Peppermint Mocha Cake Roll
Peppermint Mocha Cake Roll is a moist chocolate mocha roll cake filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate ganache and peppermint crunch!
‘Tis the season to be jolly, especially when it involves chocolate and peppermint! And coffee. 🙂
This Peppermint Mocha Cake Roll happened because my oldest son turned 13….and this is the flavor combination he chose. He’s a big chocaholic, which he may or may not have gotten from me?
You know I love salted chocolate…see my Toffee Fudge and English Toffee if you need proof.
My son loved both of those, too, so he’s definitely my boy. 🙂
My son is very easy going, and he will give me the flavor of the cake he wants with free reign to do whatever I like with it. I’ve been on a bit of a cake roll kick because they’re quicker and easier than a layer cake or cupcakes.
We all loved my angel food cake roll and pumpkin cake roll, so I was really excited to do a chocolate peppermint version.
This peppermint mocha roll cake will be chilling in the fridge in a little over an hour with cooling time included, and you won’t have cake coming out your ears for days afterward either.
I feel like I’ve made myself a cake roll crusader this past year…this is the 3rd one I’ve made and posted since April. Yes, they can be intimidating, but as I said, they’re so quick!
This chocolate roll cake takes 15 minutes to put together once your ingredients are prepped, and 15 minutes to bake. Unreal? Seems like it should be, but it’s not. I’ll just keep singing it’s praises and hope that you give this cake roll thing a try. 😉
This cake doesn’t require a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa on the kitchen towel before you roll it up — it’s moist but it’s not sticky. I’ve made this recipe twice and the cake was easy to roll both times with barely a crack to speak of.
If you want step by step instructions for this cake, visit the post for my German chocolate cake roll.
I decided to go the simple whipped cream filling route because peppermint mocha coffee drinks are topped with whipped cream and I tried to make this cake authentic for you peppermint mocha fans.
Plus, it’s ridiculously easy, and I’m all about that these days. You could certainly add crushed peppermint to the whipped cream for a crunchy texture, or fill the cake with whatever type of frosting you like.
I love having a deep dark chocolate coating over my cake roll, and ganache is the easiest way I know to get that. The crushed peppermint with that ganache was SO good that I may or may not have had a little bowl of it on the side. 😉
This cake is quick to put together, but you do need to chill it for a few hours to set up. This particular cake roll was perfect after 4 hours or chilling time, and I’m willing to bet it would’ve been fine after 2 hours as well.
You absolutely can’t go wrong with this Peppermint Mocha Cake Roll for the holidays. It’s festive, and it’s so much easier than a buche de noel (which some day I will get around to doing)!
Writing this post has me dreaming about all things chocolate peppermint, and my cake is gone. What’s a girl to do? Don’t be surprised if something else chocolate and peppermint comes your way again soon.
‘Tis the season, after all. 🙂
More chocolate peppermint recipes you’ll love:
Homemade Marshmallows with Chocolate and Peppermint
Peppermint Mocha Cake Roll
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly, plus 1 tablespoon more for preparing the cake pan
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1.6 ounces (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) sifted all purpose flour
- 1.2 ounces (3/8 cup) unsifted cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 4 large eggs room temperature*
- 4.3 ounces (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
For the whipped cream:
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the ganache:
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips I used Guittard
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips I used Guittard
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- crushed candy canes or peppermint crunch for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
Prepare the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with half of the 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, cutting a diagonal line from each corner into the corners of the pan so the paper nestles in easily. Brush the parchment and sides with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium sized microwave safe bowl until melted, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Add the room temperature eggs, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk just to combine with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture at high speed until it triples in volume, about 5 minutes, or until you can draw a figure 8 by dipping the whisk attachment into the batter and it holds.
- While the eggs and sugar are being whipped, combine the flour, cocoa, and espresso powder with a whisk until combined. Sift the mixture together three times. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg-sugar mixture, and gently fold it in using a rubber scraper. Repeat with the remaining 2/3 of the dry ingredients, being careful not to over-fold. Add about 1 cup of the batter to the butter-vanilla mixture and fold gently until combined. Add this to the remaining batter and fold in gently just until incorporated. Pour large dollops of the batter over the entire surface area of the prepared pan so it's easier to spread without over-working. Spread as evenly as possible with an offset spatula, and bake on the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack.
