A thin, rich chocolate sponge cake spread with your favorite ice cream rolled up and frozen, then before serving it’s covered in a luscious chocolate ganache.
Today is my twins’ 16th birthday! We had a big family party over the weekend to celebrate and I baked up two decadent Chocolate Ice Cream Cake Rolls.
When I asked Matt and Cole what kind of cake they wanted, they both said chocolate. When I asked what kind of chocolate, I got shrugs. But Cole said I should make something I could put on the blog. I thought that was a fabulous idea.
I saw this recipe for chocolate ice cream cake roll on Redbook. What I loved about the recipe was the luscious chocolate ganache that is poured over the cake roll before serving.
One cake roll was filled with Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and one filled with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Many of the guests wanted a half slice of each. Of course I had to taste test each one too.
This is a great recipe that I would definitely make again. It came together easily, looked impressive, and I was able to make it a week ahead of time.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 container (1 1/2 quarts) ice cream, softened
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped*
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
Directions
- Heat oven to 375º. Spray a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray, line with parchment or wax paper and spray paper with additional spray.
- In a small bowl, combine cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Separate egg whites and yolks into 2 large bowls.
- Beat whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup of the sugar. Continue to beat on high speed just until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. (I used my KitchenAid to beat the whites and my hand mixer to beat the yolks.)
- Beat yolks with the remaining 1/4-cup sugar and extracts until thickened, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in flour mixture until blended. Stir in 1/4 of beaten egg whites into mixture. Fold in remaining whites. Spread in prepared pan; smooth top.
- Bake 12 - 14 minutes or until top springs back when gently pressed. Let cool 2 minutes on a wire rack.
- Dust a clean towel with confectioners' sugar; loosen edges of the cake from the pan and invert cake onto towel. Remove pan; carefully peel off parchment. Starting from the short end, roll up cake in towel; place seam side down on wire rack; cool completely.
- While cake is cooling put ice cream on the counter to soften. When ice cream is softened, unroll cooled cake and spread evenly with ice cream. Roll up cake. Wrap tightly in parchment, then in foil and freeze, seam side down, overnight until firm.
- In a small saucepan, heat cream, chocolate, and corn syrup over low heat until chocolate is melted and glaze is shiny and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla; cool to room temperature.
- Unwrap cake; trim ends. Place cake on a wire rack over a tray or waxed paper. Pour glaze along top of cake roll, spreading with a spatula to cover sides. Freeze cake uncovered until glaze is firm about an hour.
- *I used King Arthur Flour Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa and Scharffen Berger Semisweet Chocolate Baking Bar. Great chocolate really makes a big difference in baking.
Notes
Adapted from Redbook
More great chocolate cake recipes:
Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake, Barbara Bakes
Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake, Barbara Bakes
Chocolatey Rich Vegan Chocolate Cake, Not Quite Nigella
Texas Sheet Cake, Brown Eyed Baker
Two Minute Chocolate Mug Cake, Completely Delicious
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I love to bake, especially cookies, cakes, and pies. I’ll post my adventures in the kitchen, my favorite new recipes, as well as our family favorites.
This looks wonderful! Love the ice cream roll cake with the rich ganache on top. Looks very simple to make too. Love it.
Yes please!! Happy Birthday to your boys!! The cake looks so good.
These cakes look so pretty. I like that you made them ahead of time, and that your twins wanted you to make something for you blog. Aren’t they thoughtful!
Happy Birthday to your twins!
That cake must taste divine.
Cheers,
Rosa
I’ve only made a cake roll once and it was fabulous! They looks so beautiful when they’re cut too.
Happy birthday to your boys! Have the best time in New Orleans this weekend and these cakes look amazing. I love ice cream cake. I was always my request for my own birthday when I was little!
I want to dig into this right now! Looks fantastic Barbara. Happy birthday to your boys!
How delicious! Happy B-day to your twins. They are so lucky that they get to eat this scrumptious cake!
I am going to try this with matzo cake flour and make it for my Passover Dinner.
happy birthday to your twins! i love these cakes. i’d have a hard time choosing between both ice cream flavors
omg this looks amazing! I want to see that Passover version
I think I would love this with plain old vanilla, but I could be daring and go with a delicious caramel and then add sea salt. Your photos are so helpful and so pretty. Love cake and ice cream together.
I’ve been visiting your site for months, but this is my 1st comment. I’m going to make this cake for a friend’s birthday on Sunday – I know she and our guests will love it. I got married in January and got an ice cream maker as a wedding gift, so I’ll also be making your mint chocolate chip ice cream for the cake as well. I enjoy your blog so much, thank you for sharing your creativity and inspirations. Happy 16th birthday to your boys!
