Chocolate Peppermint Swiss Roll Recipe

There’s something magical about slicing into a spiral cake and revealing those gorgeous layers inside! I’ve been making this chocolate peppermint swiss roll every December for the past six years, and it’s become the dessert everyone requests. The combination of rich chocolate cake with cool, creamy peppermint filling is absolutely irresistible—and honestly? It’s easier than it looks. I promise you, if I can roll this without cracking it (and trust me, I’ve had my disasters), you can too!

Prep Time	25 minutes
Cook Time	12 minutes
Total Time	45 minutes (includes assembly)
Servings	10-12 slices
Difficulty	Medium
Calories	~285 per serving (est.)

How To Make Chocolate Peppermint Roll Recipe

Essential Equipment

Here’s what you’ll need to pull this off:

• 15×10 inch jelly roll pan (this size matters!)
• Parchment paper
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Clean kitchen towel
• Offset spatula for spreading

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• Powdered sugar for dusting

For the Peppermint Cream Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes (plus more for garnish)

Substitution Options:

Ingredient	Substitution	Note
Dark chocolate	Semi-sweet chocolate chips	Works perfectly
Cream cheese	Mascarpone	Creates lighter filling
Peppermint extract	2 tsp crushed peppermints	Less intense flavor
Heavy cream	Full-fat coconut cream	Dairy-free option
All-purpose flour	1:1 gluten-free blend	Add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

---

Instructions

1. Prep your workspace first. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides. Lay out a clean kitchen towel and dust it generously with powdered sugar—you’ll need this the moment your cake comes out!
2. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set this aside.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar. In your mixer, beat eggs and granulated sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes. You’re looking for thick, pale yellow ribbons that fall from the beaters—this is what gives your cake that perfect texture!
4. Add the chocolate and vanilla. Gently fold in your cooled melted chocolate and vanilla extract until just combined. The mixture should look glossy and smooth.
5. Incorporate the dry ingredients. Sift your flour mixture over the egg mixture in three additions, folding gently after each addition. Don’t overmix here—I learned this the hard way after making a dense, tough cake!
6. Bake it perfectly. Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. The cake should spring back when lightly touched. Here’s the thing—overbaking is your enemy with swiss rolls!
7. The crucial roll. Immediately after removing from the oven, run a knife around the edges and flip the cake onto your powdered-sugar-dusted towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper, then roll the cake up with the towel starting from the short end. Let it cool completely rolled up—this trains the cake to hold its shape!
8. Make the peppermint filling. Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture along with peppermint extract.
9. Assemble your masterpiece. Gently unroll your cooled cake (it’s okay if it wants to stay curled—that’s perfect!). Spread the peppermint filling evenly, leaving about 1/2 inch border on all sides. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes—but save some for the top!
10. Roll it up again. Starting from the same short end, carefully roll the cake back up without the towel this time. Place it seam-side down on your serving platter.
11. Final touches. Dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with melted chocolate if you’re feeling fancy, and top with those remaining crushed candy canes right before serving.

Tips & Notes for Success

Baking Tips

Room temperature matters. I can’t stress this enough—room temperature eggs incorporate better and create more volume when beaten. Take them out 30 minutes before baking.

The towel trick is essential. Rolling the cake while it’s hot with the towel prevents cracking when you add the filling later. This little technique changed my swiss roll game completely!

Don’t skip the melted chocolate. Using both cocoa powder and melted chocolate creates that intense double-chocolate flavor that makes this peppermint chocolate roll so incredible.

Timing on the candy canes. Add crushed candy canes to the top just before serving to prevent color bleeding. Trust me on this one—I once had pink streaks all over my beautiful white filling!

Troubleshooting

Cake cracked when rolling? This usually means it was overbaked or cooled too long before the initial roll. The cake should still be warm and pliable when you roll it the first time.

Filling too runny? Make sure your heavy cream was cold and whipped to stiff peaks before folding it into the cream cheese. You can chill the filling for 15 minutes to firm it up.

Cake sticking to towel? You didn’t use enough powdered sugar on the towel! Be generous with that dusting—it acts as a barrier.

Dry cake texture? Check your oven temperature with a thermometer. Even 25°F too hot can dry out this delicate cake in minutes.

Variations

White chocolate peppermint version: Replace the cocoa powder with an extra 1/4 cup flour and fold in 1/2 cup of melted white chocolate for a stunning holiday chocolate dessert variation.

Mocha peppermint twist: Add 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder to your dry ingredients for a grown-up flavor that’s amazing for Holiday chocolate roll gatherings.

Mint chocolate chip style: Mix mini chocolate chips into your filling along with the crushed candy canes for extra chocolate hits in every bite.

Dairy-free adaptation: Use full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream and dairy-free cream cheese. The candy cane cake roll works beautifully with these swaps!

More Related Recipes

If you loved this festive peppermint recipe, you’ll want to try these:

• 12 Best Swiss Roll Recipes
• Classic Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
• Red Velvet Swiss Roll
• Oreo Cake Roll Recipe
• Hot Chocolate Lasagna

Conclusion

This chocolate peppermint Swiss roll looks absolutely stunning on any holiday table, and the flavor combination never fails to impress! Once you nail the rolling technique, you’ll find yourself making Swiss rolls year-round with different fillings. Give it a try and let me know how yours turns out!

---

Recipe Card