Chocolate Filled Cake Roll

This chocolate cake roll wraps a fluffy egg sponge around a creamy chocolate pudding filling, then gets a dusting of cocoa on top. It’s lighter than it looks, using a combination of sugar and sweetener to reduce the overall sugar content while keeping the sponge tender.

The sponge cake relies entirely on beaten eggs for its lift. No butter, no oil. Five eggs whipped until fluffy create the airy structure, and cornstarch mixed into the flour keeps the crumb delicate enough to roll without cracking. Folding the dry ingredients in gently with a spatula, half at a time, preserves all that trapped air.

Rolling the warm cake in a towel immediately after unmolding trains it into shape while it cools. Skip this step and the cake will crack when you try to roll it with the filling later.

Kitchen Tips

• Work quickly once the cake comes out of the oven. It needs to be unmolded and rolled while still warm and pliable.
• Don’t overbake. Ten to twelve minutes is the window. An overbaked sponge dries out and cracks during rolling.
• Let the chocolate pudding thicken fully in the fridge before spreading. Runny filling squeezes out the sides when you re-roll.
• Use a sharp serrated knife to cut clean slices. A straight-edge knife crushes the delicate sponge layers.

Variations

• Fruit-filled cake roll: Swap the pudding for a sweet fruit spread or fresh whipped cream with sliced strawberries.
• Mocha version: Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the pudding mix for a coffee-chocolate filling.