Swiss Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Put the cocoa powder and chocolate in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth; let cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture in 2 additions. Finish mixing gently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Tap the pans against the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until the cakes spring back in the center when gently pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edges and turn out the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over the saucepan (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water); cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, the egg whites are frothy and the mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture cools to room temperature, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time, waiting for them to incorporate before adding more. (The mixture will become liquidy, then it will get thick and shiny once the butter emulsifies. It may also look curdled as you add the butter. It's OK: Keep adding butter and beating.) Add the vanilla and beat until combined and fluffy, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally to create 4 layers. Place 1 layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting on top, then repeat with the remaining cake layers, spreading more frosting in between them. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake (this is the crumb coat - it doesn't have to be perfect), then refrigerate until the frosting sets, about 30 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it with a bench scraper.
• Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming, then pour over the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside until cool but still pourable, 20 to 40 minutes (the time will vary depending on the temperature and bowl). Pour the ganache on top of the cake and spread with a small offset spatula, letting it drip down the sides. Let the ganache set 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray a jelly roll or sheet pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl.
• Beat eggs and sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat in dry ingredients on low speed in thirds, alternating with melted butter, until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan (the thickness should be less than 1/4 inch).
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 8 to 9 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• Flip cake upside-down out of the pan onto a new sheet of parchment paper. Remove the used parchment paper from the top of the cake gently. Roll cake, starting at one end of the paper, into a tube until it is completely rolled into the parchment. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Mix in chocolate-hazelnut spread. Roll out the cake and spread filling evenly. Roll up the cake with the filling, keeping in mind that the cake might crack or tear easily.

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line bottom of a 17x12" rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (do not grease pan or parchment). Separate yolks from 4 large eggs, room temperature, over a medium bowl to catch egg whites. Place yolks in a large bowl and set aside.
• Add 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. cream of tartar, and ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar to egg whites and beat with an electric mixer until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form, 8-10 minutes. (You can also beat on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.)
• Add remaining ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar to reserved egg yolks and whisk to combine, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup (32 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract, and ⅓ cup room-temperature water and whisk until cocoa is fully dissolved. Sift ½ cup (58 g) bleached cake flour and ½ tsp. baking powder over, then whisk vigorously to combine.
• Add one fourth of meringue to cocoa mixture and mix thoroughly (you can use either a whisk or rubber spatula). Add remaining meringue in 3 batches, gently folding after each addition until only a few streaks of meringue remain (err on the side of mixing slightly less rather than more to keep the batter billowy).
• Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and, using a small offset spatula, gently spread to edges of pan, smoothing surface. Bake cake until top springs back when lightly pressed, 18-20 minutes (cake may start to shrink from sides of pan). Let cake cool in pan, 30-40 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 2 cups heavy cream, 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract in a large bowl until medium-firm peaks form, about 4 minutes. (Or, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, about 1 minute.)
• Run a small offset spatula along edges of pan to release cake from sides. Place a wire rack (same size as cake and rimmed baking sheet) on top of cake and flip over to invert cake onto it; remove baking sheet. Carefully peel away parchment paper (start from a long edge where it might be embedded in the cake and pull gently to ensure you don't tear cake); discard. Place a clean sheet of parchment on top of cake and flip cake over so wire rack is now on top; remove wire rack.
• Dollop filling over surface of cake. Using spatula, smooth cream evenly over cake, working all the way to the edges. Starting from a short end and using parchment as a guide, roll up cake. Transfer cake, seam side down, to a platter and chill until filling is set, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Using a serrated knife, trim ¼"-½" off both ends of cake to create clean edges; discard (or consider them a snack!). Using a small fine-mesh sieve, dust top of Swiss roll with powdered sugar. Slice with serrated knife to serve. Do ahead: Cake (without powdered sugar) can be assembled 2 days ahead. Tightly wrap and keep chilled. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.