Attention to all coffee lovers! This coffee Swiss roll cake is a festive dessert made with a biscuit Joconde soaked with maple syrup and generously covered with the coffee-flavored mascarpone cream.

After making rich Royal chocolate cake and chocolate meringue cake Concorde, it is time to please coffee lovers with a new coffee-flavored dessert.
You can make this coffee roll cake as a Yule log using Christmas edible decorations. Or make a simplified version of the cake - coffee Swiss roll - perfect for any occasion.
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Why you should try this recipe
This yummy coffee Swiss roll is the perfect treat to enjoy on lazy mornings. With an elegant taste of pure deliciousness, this slice goes great with a cup of coffee.
The recipe is as straightforward and simple to make, with a preparation time of just 2 hours.
It is best served for birthday parties: add alcohol to the cream to serve adults and keep it as in the recipe if you serve for kids.
Topped with Christmas chocolate decorations, meringue mushrooms, nougatine pieces, or chocolate crisps, this roll cake is easily transformed into a coffee Yule log.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.
Almond flour: use blanched finely ground almond flour (not a coarse almond meal).
While measuring almond flour, spoon it from a container gently into a measuring cup. Please, do not press it down.
Icing sugar: make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use a store-bought powdered sugar.
Sugar: use granulated sugar or replace it with caster sugar.
Flour: the recipe calls for all-purpose flour.
Butter: use unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature in advance.
Eggs: use whole large eggs and large egg whites. To separate egg whites from egg yolks, use an egg separator.
Hazelnuts: use store-bought roasted hazelnuts or roast nuts yourself.
Maple syrup is used to soak the biscuit. Replace it with light corn syrup if desired.
Mascarpone is added to stabilize the whipped cream. Take mascarpone out of the fridge for 15 minutes (at maximum!) before you start making the cream.
Whipping cream: use whipping cream with at least 30% fat content.
Espresso coffee is the star of this coffee roll cake. Use your favorite one.
Instant coffee powder: use your preferred brand of instant coffee. To make it powdered, use either a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
Dark chocolate crisps: this is an optional chocolate decoration. Also, decorate the cake with store-bought chocolate thins or homemade pieces of tempered chocolate.
Caramelized hazelnuts: follow the instructions on how to caramelize hazelnuts.
How to make coffee Swiss roll
To make the biscuit Joconde, heat the oven to 355 F/180 C. Place icing sugar, almond flour, all-purpose flour, and 2 whole eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk at a slow speed using an electric or stand mixer.
Increase the speed and continue to whisk. Add the other 2 whole eggs, cooled melted butter, and mix again (photo 1).
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they are mounted. Add granulated sugar and beat again until stiff peaks (photo 2).
Add half of the meringue to the main preparation and mix gently with a rubber spatula. Finally, add the rest of the meringue and combine (photo 3).
Pour the biscuit dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or on a non-spill baking sheet to the thickness of 25/64 inch/1 cm. Sprinkle with half of the chopped roasted hazelnuts (photo 4).
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the biscuit from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes.
To make the mascarpone cream, place the prepared mascarpone (see the notes) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip the cheese for a few seconds.
Then add whipping cream, icing sugar, espresso coffee, and instant coffee powder to the bowl.
Mix with a hand whisk to homogenize everything. Then whisk with the stand mixer until firm (photo 5).
Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate the cream until assembling the cake.
To assemble the roll cake, flip the biscuit on a sheet of parchment. Then peel parchment paper or the baking mat.
Soak the biscuit with maple syrup using a silicone brush. Spread the mascarpone cream and even the surface with a bent spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped roasted hazelnuts.
Roll the biscuit from top to bottom along the biscuit's long side, using the parchment sheet (photo 6). Tight it as much as possible.
While rolling the baked biscuit, it may crack. Continue to roll the biscuit, tighten it into parchment paper, and refrigerate. It will be fine once it is chilled.
Refrigerate the rolled biscuit for 4 hours.
To decorate the cake, cut the roll cake 10-inch/25 cm long. Use a knife to make the ends of the cake neat. Spread a layer of cream on the rolled cake (photo 7).
Place the remaining cream in a pastry bag with a St. Honore tip and cover the cake's entire surface. Pipe straight lines, starting from one side of the cake and moving towards another side.
Decorate it with dark chocolate crisps and caramelized hazelnuts (photo 8).
Recipe variations
This recipe for a coffee Swiss roll is so simple, but it's the little touches that make all of the difference.
You can add one tablespoon of white rum or Grand Marnier to the mascarpone cream if you serve the cake to adults.
The full-bodied taste of coffee is beautifully married with other types of nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and chestnuts. So, try to replace hazelnuts.
Other recipe variations include cake decoration. Want to be inspired by the roll cakes' decorations?
Please, have a look at this Nutella cake roll or raspberry pistachio roulade. You will fall in love with their simplicity.
Equipment
What baking equipment will you need to make the cake?
