Chocolate Raspberry Swiss Roll (Raspberry Yule Log)

Quick Summary: This chocolate raspberry Swiss roll, also called a raspberry yule log or bûche de Noël, is a rolled chocolate sponge cake spread with raspberry preserves and chocolate mousse, then covered in mousse, dark chocolate tears, and fresh raspberries. It works as a festive Christmas dessert and an all-year-round chocolate cake roll.

What is a chocolate raspberry Swiss roll?

A chocolate raspberry Swiss roll is a thin chocolate sponge cake that is spread with a filling, then rolled up so each slice shows a neat spiral. This version pairs tart raspberry preserves with a smooth chocolate mousse, a combination that balances the richness of the cocoa sponge.

The same cake goes by several names. In the United States it is often called a jelly roll or cake roll, in France it is a roulade, and when it is shaped and decorated to look like a log for Christmas, it becomes a bûche de Noël or yule log. Whatever you call it, the technique is the same: bake a flexible sponge, fill it, and roll.

Why you'll love this recipe

Here is why this chocolate raspberry cake roll earns a spot on your table:

• A showstopping dessert: the rolled sponge with its neat chocolate swirl becomes the centerpiece of the table from the first slice.
• Great all year round: serve it as a Christmas bûche de Noël or yule log, for Valentine's Day, or as a birthday cake.
• Easy to customize: swap the raspberry preserves for your favorite jam to create a new chocolate-and-fruit combination.
• Made for chocolate lovers: a chocolate sponge, chocolate mousse, and dark chocolate tears in one festive Swiss roll.
• Forgiving to roll: unlike many cake rolls, you roll this sponge after it cools, so there is no rushing to roll it hot.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Eggs: the recipe calls for large eggs. Separate chilled egg whites from the yolks using an egg separator.

Flour: use all-purpose flour to make this cake roll recipe.

Cocoa powder: use unsweetened cocoa powder to dust chocolate tears and the top of the dessert.

Potato starch is added to all-purpose flour as a lower-protein ingredient to make a soft biscuit.

Butter: use unsalted butter, melted and cooled. It creams the biscuit ingredients together, giving such elasticity to the baked biscuit that it allows you to roll up easily.

Sugar: use granulated sugar or caster sugar. To make the meringue, it is recommended to process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds or use superfine baker's sugar.

Raspberry preserves: use seedless raspberry preserves to make the yule log with raspberry filling.

You can also use regular raspberry preserves (with seeds) or replace them with raspberry jam or preserves of your choice.

Fruit preserves or jams have to be the "right" consistency. If it is too runny, the fruit filling will soak into the cake. If it is too thick or in pieces, it will not spread evenly. 

Whipping cream: use your favorite brand of whipping cream with at least 35% or more milk fat. Make sure the whipping cream is well-chilled to make the whipped cream.

Dark chocolate: use top-quality dark chocolate such as Scharffen Berger dark chocolate or Valrhona dark chocolate. Please, avoid using chocolate chips.

Gelatin: use gelatin sheets with a strength of 200 bloom.

Heavy cream: it is also known as heavy whipping cream with 36-40% fat.

Milk: the recipe calls for whole milk.

Icing sugar: make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use store-bought powdered sugar.

Fresh raspberries: use fresh juice raspberries or omit fresh berries if they are out of season.

Equipment

Here are the main tools you need to make this chocolate raspberry Swiss roll:

• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer: to whip the egg whites and the cream.
• Rimmed baking sheet and parchment paper: to bake the thin chocolate sponge.
• Bent (offset) spatula: to spread the batter, preserves, and mousse evenly.
• Flour sifter: to sift the flour, cocoa, and potato starch for a smooth sponge.
• Kitchen thermometer: to temper the chocolate and check the ganache and butter temperatures.
• Guitar sheets or plastic sheets: to shape the dark chocolate tears for decoration.

How to make chocolate raspberry Yule log

Step 1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). To make the biscuit, combine flour, cocoa powder, and potato starch. Sift the flour mixture using a flour sifter and set it aside.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric hand mixer at medium speed until soft peaks.

Step 3. Increase speed, gradually add granulated sugar, and whisk at high speed until stiff peaks form (photo 1).

Step 4. Add egg yolks and gently mix with a rubber spatula, working in the same direction from the bottom of the bowl.

Step 5. Then add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and gently combine with the spatula. Finally, add melted butter (cool it to 122°F (50°C)) and mix again (photo 2).

Step 6. Pour the cake batter on a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper or a non-spill baking sheet and even the surface with a bent spatula (photo 3).

Step 7. Make sure to form a rectangle of 12 x 11 inches / 30 x 27 cm. Bake cake for 10 minutes. Take it from the oven and let it cool.  

Step 8. To make chocolate mousse, whisk ⅔ cup (150 g) whipping cream until it forms whipped cream, then refrigerate (photo 4).

Step 9. Melt dark chocolate in a bain-marie/water bath or microwave until the chocolate reaches 122°F (50°C). In a separate bowl, soak gelatin in cold water.

Step 10. Place three tablespoons (45 g) of heavy cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In another mixing bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar with a hand whisk.

Step 11. Pour hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, constantly whisking.

Step 12. Bring the mixture back to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking.

Step 13. Once the preparation thickens, remove the saucepan from heat and cool it down, placing it over a large bowl with the iced cold water.

Step 14. Add the drained gelatin immediately and mix until melted (photo 5).

Step 15. Pour the warm preparation over the melted chocolate and gently mix with the spatula (photo 6).

Step 16. Add the cold whipped cream and mix with the spatula once the chocolate ganache reaches 113°F (45°C) (photo 7). Keep the ready chocolate mousse at room temperature.

Step 17. To make chocolate tears, temper dark chocolate.

Step 18. Cut the guitar sheets or simply plastic sheets into square or rectangular pieces and place them on the work surface.

Step 19. Drop small amounts of tempered chocolate on guitar sheets with an offset spatula and gently spread with a single movement, forming tears. (photo 8).

Step 20. Sprinkle chocolate with a little bit of cocoa powder. To give the tears a slight curvature, place pieces of guitar sheets in a baguette pan.

Step 21. Instead, use small narrow glasses to insert sheets with chocolate (photo 9).

Step 22. Let the chocolate set for about 15 minutes in the fridge, and gently peel the decorations. 

Step 23. To assemble the cake, flip the biscuit over parchment or a clean tea towel and remove the baking paper or baking sheet.

Step 24. Cut the rectangle of the cake layer 11 x 10 inches / 28 x 25 cm. Spread a thin, even layer of the raspberry preserves on the bottom of the sponge using a bent spatula or a large metal spoon (photo 10).

Step 25. Spread another chocolate mousse layer on top of the raspberry preserves (photo 11).

Step 26. Roll the biscuit, starting from the long side, top to bottom, and tighten it (photo 12).

Step 27. Wrap the biscuit roll in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Step 28. Take the roll cake out of the fridge and place it on a serving plate. Cover the roll with the chocolate mousse and spoon it out with the back of a tablespoon (photo 13).

Step 29. Decorate the cake with chocolate tears. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and powdered sugar and arrange fresh raspberries (photo 14). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Expert tips

1. Make chocolate tears in advance: it will save time while making the roll cake.
2. Unlike other cake roll recipes, this cake recipe is very forgiving: you do not need to roll up the hot sponge in a kitchen towel. Wait until the cake cools on parchment paper, and then roll.
3. Decorate the top of the cake with edible gold leaf if you desire.
4. Take a Swiss chocolate roll from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe variations

The chocolate and raspberry combination is a classic, but this cake roll is easy to adapt. Here are a few ways to change the flavor and the decoration:

• Switch the fruit: swap the raspberry preserves for another jam to create a new chocolate-and-fruit pairing.
• Skip the tempered chocolate: if you are not comfortable tempering chocolate, cover the roll with chocolate ganache and spoon it with the back of a tablespoon, or use a bent spatula to create a faux-wood effect.
• Add fresh garnishes: arrange fresh raspberries on top and sprinkle with chopped pistachios, the way you would for the Rosewater Meringue Roulade or Raspberry Pistachio Roulade.
• Decorate off-season: if fresh berries are out of season, finish the top with a gold curling ribbon, the same decoration used for the Nutella Swiss Roll.
• Keep it simple: cover the roll with chocolate shavings and a dusting of confectioners' sugar, like the Meringue Cake Merveilleux.
• Go glossy: pour a chocolate glaze over the cake and top it with Meringue Mushrooms or freeze-dried raspberries.
• Make it a Christmas yule log: add Christmas cake toppers, gingerbread cookies, whole star anise, or cinnamon sticks to decorate it as a festive bûche de Noël.

Storing & freezing

Store this cake, covered tightly, in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. I don't recommend freezing this cake to keep its texture and flavor.

Recipe FAQ

Is a chocolate raspberry Swiss roll the same as a yule log?
Yes. A chocolate raspberry Swiss roll and a raspberry yule log (bûche de Noël) are the same rolled sponge cake. It is called a yule log when it is shaped and decorated to look like a log for Christmas, but you can serve it plain all year.

What is the difference between a Swiss roll and a cake roll?
They are the same dessert. Swiss roll, cake roll, jelly roll, and roulade all describe a thin sponge cake rolled up with a filling inside. The name simply changes by region and by the filling used.

What is Swiss roll filling made of?
The most common filling is whipped cream, jam, or both. Other options include cream cheese frosting, crème fraîche, vanilla or chocolate buttercream, mascarpone, chocolate ganache, fudge, or marshmallow. This recipe uses raspberry preserves and chocolate mousse.

What is the difference between a Swiss roll and a roulade?
A Swiss roll is always a sponge cake with filling rolled inside. Roulade is a French word meaning "rolled up," so it is a broader term that also covers meringue and choux pastry rolls. In France, rolled cakes are usually called roulades.

How do you keep a chocolate Swiss roll from cracking?
This sponge is forgiving because you roll it after it cools rather than while hot. Bake it just until set, do not overbake, and roll gently and evenly from the long side to avoid cracks.

Can you make this raspberry yule log ahead of time?
Yes. You can make the chocolate tears in advance, and the assembled cake keeps covered in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Take it out about 30 minutes before serving.

How do you store a chocolate raspberry cake roll?
Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Freezing is not recommended, as it affects the texture and flavor of the mousse and sponge.

Can I make it without tempering chocolate?
Yes. If you would rather skip the tempered chocolate tears, cover the roll with chocolate ganache and create a faux-wood effect with a fork or spatula, then finish with fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios.

Love cake rolls? Try these next!

• Pavlova Roll (Meringue Roulade)
• Pistachio Swiss Roll (Raspberry Pistachio Roulade)
• Nutella Swiss Roll Cake (Nutella Roulade)
• Coffee Swiss Roll (Coffee Roulade)
• Strawberry Swiss Roll Cake
• Vanilla Swiss Roll (Soft, No-Crack Cake Roll)

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe by French chef Alain Ducasse, originally published on Académie du Goût. It was first published on December 09, 2018 and has since been revised with improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.