- While the cake cools, lay a large lint-free towel on the counter. Holding the cake pan with the cake facing away from you, hold onto the sides with oven mitts or towels and invert the cake gently onto the towel. Gently roll the cake up in the towel while it's still warm, and cool on the wire rack for 30 minutes to 1 hour until completely cool.
Prepare the whipped cream:
- Place the whipped cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium high speed until medium peaks form, being careful not to over beat.
Prepare the ganache:
- Place the chocolate chips, espresso powder, and heavy cream in a heat proof bowl. Set aside.
- Fill a large sauté pan halfway full of water and heat over medium heat until the water simmers. Turn the heat down to low, then place the bowl of chocolate chips and cream, stirring constantly with a rubber scraper until the chocolate melts and emulsifies with the cream. When the mixture is smooth, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Assemble the cake:
- Once the cake has cooled, unroll the cake and trim the edges, if necessary, with a sharp knife. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the unrolled cake, leaving a border of 1" around the cake. Carefully roll the cake as tightly as possible, tucking it gently as you roll. Place on a serving plate with two pieces of waxed paper on either side, which will be removed after frosting with the ganache.
- If the ganache has cooled too much, heat it in the microwave for about 20 seconds or until just pourable. Pour some of the ganache over the cake carefully — you won't need it all — and spread along the sides if necessary. Remove the waxed paper. Garnish the cake with crushed candy canes or peppermint crunch. Chill 2-4 hours or until set. Enjoy!
Notes
- Total time above includes 4 hours of chilling time.
- To bring your eggs to room temperature faster, submerge them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes.
- While this cake was still delicious the next day, I thought it was best the day it was made. If you have leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the fridge or cover with plastic wrap.
- The peppermint candies will liquify slightly when left in the refrigerator.
- Cake recipe adapted from Alice Medrich .
- Whipped cream filling and chocolate ganache recipes by Flavor the Moments.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
54 Comments on “Peppermint Mocha Cake Roll”
What a cake! I would love to eat it now:) Pinned it!
Thank you, Ilona! 🙂
This cake roll is seriously perfect!!
Thank you, Jocelyn! 🙂
This looks amazing! The creamy filling would contrast so well with the crunchy peppermint!
It sure was nice getting that peppermint crunch, Medha! 🙂
Hi Marcie, what a beautiful cake, so impressive!
Thank you, Cheri! Chocolate and peppermint is always so festive and tasty! 🙂
What a gorgeous cake roll, Marcie! I love the flavors of peppermint and mocha together, sounds delicious! I’ve never attempted a cake roll on my own before, but I’m very tempted to now with this recipe. Pinned!
Thank you, Gayle…and I hope I get to see a cake roll recipe from you soon! 🙂
Thank you, Judy! 🙂
I haven’t tried a cake roll recipe in the longest time – this one looks fabulous, Marcie! Happy belated birthday to your son, too. Love that he lets you be creative with his birthday cake!
Thank you, Alyssa! My younger son is VERY specific with his birthday cake, and while his ideas are usually fantastic, it’s nice to do what I want. haha
I’ve never had a cake roll before, but wow is this ever one gorgeous cake! I bet this would be great for a party, and love the fact that you get cake, but not cake coming out of your ears, ha! There totally is a thing as too much cake! Love all the flavors here!
Thank you, Denise! This would be great for a party, and I was quite happy there was not much leftover. 🙂
This cake roll looks gorgeous, Marcie! I love the peppermint mocha combo and the whipped cream filling looks so light and perfect! I still haven’t tried making a cake roll – you make it sound so easy and I just need to work up the courage by starting with this fabulous recipe!
Thank you, Kelly, and if you can make macarons, you can easily do this! I’ll make you a deal…I’ll try macarons if you try a cake roll, K? 🙂
Oh god this looks incredible Marcie! Divine!! Can I get a big piece please? Pinning of course!
