Mocha Spice Roll Cake
Submitted by RadiantWolf
Mocha spice roll cake is a warmly spiced sponge rolled around billowy coffee-cocoa whipped cream, then frosted and fork-scored to look like a bark log. A holiday-ready bûche de Noël with cinnamon, clove, and allspice woven through.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsA classic European Yule log gets dressed up with a warm spice blend in this roll cake. The sponge is built on whipped egg whites and yolks the way a proper génoise is, and folded in ground cinnamon, clove, and allspice shift it from plain chocolate territory into something that tastes like the holidays.
The mocha filling and frosting is the same whipped cream used twice: heavy cream whipped with instant coffee, sugar, and cocoa until it holds stiff peaks with a soft cocoa perfume. Chill your bowl and whisk first, cold cream whips faster and higher.
The trick to a roll cake without cracking is rolling it hot. The moment it comes out of the oven, invert onto a sugared towel and roll it up tight with the towel inside. Letting the cake cool in the rolled position is a must, a flat cake will snap when you try to shape it later.
Pro Tips
- Use cake flour, not all-purpose. The lower protein keeps the sponge tender and flexible.
- Beat egg whites to stiff-but-not-dry peaks. Over-whipped whites deflate when folded in.
- Dust the towel generously with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
- Run the fork slowly along the frosted roll to get deep bark-like ridges.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the cake batter to deepen the mocha flavor.
- Swap spices for pumpkin pie spice for a fall version.
- Finish with shaved chocolate curls and meringue mushrooms for a full bûche de Noël presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).. Grease a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan.
Line the pan with wax paper and grease the paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar.
Sift the flour with the salt, baking powder, and spices. Add the dry ingredient to the batter.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold.
Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and turn the cake over onto a clean linen dish towel that has been dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
Lift off the pan and let the cake cool for 10 minutes.
Peel off the wax paper from the cake.
Carefully roll the cake with the towel, jelly roll fashion, and let the cake remain in this position on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes while it cools completely.
Spoon a generous amount of the mocha cream onto the inside of the cake, smoothing it to within 1-inch of all the edges.
Roll the cake up to form a log. Place it seam side down on a platter.
Spread the remainder of the mocha cream over the roll, frosting it evenly.
Run the tines of a fork along the top of the cake roll to create decorative ridges resembling the bark of a tree.
Refrigerate the cake roll until serving time.
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