sweetheart chocolate roll cake

I lied.

I told you the other day that I would only be making one Valentine’s Day dessert this week. Buuuuuut…..I just couldn’t help myself!

I’m a sappy girl, after all.

A sappy girl who loves her chocolate cake and pretty pink buttercream frosting, that is. This chocolate cake roll is full of everything I love in life: extra chocolatey cake, fluffy delicious buttercream, rich chocolate ganache and of course, pink heart sprinkles!

I have to say (not to toot my own horn here), but this is the best chocolate cake I, personally, have ever made. It’s not only perfect for Valentine’s Day but it’s also perfect for a night in with your girlfriends, an extra girly birthday party or just a fun surprise dessert! I think it would also be cute for a baby shower—you could use blue food coloring instead of pink to celebrate a baby boy!

But since Monday is Valentine’s Day, let’s think about that. If you’ve never made a jelly roll cake before, this is your big chance!

I promise—it’s not as hard as it looks.

If you’re like me, one of the main reasons you never made jelly roll cakes in the past was because you were always scared the cake would break when you roll it.

Well, guess what? The cake you see before you totally ripped when I rolled it.

And then I had a mini meltdown in my galley-sized kitchen that was then completely covered with dirty dishes, pink sprinkles and melted butter. For a moment, it reminded me of the time in culinary school when my chocolate lavender cake layers fell apart in my hands during our final practical and I hid in the bathroom and cried.

However, even though this cake ripped I could still roll it together! And it turned out totally fine! All you need to battle cake emergencies is frosting and a heck of a lot of chocolate ganache.

Trust me, if I can do this anyone can!

Sweetheart Chocolate Roll Cake

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

6 oz semisweet chocolate

6 T butter

4 eggs, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

sweetheart filling:

1 stick butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 T milk

1 drop red food coloring

ganache topping:

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Valentine’s Day sprinkles to top!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a jelly roll pan (baking pan) and then lay a sheet of wax paper on top and butter the wax paper as well, making sure to get the sides of the pan greased.

Melt the butter and chocolate together over very low heat until smooth. Take off the heat, add the sugar and mix well.

Beat eggs until thick, pale and light. This will take about seven-eight minutes beating on high. Fold in the chocolate mixture and vanilla extract, but be careful not to over-mix (this will deflate the eggs).

Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to the cake batter, folding slowly the entire time. Make sure to get down to the bottom of the bowl with your rubber spatula!

Spread the cake batter onto your prepared pan and smooth out to the edges, making sure the batter is evenly distributed.

Bake for 15 minutes.

While cake is cooling, beat together the softened butter and confectioner’s sugar to make the frosting. Add the milk, vanilla and food coloring and beat until very light and fluffy— about six minutes.

After the cake has cooled completely, lift the wax paper off the pan and set cake on the counter. Gently turn cake over and peel off wax paper. Spread the frosting out on top of the cake, leaving an inch free around all edges. Then, gently roll up cake. Don’t worry if it rips a little bit–it will turn out fine!

Stick rolled up cake in the freezer while you prepare ganache.

Bring cream to a simmer on the stove. Immediately pour over chocolate chips and stir to melt. Remove cake from freezer and pour ganache over the cake, making sure all sides are covered. Cover with sprinkles and return to freezer for 30 minutes to set.

Store cake in the fridge—can be made a day ahead of time!

Time:

1.5 hours including prepping, baking and chilling

Life is short…eat cake!