So I don’t make a lot of cake.
Mostly, for whatever reason, I cannot seem to beautifully frost a cake to save my life. So instead of practicing like I probably should, I just avoid making cake and instead spend my time making macarons and cookies. Which happen to be easier to share with people at work because we don’t have to worry about cutting slices and frosting everywhere.
See? I’m just making it easier for my coworkers.
Really, I should have made this cake in December. Ya see, we were supposed to celebrate my dad’s birthday (Christmas Eve), but Portland decided snow/ice was a good idea so we couldn’t go. Which is actually funny because we just had snow in Portland last week.
Look at things coming full circle!
So this was pretty much a birthday cake, two months late. I promise you, it was worth the wait. Although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend waiting two months to make this cake. Maybe two days? Two weeks, tops.
This cake is so. easy. Make batter, bake, roll up. Making filling, unroll, fill, drape with ganache. Refrigerate. Eat.
Piece of cake!
Ok, that was bad…
It’s delicious, decadent, chocolatey and pretty. Really, everything you want in a cake. Go forth and bake cake, my friends!
Ingredients
Cake:
- Unsalted butter, for greasing
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Ganache:
- 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place parchment or silicone mat on a baking sheet and grease with butter. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
- Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Combine the eggs and sugar in a heatproof glass bowl, then place over the simmering water (you don't want the water to touch the bowl). Using a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together over medium speed for about two minutes, until the eggs are thick, pale yellow, and warm to the touch (you want the eggs to be about 120ºF. If you don’t have a thermometer, just touch the mixture with your finger every once in a while until it feels like hot tap water).
- Remove the egg bowl from the heat and continue beating at medium high speed for another 3 minutes, until it’s thick and airy, and has reached the ribbon stage. That means when you drag and drizzle a spoonful of the liquid, it shouldn’t settle back into the liquid for a good 5–10 seconds. Mix in the melted butter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixture, and gently fold it into the eggs with a spatula, working quickly. Spread the batter onto the buttered parchment or silicone mat, leaving an inch from the edges. Bake the cake for 5-8 minutes, until springy to the touch.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle lightly with cocoa powder. Flip the cake onto the parchment, then remove the parchment or silicone mat that the cake baked on. Gently roll the cake up into a log while it’s still warm. Consider this muscle memory for your cake - if you roll it while it's warm, it will remember the shape once it's cool.
- To make the filling, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl, and whip with a hand mixer to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes on medium speed.
- Unroll the cooled cake, then spread the cream all over, leave a 1-inch border around all edges. Roll the cake up gently (leaving the parchment paper behind), then place on a wire rack.
- To make the chocolate ganache, microwave the cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each time, until combined. Add the tablespoon of milk, which will give a more pourable consistency. Pour the chocolate ganache evenly over the cake, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving, so the ganache can firm up.