Making a roll cake is as easy and fun with the right baking tools. You will need some mixing bowls, a stand mixer or an electric mixer, a rubber spatula, and a non-spill baking sheet to make the biscuit.
You can use a baking tray lined with parchment paper if you don't have a special silicone sheet for making roll cakes.
To prepare the cream, make sure you have a hand whisk and a silicone brush. Use a bent spatula or the back of a spoon to decorate the cake.
Storage instructions
For the best taste, make this roll cake on the day of serving.
Since the mascarpone cream tends to dry out quickly, it is best to assemble this mascarpone-filled cake 1 hour before serving. Keep it in the refrigerator, being wrapped until assembling.
Store leftover cake in the fridge for up to 24 hours. It is not recommended to freeze it.
Expert tips
- Refer to the recipe on how to caramelize hazelnuts.
- To make the mascarpone cream, make sure to use the chilled mascarpone but a slightly softened one. Take it out of the fridge for 15 minutes at maximum before whisking the cream. It is essential.
- If the cream starts curding, use a water bath to sightly heat the curded cream while constantly whisking it. Once the lumps are gone, stop the heating. Let the cream get to room temperature and whip it one more time for a few seconds.
- Keep the cake wrapped in parchment paper until assembling. Since the mascarpone cream tends to dry out quickly, it is best to assemble the cake 1 hour before serving. Keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Make ahead option: bake the biscuit, roll it with ½ of the cream, and wrap it one day ahead. Store it wrapped in parchment paper in the fridge. Next day, one hour before serving, decorate the cake with cream, nuts, and chocolate crisps, and keep it in the refrigerator. In this case, I recommend making the mascarpone cream twice: ½ of the cream to fill the cake, and the next day ½ of the cream to decorate.
FAQ
Biscuit Joconde is a light sponge cake made with almond flour, eggs, all-purpose flour, sugar, and butter. It takes its name from the French La Joconde, meaning Mona Lisa.
The main difference between biscuit Joconde and other sponge cakes is that its recipe calls for whole eggs and not just egg whites.
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Recipe card
Coffee Swiss Roll Cake
This coffee Swiss roll cake is a festive dessert made with a biscuit Joconde soaked with maple syrup and generously covered with the coffee-flavored mascarpone cream. It is simply irresistible.
- Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 - 10 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the biscuit Joconde:
- 2 cups + 4 teaspoons (200 g) almond flour
- 1 cup + 9 ½ teaspoons (150 g) icing (powdered) sugar
- ⅓ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (80 g) all-purpose flour
- 2.1 oz. (60 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 4 whole large eggs, room temperature
- 5 large egg whites (150 g), room temperature
- 3.5 oz. (100 g) roasted hazelnuts
For the mascarpone cream:
- 11.6 oz. (330 g) mascarpone (see note #2)
- 2 ⅔ cups + 3 ½ tablespoons (665 g) whipping cream
- 1 cup + ½ tablespoon (130 g) icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons (35 ml) of espresso coffee
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant coffee powder
For assembling:
- 2.7 fl. oz. (80 ml) maple syrup
- 1.7 oz. (50 g) roasted hazelnuts
- 6 dark chocolate crisps (optional)
- 10 caramelized hazelnuts (optional)
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Instructions
-
To make the biscuit Joconde, increase the oven temperature to 355 F/180 C. Place icing sugar, almond flour, all-purpose flour, and 2 whole eggs in a bowl. Whisk at a slow speed using an electric or stand mixer. Increase the speed and continue to whisk. Add the other 2 whole eggs and cooled melted butter, and mix again.
-
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they are mounted. Add granulated (caster) sugar and beat again until stiff peaks. Add half of the meringue to the main preparation and mix gently with a rubber spatula. Finally, add the rest of the meringue and combine. Pour the biscuit dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or on a non-spill baking sheet to Pour the biscuit dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or on a non-spill baking sheet to the thickness of 25/64 inch/1 cm. Sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the biscuit from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes.
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To make the mascarpone cream, place mascarpone, icing (powdered) sugar, whipping cream, espresso coffee, and instant coffee powder in a bowl. Mix with a hand whisk to homogenize everything. Then whisk with a stand or electric mixer. Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate the cream until assembling the cake.
-
To assemble the roll cake, flip the biscuit on a sheet of parchment. Then peel parchment paper or the baking mat. Soak the biscuit with maple syrup using a silicone brush. Spread the mascarpone cream and even the surface with a bent spatula. Sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts. Roll the biscuit from top to bottom along the biscuit's long side, using the parchment sheet. Tight it as much as possible. Refrigerate the rolled biscuit for 4 hours.
-
To decorate the cake, cut the roll cake 10-inch/25 cm long. Use a knife to make the ends of the cake neat. Spread a layer of cream on the rolled cake. Place the remaining cream in a pastry bag with a St. Honore tip and cover the cake's entire surface. Pipe straight lines, starting from one side of the cake and moving towards another side.
