Chocolate Coffee Swiss Roll with Fudge Sauce

Case of the Mondays? We’ve got you covered. Mondays sometimes need a kick, and a strong one, to get the creative juices flowing or get through that dreadful traffic. This cake is is the answer to all of you problems and all the problems that are undoubtedly going to get thrown your way today because that’s just how Mondays are. To help you tune out all of that beginning of the week haze, we invite you to take a slice of this coffee and chocolate-laden roll of decadence. A light, fluffy swirl of chocolate, filled with the creamiest coffee whipped cream, and all enrobed in rich coffee + chocolate fudge sauce. Sound like a slice of vacation on the most dreaded day of the week? Let’s turn these Mondays into fundays.

Swiss rolls – or simply, large flat sponge cakes that easily roll – are some of the best gluten free dessert options out there. The cake itself is usually very light on flour of any kind, and you can often substitute ground nuts (almond flour, etc) or other powdered substances like freeze dried raspberries or cocoa powder to hold up the few dry ingredients you need. The bulk of the cake is supported by half a dozen egg yolks, beaten with sugar until lighter in color and thick, and egg whites, beaten until you have an enormous bowl of the fluffiest meringue starter you could ever find. In short, the eggs take the lead in binding and raising the thin cake, and the flour simply acts as a side kick. In this version, dry ingredients are nearly non-existent: the chocolate comes from melted high quality chocolate bars instead of cocoa powder, though you could experiment with powder as well!

I’ll be experimenting with other flavor combos in Swiss roll cakes in the next week or two (it’s my new favorite baking adventure) – I have one already ready to go and another in recipe development phase. Once you find something that works well gluten free, milk it for all it’s worth! The addition of instant coffee in both the whipped cream and the fudge sauce is the cherry (or deeply decadent goop) on top. Coffee added to chocolate things tends to deepen and darken the chocolate itself, giving you a real Darth Vader of the sweets world. And, as we are all keenly aware, a bit of chocolate and coffee go a long way on a Monday morning to wipe away our disappointment that when we woke up it wasn’t the weekend anymore. Here’s to propelling ourselves through the week with this swirl of no regrets and getting to next weekend without a scratch. Do what tastes good!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Chocolate Coffee Swiss Roll with Fudge Sauce

Heavy on the chocolate and coffee, a swiss roll to start Monday morning

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: chocolate, coffee, cream, swiss roll

Servings: 16 people

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3/4 Cup chopped chocolate a mix of milk and dark good quality chocolate – I use Valrhona milk and 70% dark
• 3 Tbsp water
• 6 large eggs separated into clean large bowls
• 2/3 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 Cup arrowroot starch
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the filling:

• 2 Cups heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 Cup powdered sugar

For the fudge sauce:

• 1/4 Cup salted butter
• 1/2 Cup good cocoa powder
• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 2 tsp instant coffee granules

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Prep a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan: grease with butter or spray, line with parchment paper, then grease the paper. In a small sauce pan, melt the chocolate with the water, stirring constantly. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool. Using an electric mixer with clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, set aside. In the egg yolk bowl, add the other 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until thicker and lighter, about a minute. Add the starch and salt and beat; while still beating, pour in the cooled melted chocolate until fully combined. Fold in the egg whites 1/3 at a time until smooth and combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 15-18 minutes until spongy to the touch, then remove and let cool slightly.
• When cake has slightly cooled, lift parchment paper and cake out and place on a dampened kitchen towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and carefully roll entire cake using parchment paper and towel. Let sit, rolled, until completely cooled.
• While cake is rolled and cooling, make the filling! Mix the instant coffee granules with the cream and stir until fully dissolved. Using the electric mixer, beat the coffee cream and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. When cake is cooled, carefully unroll. Use a spatula to spread the coffee whipped cream across the entire cake evenly. Re-roll the cake and wrap in the parchment paper – chill in fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
• While the cake is chilling, make the fudge sauce. Dissolve the instant coffee granules into the milk and set aside. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add in cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, then add in sugar and whisk until combined. Add milk and continue to whisk until thick. Remove from heat and let sit until slightly cooled.
• Remove cake from freezer or fridge and unwrap. Plate the cake and pour the fudge sauce over the cake and top with chocolate curls if you want! Cake can keep in the fridge or freezer.

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cake!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber