A thin chocolate cake gets rolled up with a dreamy filling and is covered in a chocolate ganache to make the homemade version of a childhood classic - Swiss Cake Rolls (aka HoHo's)!
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Did you know that two of the most visited recipes here at Dance Around the Kitchen are Hostess copycats?! Yeah, that's the truth! The Twinkie Cake and the Ding Dong Cake are both big winners and if you haven't tried them yet, you've got to!! I also recently posted a recipe for Raspberry Zinger Cake and ohhhh emm geeeee.....give that one a try too! 😉
Well it's time for the next in the Hostess line-up....the HoHo, also known as a Swiss Roll Cake! These chocolate coated, cream-filled chocolate cakes are popular for good reason. However, I have to say that this giant Swiss Roll Cake gives the original Swiss Roll Cakes a run for their money! I mean just look at this beauty.....
Are Swiss Rolls and HoHo's the same thing?
Well, sort of. Swiss Rolls are made by Little Debbie and HoHo's are made by Hostess, but they're both packaged chocolate cake rolls with a white filling and enrobed in chocolate. Imagine these Swiss Roll Cake photos I've got, but much smaller.
What type of cake is in a Swiss Roll or Ho Ho?
The cake used is a light chocolate sponge cake. The cake is much more pliable than a regular chocolate cake allowing it to be rolled up and made into a Swiss Roll!
How to make a homemade Swiss Roll Cake?
I'll be the first to say that Swiss Cake Rolls are not the easier dessert ever. There are many steps and precise instructions to follow. But if you're willing to put the time and effort in, I think you'll be glad you did!
Make the Cake
To make the cake, you'll start by whisking together the dry ingredients. Then, stir in the egg yolks (keep the whites!!), sugar, oil, water and vanilla until combined. Next up, you'll whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. In order to do so successfully, you'll want to make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are SUPER clean and dry. (Any fat or grease remaining in the bowl will negatively affect how the eggs whip)
Once the egg whites are ready, you'll fold them in very gently with a rubber spatula. Doing so will keep the batter light and fluffy, like it should be. This will also help when it's time to roll the cake up - more on that to come!
The batter then gets poured into a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. Do not forget to line the pan - this is super important to the success of removing the cake from the pan. Once the cake is done, you'll invert the cake on a cocoa-dusted towel right away and roll it up to cool.
Filling the Cake
To make the filling, you'll first whisk together the flour and milk and whisk on the stovetop until thick. Be sure to stir continuously to keep it from forming clumps. Once thick, you'll pour it into a bowl and let it cool. Once that part of the filling is cool, you'll whip up the other ingredients. When they're mixed, you'll whisk in the cooled flour/milk mixture and beat until smooth. This will take several minutes.
Once the filling is done and the cake is completely cooled, unroll the cake and evenly spread the filling over it. Roll it up tightly, cover and refrigerate to set up. Finally, you'll make the chocolate ganache, pour it over the top of the cake roll and serve!
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Swiss Cake Roll
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ c flour
- ¼ c cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs divided
- ¾ c sugar
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling
- 5 tablespoon flour
- 1 c milk
- ½ c shortening softened
- ½ c salted butter softened
- 1 c sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Ganache
- ⅔ c semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar*
- ½ c whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon corn syrup
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottom of a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the egg yolks (save the whites for the next step), sugar, vegetable oil, water and vanilla; stir until combined.
- Pour the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixer with a rubber spatula just until combined. (Be gentle with the batter - you want to keep it light and airy!)
- Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top by giving the pan a little shimmy-shake!
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, being sure not to overbake.
- While the cake is baking, grab a clean thin towel and dust it with cocoa powder.
- When the cake is done, run a knife around the edge of the pan and immediately turn the cake pan over onto the prepared towel; peel the parchment paper off the cake.
- Roll the cake (and the towel) up and let set until completely cool.
To make the Filling:
- In a saucepan, mix flour and milk with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thick.
- Remove from the heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer with a whisk attachment), beat the shortening, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat until smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Unroll the cooled cake, spread the filling over the cake and roll it back up tightly.
For the Ganache:
- Place chocolate in a medium sized bowl.
- In a microwave safe bowl (or glass liquid measuring cup), heat the heavy whipping cream in 15 second increments until it's very hot but NOT boiling.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for two minutes.
- Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth and glossy.
- Place the cake roll on a wire rack over a sheet of waxed paper.
- Pour the ganache over the cake and refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours to let everything set. Enjoy!
Colette says
What size baking sheet do you use?
Also doesn't the cake crack when you roll it up hot?
Kelsey says
Hi Colette - I use a baking sheet (about 18x13 inches). A regular chocolate cake would crack, however this one has a different formula (with fluffy egg whites) that allows it to roll up nicely while hot. Hope that helps!! 🙂 -Kelsey
Chris says
Can I freeze this?
Kelsey says
Yes!! That shouldn't be an issue at all. Just be sure to wrap it well with plastic wrap and use within 2-3 months to avoid freezer burn.
-Kelsey