-
Decorate it with dark chocolate crisps and caramelized hazelnuts.
Notes
- Refer to the recipe on how to caramelize hazelnuts.
- To make the mascarpone cream, make sure to use the chilled mascarpone but a slightly softened one. Take it out of the fridge for 15 minutes at maximum before whisking the cream. It is essential.
- If the cream starts curding, use a water bath to sightly heat the curded cream while constantly whisking it. Once the lumps are gone, stop the heating. Let the cream get to room temperature and whip it one more time for a few seconds.
- Keep the cake wrapped in parchment paper until assembling. Since the mascarpone cream tends to dry out quickly, it is best to assemble the cake 1 hour before serving. Keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Make ahead option: bake the biscuit, roll it with ½ of the cream, and wrap it one day ahead. Store it wrapped in parchment paper in the fridge. Next day, one hour before serving, decorate the cake with cream, nuts, and chocolate crisps, and keep it in the refrigerator. In this case, you will need to make the mascarpone cream twice: ½ of the cream to fill the cake, and the next day ½ of the cream to decorate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 754
- Sugar: 46.7 g
- Sodium: 128 mg
- Fat: 51.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 21.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.6 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 16.7 g
- Cholesterol: 169 mg
Keywords: coffee roll cake, coffee swiss roll, coffee cream swiss roll, coffee swiss roll recipe
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.
The recipe was adapted from here https://www.femmeactuelle.fr. It was originally published on December 17, 2018. It has been revised to include the improved recipe and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
Shanna says
This was so good I am already making the second one. Thanks so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Shanna, for letting me know! I am happy to read.
Tara says
What an incredible cake for the holidays! I absolutely love the combination of hazelnut and coffee. Yum!
★★★★★
Irina says
Tara, thanks for your interest in the recipe. Please, enjoy it!
Jersey says
What a decadent Christmas Dessert! I love it!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Jersey!
Kylie says
So glad I found this recipe! It's so delicious!
★★★★★
Irina says
Please, enjoy the recipe, Kylie. I hope you will make it. 🙂
Toni says
This cake is amazing! The flavors are SO delicious. I never thought I could make something like this, but your instructions make it so easy.
★★★★★
Irina says
Kylie, I am happy to hear that! Please, enjoy it.
Fara Kay says
Can you make this cake a day early (not assembled)? Also, will the whipped cream be ok if made a day early too, or should that be done the day you want to assemble? Finally, if the above is not recommended, can I make the assembled cake a day early to be served the next day?
Thank you! This cake looks really good, and I want to make it for X-mas if I can find hazelnuts in the store
Irina says
Hi Fara, thanks for your interest in the recipe. Yes, you can bake the biscuit, roll it with ⅓ of the cream, and wrap it one day ahead. Store it wrapped in parchment in the fridge. Next day, one hour before serving, decorate the cake with cream, nuts, and chocolate crisps, and keep it in the refrigerator. In this case, I recommend making the mascarpone cream twice: ⅓ of the cream to fill the cake, and the next day ⅔ of the cream to decorate. I do not recommend assembling the cake one day ahead since the mascarpone-baed whipped cream tends to dry out. Try to assemble the cake 1-2 hours before serving to keep the cream fresh-looking 🙂 And please, read all the post including the FAQ: there is plenty of information there. Happy baking!!!
Farwah Kuhafa says
I did make the cake and cream a day ahead and assembled it the next day. I had to make some changes to the recipe b/c I just couldn't find hazelnuts, and ordering online wouldn't have come in on time fast enough. I omitted the hazelnuts and was thinking to crush up some Ferrer rocher and use it to decorate the outside of the cake (I ended up not doing that, maybe next time)
I am not a maple syrup fan, so I changed it to a chocolate ganache and then topped it off with the mascarpone cream and rolled the cake. I didn't have espresso powder, so I used more instant Nescafe instead. If I could post a pic of my cake, I would.
Everyone loved it! The cake does have many cracked looks when rolling than a swiss cake roll, but that's ok b/c you're covering it with the cream anyway.
The cake I made was a little longer than the typical swiss cake roll recipe. Fit into a normal jelly size pan and was enough for 18 people (there were other desserts available)
★★★★★
Irina says
Hi Farwah, I am happy to hear that your guests and you loved the cake. It is also great that you could make replacements without problems. As for cracking, yes, this roll cake cracks while rolling it. I have made it a few times, and it happened, but the following chilling and decoration cover it. As for the roll cake length, I personally always cut the ends to fit a serving platter I have. Please, share the picture of your cake on Instagram using the hashtag #bakinglikeachef or send me by email at bakinglikeachef@gmail.com. Thanks!!!
Vivian P. says
I'm a coffee and hazelnut lover, so I tried making this yesterday, and it was sooo good! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'm going to try the Sans Rival next:)
Irina says
Vivian, thank you very much for letting me know. I am happy to hear that you loved that roll cake. It's one of my favorites as well. 🙂 Sans Rival? You will love it too. Happy baking!