Peppermint Chocolate Roll Cake
I have another remake recipe for you guys today. I made this peppermint chocolate roll cake three years ago and the pictures needed to be updated and recipe revisited. I am so glad I did because I forgot how good it was. Classic chocolate roll cake with cool peppermint frosting on the inside. Sooooo goood!!
Can you tell that I have already embraced the flavors of the season? It’s been a peppermint overload this past week and I am NOT sorry. Not at all. I mean just look at these Peppermint Red Velvet Cupcakes and this Peppermint White Chocolate Cheesecake. I say let’s do all the peppermint right now when we can! Although, I think we need more cookies but more on that next week.
Back to this cake. When I first made it in 2013, my sister was visiting from Africa and spending Christmas with us. It was her first experience with snow and we baked a lot to stay warm up and cozied up on the couch with this peppermint chocolate cake roll and coffee on afternoon. Fast forward to today, my sister is again on her way to visit for the holidays. However, this time with her husband and brand new baby!! I am super excited to have her with us and can’t wait for some baby cuddles. I’ll be making this roll cake for her again.
Ok, what makes this roll cake sooooo goood? I think it’s the decadent, yet soft chocolate genoise cake that is filled with a peppermint buttercream frosting. You can use peppermint liquid Coffeemate creamer to make the filling (like I originally did) but you don’t have to. Oh we can’t forget about the glorious chocolate ganache topping!! It seals the deal on this roll cake if you ask me.
If you are looking for a classic holiday dessert, this peppermint chocolate roll cake is for you. Delicious (check), stunning (check) and easy to make!! I hope you give it a try this holiday season and share it with some loved ones.
Peppermint Chocolate Roll Cake
Ingredients
For the Roll Cake
- 2/3 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1/3 cup sifted cocoa powder
- Pinch of baking soda
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting:
- 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 4-5 tablespoons heavy cream or peppermint coffee creamer
- 2 cups confectioner sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Chocolate Ganache:
- 2/3 cups dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- 4-5 tablespoons water, warm
Topping
- Crushed peppermint candies (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-by-1-inch jellyroll pan and line with parchment; grease paper.
In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa, and baking soda twice. Set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove the white foam on top of the butter, and pour clear yellow butter into a bowl, making sure to discard the white liquid at the bottom.
In a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk mixture until sugar has dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, beat the egg mixture on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale and tripled in size. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Using a spatula, gently fold in the sifted flour mixture in three additions. During the last addition, drizzle the melted butter over the batter and fold in. The batter will be thin. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake the cake until it springs back when touched in center, about 15-20 minutes. Try not to over-bake, or cake will crack. While cake is baking, generously dust a tea/dish towel with powdered sugar.
Dust cake with powdered sugar. Invert cake onto tea towel and peel off parchment. Dust with powdered sugar. Starting at the longest end, carefully roll up cake in towel. Allow cake to cool on cooling rack seam side down.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting:
- Beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth.
Chocolate Ganache:
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, place chocolate and heavy cream over simmering water. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes without stirring. Mix slowly until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and stir to combine. Add the warm water 1 tablespoon at time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Let cool for a few minutes.
To Assemble:
- Unroll the cake and spread the buttercream frosting to a ¼ inch in thickness. Roll up the filled cake carefully from end to end. Trim off the edges for a cleaner finish.
- Place the cake on a cooling rack and pour the chocolate ganache on top. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy canes.
Notes
Cake adapted from Martha Stewart. Frosting from Baker's Royale
Right up my alley, Zainab! I love seeing you with your sister! The holidays always make me so sentimental and it’s truly the best time to cherish all of your memories together.
I’ve never made a roll cake, but i might need to try now. I absolutely love peppermint!
Thanks Graham. I agree the holidays always make me sentimental too and I enjoy/appreciate time with family more. You need to try a roll cake soon 🙂
I just made a pumpkin roll over the weekend so I’m happy to see some other roll love here! Absolutely love the flavor of the peppermint here, smells fresh I bet!
