake Batter
- 3 large eggs (separated)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1½ tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup cake flour (sifted)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (sifted)
- pinch cream of tartar
Filling
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 tablespoon cool water
- 3 tablespoons sweetened chestnut paste
- 1½ teaspoons amaretto liqueur (optional)
For Dusting
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan and Parchment: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter or grease a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan. Trace the pan’s outline on heavy-duty parchment paper and butter the top side thinly and evenly.
- Make the Design Paste: In a bowl, mix softened butter and sugar until smooth. Add sifted cake flour and cocoa powder and stir until partially combined. Then add the egg white and mix thoroughly until the paste reaches a buttercream-like consistency.
- Apply the Stencil Design: Position a wood grain stencil on the parchment paper with the grain running parallel to the short side. Tape it securely. Using an offset spatula, spread a thick layer of chocolate paste over the stencil ensuring it is thicker than the stencil itself. Peel off the stencil gently, trim parchment to fit the pan, and place it inside the buttered jelly roll pan. Set aside.
- Make the Cake Batter: In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar until dissolved and lightened. Slowly drizzle in vegetable oil while whisking. Add milk, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing well. Sift in cake flour and cocoa powder and fold into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a clean bowl or stand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat on high until medium-stiff peaks form.
- Incorporate Egg Whites: Fold a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest carefully until no streaks remain.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter evenly over the stenciled design, spreading smoothly with an offset spatula. Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and level it. Bake for about 10 minutes until the top springs back lightly and edges are just browning.
- Invert and Cool the Cake: Remove from oven and dust top lightly with a mix of powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Invert the warm cake onto parchment on a flat surface and peel off the backing parchment revealing the design. Dust a clean tea towel with the sugar/cocoa mix, lay it on the cake, flip the cake over so the design faces down, and roll the cake up from the side without the design using the towel. Let cool for 1 hour.
- Prepare the Filling: Sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon cool water and let soften 5 minutes. Microwave briefly until dissolved. Beat cold whipping cream until frothy, add powdered sugar, then increase speed until soft peaks form. Stir a spoonful of cream into gelatin and combine well, then gently blend gelatin mixture back into the whipped cream. Beat until medium-stiff peaks form, then fold in chestnut paste and amaretto.
- Assemble the Cake Roll: Carefully unroll the cooled cake and remove the towel. Spread the chestnut whipped cream filling evenly over the cake, leaving ½ inch clear at the ends. Roll the cake gently but firmly to avoid squeezing out filling. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Serve: Before serving, dust the cooled cake roll liberally with powdered sugar. Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy. Keep refrigerated and wrapped; best within 3 days.
Notes
- This light chocolate yule log is filled with a sweetened chestnut whipped cream and features a stunning faux-bois wood grain pattern baked right into the cake.
- Rolling the cake while warm creates a muscle memory in the sponge, preventing cracks when filled later.
- Using a cardboard tube during chilling helps maintain the cake roll’s round shape and prevents flattening.
- You can omit the amaretto for a non-alcoholic version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 212 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 147 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 76 mg
