Chocolate Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
This delicious Chocolate Cake Roll with Cream Cheese filling is sure to impress your friends. Despite appearances, this favorite childhood bake is secretly very easy to make!
Chocolate Cake Roll with Cream Cheese filling
My chocolate cake roll, also known as a Chocolate Swiss Roll cake, is irresistible to anyone who loves chocolate. This nostalgic chocolate cake is based on the classic jelly roll cake, only the sponge cake is chocolate flavored rather than vanilla and the jelly filling is replaced by a richly delicious cream cheese filling.
If you’ve never made a roll cake before, it can seem intimidating, but I encourage you to give it a try. It’s a lot easier than you might first think! This recipe is pretty simple, combining soft and fluffy chocolate flavored sponge with a cream cheese filling.
My Chocolate Cake Roll using cake mix is super simple. For ease I use a boxed Chocolate Cake mix. However, instead of following the directions on the box, follow the instructions I’ve detailed below as the ingredients that I add in make the cake easy to roll.
How to make my Chocolate Cake Roll recipe:
How to make the Chocolate Cake Roll?
To make the cake, preheat your oven to 350F.
Line a Jelly Roll Pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Use a baking pan that is 10x15x1-inch (25x38x2.5cm).
OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Jelly Roll 10 x 15 Inch
Mix together your cake mix, eggs, water, and oil.
Beat on low for one minute scraping sides down with the mixer.
Pour the batter into your prepared jelly roll baking pan, place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back.
Once baked turn the cake upside down onto a large piece of clean parchment paper sprinkled with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; carefully remove parchment paper or silicone baking mat from the jelly roll baking pan.
While hot, carefully roll up cake and parchment paper.
Place on a wire cooling rack and cool for one hour.
How to make Cream Cheese Filling?
Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling by mixing together the cream cheese, butter and sugar.
Using an electric hand whist, mix on high until well combined. The filling should have a smooth and thick texture with no lumps.
Now fill the Chocolate Roll Cake:
Gently unroll the cake and spread the inside with the cream cheese filling.
Carefully roll the cake back up and place is seam side down on a plate.
Dust with a little extra powdered sugar if you want.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
How do you roll a Swiss Roll Cake?
Rolling a Swiss roll cake is a lot easier than you might think and is always best done when the cake is still warm, just out of the oven. Start by inverting the warm cake onto a large piece of baking parchment that you have dusted with powdered sugar – this helps stop it from sticking.
Next gently peel the baking parchment or silicone mat from the bottom of the cake, taking your time so you don’t rip the cake.
Now lift up the short end of the cake and gently roll the cake up. Do not be heavy handed and press down on the cake or you will end up with deep cracks on the cake.
Once rolled up, place the rolled up cake onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely – at least an hour. While you get on with making the cream cheese filling.
Filling variations:
I love the balance of the thick cream cheese filling with the sweet and fluffy chocolate sponge cake. However, you can get really creative with the filling and here are some ideas to get you started:
- whipped cream and some of your favorite berries, like strawberries, blueberries or blackberries, chopped up with a little powdered sugar
- vanilla, chocolate or espresso coffee flavored butter frosting
- whipped cream with crushed Oreo biscuits
- a layer of vanilla frosting topped off with a layer of your favorite fruit jelly
Recipe tips:
- Don’t under or over bake the sponge! The cake won’t roll right if its too wet or too dry.
- An electric whisk makes light work of beating the cake batter together.
- Use full fat cream cheese to make the cream cheese filling. I like to use Philadelphia which has a great tasting, thick consistency, which is ideal for making frosting.
- Always roll the cake when it is warm as it makes the job a whole lot easier!
- Cool the cake completely before filling it – a warm cake will only melt the filling, leaving you with a soggy mess!
- If the cake cracks a little when you’re rolling it up, don’t worry, when you add in the filling, that helps hide any imperfections.
Can I make Chocolate Cake Roll ahead of time?
This is a great cake to make ahead, ready to serve up when you have guests round. Simply bake and fill the cake then place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
It’s important that you store this cake in the fridge as filling contains both cream cheese and butter which will go off if left on the counter top.