This cake looks so good! =)
I love chocolate, and the roll up cakes are so pretty!
Awesome!
Yum! Bookmarking this for summer!
Those both look excellent but I’m partial to the mint! Happy birthday to the twins. And dont you have a birthday coming up here pretty soon too???
OMG, I am pinning this with the intent of trying it very soon. Love ganache!
Happy Birthday to the twins!
I think the mint chocolate chip would be my choice. Looks delicious!
I’m still yet to make anything that requires rolling. I’m a little scared of it to be honest.
Happy birthday to the twins! This post proves that you are the best mum a girl or boy could wish for xxx
You think of such great ideas that look so simple that even a less experienced person can give it a shot!! the mint choc-chip looks delish!!
I am so excited about finding this recipe. I’ve been looking for a cake just like this for a very long time. My family loves ice cream cakes!! Do you have to take it out of the freezer ahead of time to make the slicing easier? Thanks SO much for sharing this recipe (I’m printing it right now).
Hi Coleen. No you don’t have to let it soften before cutting. I just used a serrated knife and heated it / washed off in hot water and dried it between cuts and it cut very easily. Definitely try it. Thanks!
Deux excellentes versions
Je te souhaite un beau WE
Valérie.
Great choice for the birthday cakes! They look so pretty, and luscious with the ganache:) Happy 16th birthday to Matt and Cole!
Happy Birthday to the twins!
o yes, I would love this for my birthday too! So unique!
Looks luscious Barbara. I would have a peice of each as well!
What a fabulous, fabulous idea! I once triedn a pumpkin roll cake but it cracked and made a mess. Will this work for a baker that is not as accomplished as you??? Thanks for posting this – on my must try list!
Thanks! I’m sure you would make a fabulous cake roll too! I thought it was pretty easy.
What fantastic birthday cakes! I love that you made two, one for each son AND that they could be made ahead, fantastic! And ice cream with chocolate ganache, irresistible!
—O, My Gooooodness,
this cake is a dream.
WOW.
Happy birthday to the twins. How blessed they are to be able to devour this ice-cream cake. Ahhhhhhh.
So glad your Cole told you to make something you could put on your blog…though anything you make could be put on your blog. Happy birthday (belated) to your boys! I’ve never made a cake roll and your tutorial makes me thing that it is something I could accomplish! They both look delicious and you make it look so easy.
Happy birthday to your boys!! And what a fun idea for birthday cake!
Happy Birthday, boys! What fabulous cakes you made for them. And using different ice cream fillings was such a neat idea! My kids would love ice cream cakes over just about anything else!
Those are two sensational rolls Barbara! I’m definitely making them the next time I want to impress guests
Happy belated birthday to your boys.
i want to come to your parties- or rather i just want to stay at your house and get to eat all these yummy dishes you continue to make. this ice cream roll is the BOMB
Happy birthday to your boys! And I love it that they asked for something that could go on your blog! =) These cake rolls look so good–I’d have to try some of each, that is for sure.
Love those do-ahead options! Looks luscious…
This thing looks amazingly delicious. I can’t wait to have a bite of it. My darling wife has already started making a small cake for the two of us following your recipe.
Hope it turns out to be as amazing as it looks over her.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
-Tyron
I think I’ll have to work my way up to making something that looks this great! It looks delicious!
Oh my. Those look delicious and are now on my must make list.
I cannot wait to try this!!!
This post is perfect…I am already looking for delicious and wonderful recipes for my little girl’s big day…LOve this!
Love this! I was just thinking that it would be perfect for the girls’ birthday cakes and then I scrolled down to see that you made it for your boys…I especially like the fact that you can change this up with different flavors of ice cream. I am partial to the mint…
could i make this and glaze it and then freeze for several days? i’m in need of a make ahead dessert…
Hi Natalie – I had a little bit leftover in the freezer for several days and it tasted great. My only concern would be that you let the glaze set up in the freezer before you cover it and I wouldn’t wrap it tightly. I just covered it on a plate with plastic wrap. Enjoy!
I saw this recipe in Family Circle Magazine and knew I had to make it. A chocolate cake rolled up with ice cream inside, my goodness, what could beat that!! Except for maybe cabana boys serving you a fresh pineapple mango daiquiri while you bask in the hot sun on a beach in the Bahamas.
Hi Karen – I like the way you think!
Barbara, what a brilliant idea! Love what you did to the swiss roll. Simply amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Kristy
This is a great recipe and your instructions and pics were so helpful. I used this to make my dad’s birthday cake a couple of weeks ago. He loved it! I recently posted about it on my blog. Thanks for sharing!