Thank you, Manali! This was a lot of fun to make, and I would love to give you a big piece! Thank you for the pin, too. 🙂
Oh my gosh!! I am so in love with this. You know I am a peppermint addict. What a beautiful cake roll 🙂
Thank you, Zainab — here’s to peppermint! 🙂
I would love to live inside of the this cake. It looks like the perfect Christmas treat!
Wouldn’t that be a nice place to live? 🙂
Well happy birthday to your son! I bet he loved this cake for his birthday. Perfect for Christmas, and made with love : )
Thank you, Natalie, and my son did love his cake! He’s very easygoing…as long as it’s chocolate, he’s good. 🙂
I saw you post this on instagram today and I totally had to come check it out…yup, I’m crazy about it! Looks amazing! Pinned. 🙂
Thank you so much, Tina! And I appreciate the pin! 🙂
so beautiful and festive!
Thank you, Caralyn! 🙂
Every time you make a cake roll I think about how I really need to try one myself! And this one … how perfect for the holidays. It looks so chocolatey and festive! And happy birthday to your son – what a great cake to celebrate!
Thank you, Ashley, and I can’t wait to see your cake roll when you make one! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! 🙂
I LOVE this cake roll Marcie! It is gorgeous!! And of course, you can do no wrong with peppermint!! Thanks so much for the shout out for my pie!! Pinned. 🙂
You’re welcome for the shout out, and thank you for the kind words and the pin! Peppermint certainly can do no wrong. 🙂
Wow Marcie – this looks really good! YUM! And festive too!
Thanks, Kristi! 🙂
Thank you, Velva! I appreciate the very sweet compliment! 🙂
We practically have twins, Sherri! 🙂 It’s making me sad, too…I can’t believe I have a teenager. I’ll bet the cupcakes you made for your daughter’s party were beautiful — hope you get to post them!
Thank you, Arpita! I’m quite addicted to the peppermint-chocolate thing right now! 🙂
This cake is so moist, Dannii — it was so easy to roll! 🙂
This looks amazing, Marcie! My mom always made roll cakes when I was growing up, so I have some serious nostalgia over these babies. And peppermint mocha…YES PLEASE!
Thanks, Liz! Such a fun thing to have growing up…I’d never had cake rolls when I was a kid. At least my kids are. 🙂
This is a perfect cake for the holiday season! I can put a serious dent in it!
Thank you, Thao, and we did just that! 🙂
This cake roll is so pretty!! I’m always too afraid to attempt one, I feel like it would be a major fail! But you make it look so easy!! 😉 Love the peppermint mocha flavor!!
I used to be so afraid of the cake roll! If you have a good cake recipe, which this one is, it’s full proof! I knew I could trust this recipe because it was Alice Medrich. The cake is too moist to crack!
I had peppermint crunch candy from last year staring at me in the face…and since my son is crazy about it, it always comes out early December for his birthday no matter what! Thanks for the pin, Lindsey! 🙂
Chocolate and peppermint are great together! I’ll be featuring this tonight on BOTW… love your little glass from C&B 🙂 I went to get one and they were gone!
That’s so nice — thanks for the feature, Deb! And I’m sorry you missed out on that C&B santa milk bottle. I grabbed it before Thanksgiving because I know after black Friday everything is almost gone!
Dear Marcie, this must be one of my favorite holidays desserts. Your roll cake looks beautiful! So light and wonderful, I would love a slice of this. xo, Catherine
Thank you, Catherine! 🙂
Looking delish. I am gonna try this on weekend. Though I am poor in baking, but I hope I will get nearly same look by following your recipe.
Thank you and I’ll bet this comes out perfectly for you!
The recipe itself is very misleading…the cake part is absolutely crazy not sure if we are doing ounces or cup measures..The whip and ganache are very easy to follow…Not sure why the first part(cake) was so different?? This made me have to use another recipe, hence why you have no ratings on this cake! That’s too bad because it looks awesome:)
The cake recipe is written in ounces and cups because it was heavily adapted from another recipe. I’m sorry that you found it confusing, but I’ve gotten great reviews for the cake on Pinterest.