Thanks Pamela. This was my first time and even though the first one failed, I love them. So pretty after decorating it and I can imagine it will get easier to make after the first few times.
aw it’s so great that you’re able to spend some time with your sister!
I love Bakers Royale too and this cake rolls looks A. Delicious B. Beautiful and C. SO christmasy!!!
Thanks Kayle! It was really nice spending these past few weeks together and I am so sad she is gone. Have a great Thanksgiving 🙂
I am so glad you tackled this roll cake! This looks gorgeous and you would never know it’s the first time you’ve made one. I am completely with you in loving peppermint.. I could put it in practically anything. I love how you used coffee creamer (that is the BEST creamer btw) that is such a neat idea. I might have to tackle my first roll cake using your recipe! 🙂 That poor person sitting next to your sister… I would have to have a lot of self control to not steal a bite!
Thank you Ally! I’m glad I did too. I went to bed on Friday night not happy but was ready to attack it again lol. Turns out I needed the special pan that I was avoiding to buy. Oh well, one more baking pan collected :). Isn’t the peppermint mocha awesome!! I put it in coffee and hot chocolate (it’s the best). That poor person indeed. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!!
This cake roll looks gorgeous Zainab! I adore peppermint and all the wonderful nostalgic memories it brings back. A slice of this roll would go perfectly with a peppermint mocha – I love how pretty it looks with all the crushed candy canes too. Hehe, aaw, I feel sorry for the person sitting next to your sister too since it would be hard to resist not stealing a bite 🙂 Pinning and thanks for sharing 🙂 Hope you have a great week!
Thank you very much Kelly! Peppermint is really the holiday flavor for me. Have a great Thanksgiving week and day 🙂
This is such a great post! And cake rolls are my favorite!! I don’t get to visit home to often ether and I definitely miss it during the holidays. My twin sister is coming to visit on Saturday so I am super excited!!
Thanks Nancy! I’m glad you enjoyed the post :). Have a great weekend with your sister!! Sister time is always the best. Happy Thanksgiving and blogiversary 🙂
I love peppermint too! Your roll cake came out absolutely gorgeous and I never knew that you could use creamer… genius! I’m glad that you had a good time with your sister, it sounds like there were some fun times (and awesome cake!).
Yay!! Peppermint is the best. I usually use vanilla creamer when I run out of heavy cream/milk when making frosting so I figured it would be great here too. We had a great time and I am sad that she left today 🙁
I really enjoyed reading about how you started blogging! Haha, Pinterest, the biggest time suck ever invented, but hey, it is great for blog traffic. 🙂 Peppermint mochas sound amazing, but I think I’ll try this roll cake first. I broke out the peppermint this weekend, too, and am excited for all the winter themed recipes. This cake roll is almost too pretty to eat!
Thank you dear! I don’t know how people planned things before Pinterest or bought anything hahha. It is my biggest time sucker and I wish I can stop. So excited to started holiday baking finally! Can’t wait to see your holiday recipes 🙂
What a gorgeous roll! I love the additional candy canes on the outside. I am currently sipping on a large cup of coffee with peppermint mocha creamer 🙂 I love the flavors of the season.
Thank you Jamie! I went crazy with the candy canes a little but I love them so much especially these with a little bit of green. Isn’t that creamer great? I had to buy three after trying it just incase they ran out lol! Have a great Thanksgiving if I don’t talk to you before then 🙂
This looks beautiful! I love cake rolls, I use to make them all the time when I was younger. I am glad you had your sister visit, I bet it was nice to catch up! 🙂
Thank you so much Ciara! It was fun to have my sister here for a while and I am sad now that she left. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving week and day!
I know how that is, it made me sad when my sister left too! Hopefully you will get to see her again soon though! I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving too, Zainab!!
Glad you stuck with it after your first failure…this roll cake is perfect! And love that you added the crushed candycanes to the outside, beautiful!
Thanks Meghan. I was determined to tackle a roll cake so I tried again the next day and that was all it took.
How fun is this cake? Rolls are always so decorative but I love all of the peppermint. Yep, I know it is not Thanksgiving yet but I am excited for Christmas.
Thanks Emily! Have a happy Thanksgiving!