Chocolate Chip Roll

An old-school chocolate ice cream roll built like a jelly roll but stuffed with a quart of chocolate chip ice cream instead of jam. The sponge is a separated-egg cocoa cake, lightened with whipped egg whites that get folded into a cocoa-yolk-flour batter for the kind of soft, flexible cake that survives rolling without cracking.

The rolling technique is the make-or-break step. While the cake is still hot from the oven, it gets inverted onto a towel dusted with powdered sugar and rolled tight from the long side. Letting it cool flat first guarantees a cracked, broken roll later. The hot roll-unroll-re-roll method trains the cake into shape so it does not fight the curve when the ice cream goes in.

Softening the ice cream until spreadable (but not melted) is the second critical detail. Too firm and it tears the cake; too soft and it leaks out the sides when re-rolled.

Freeze the assembled roll firm before slicing. A dusting of cocoa just before serving keeps the presentation simple.

Pro Tips

• Beat the egg yolks until truly thick and lemon-colored (5 to 10 minutes); under-beaten yolks make a dense sponge that cracks.
• Use a clean, fat-free bowl and beaters for the egg whites; any fat prevents stiff peaks.
• Soften the ice cream by transferring from freezer to fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, not by leaving on the counter; counter softening melts the outside before the center yields.
• Work fast once the ice cream is spread; the cake will start to melt the ice cream against itself.

Variations

• Swap chocolate chip for vanilla, coffee, or mint chocolate chip ice cream.
• Drizzle the sliced cake with chocolate ganache or hot fudge sauce at serving.
• Sprinkle crushed pistachios or toffee bits over the unrolled cake before spreading the ice cream for extra crunch.