Can I freeze Chocolate Cake Roll?
You can freeze chocolate cake roll really easy. Bake and fill the cake as normal, then cover the cake with clingfilm and place it in an airtight container. It can be frozen for 1-2 months. When ready to serve defrost thoroughly before serving.
Chocolate Cake Roll

Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- To make the cake, preheat your oven to 350.
- Line a 10x15x1-inch Jelly Roll Baking Pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Mix together your cake mix, eggs, water, and oil.
- Beat on low for one minute scraping sides with a stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Pour batter into your prepared jelly roll baking pan.
- Bake 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back.
- Turn cake upside down onto a large piece of clean parchment paper sprinkled with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- Carefully remove parchment paper or silicone baking mat from the jelly roll baking pan.
- While hot, carefully roll up cake and parchment paper.
- Place on a wire rack and cool for one hour.
- Mix together cream cheese, butter and sugar.
- Mix on high until well combined.
- Unroll cake
- Spread cream cheese filling over the cake.
- Roll cake back up.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 224Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g
These are a few items I find helpful in my own kitchen when preparing this Chocolate Cake Roll Recipe:
KitchenAid KB6NSO12MF Classic Nonstick 12-Cavity Regular Sized Muffin Pan BakewareReynolds Kitchens Non-Stick Parchment Paper – 60 Square Feet
AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat Sheet, Set of 2
OXO 1169600 Good Grips 3-Piece Mixing Set, White Bowls with Blue/Green/Brown Handles, Yellow
KitchenAid KHM512IC 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer, Ice Blue
That’s just the way I’ve usually done it 🙂 I have rolled with a towel if I am out of parchment, but my personal preference is to use parchment paper.
Just wondering why you rolled with parchment paper? Ive always read to roll with a towel – just curious as very excited to make it!
The cake roll was thick enough to make 2 rolls I think. Made it according to the recipe. Mixed my filling ( i added a tesp. Of vanilla) and after spreading didn’t feel it was enough ( it’s the best part) so made another one and spread it on too. Had some leftover chocolate frosting, threw in some chocolate chips and some butter heated it up and spread it over the cake roll. Took a picture, but can’t figure out how to put it on here. Turned out yummy looking and I think it will be. It’s Christmas dinner dessert!
Great, I’m so happy to hear you tried it. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!
Yes I made the chocolate roll! I was nervous about the 6 eggs but they worked great in the cake. I used chopped peppermint on both the top and in the filling. I will probably put cool whip on top when I serve it tomorrow! Thanks!!!!
Yes I made the cake, it was delicious. Thanks
OMGosh this looks so good!!!
Thank you. I. appreciate this so much. Can’t wait to try this. Holiday worthy.Happy Holidays.
That sounds delish! How do you make the mint filling?
I’m not sure I can make this chocolate cake roll because chocolate rolls are my biggest weakness! I am sure I would eat the whole thing in one sitting! Perhaps I can make one for a friend who shares!
This would be a wonderful desserts serve after a fancy meal.
So good. I would love some right now. Thank you
This would make a great little gift idea for the holidays. I love this.
I have always wanted to learn how to make these ever since I saw the photographs in The Swiss Colony catalog. This is one of those decadent desserts that tastes great served heated or chilled. You could even coordinate it with holidays or birthdays by adding food coloring to the cream filling.
I love chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. This recipe is great. Thank you for sharing
I always have trouble rolling these. Yours looks perfect however!
We made a “pizza roll” recently and it was easier than I thought it would be. I don’t have a pan that size, though, and I think that would make things easier.
This would make such an awesome dessert for a BBQ. I can’t wait to have this. Thank you for sharing
This sounds great with a scoop of ice cream. I can’t wait to try this. Thank you so much for sharing
This looks heavenly! I have got to make this ASAP =)
this looks so amazing. The kids will love this. I too love chocolate and cream
Oh, I want a slice now. It looks delicious. My Mother makes a pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving that is so good but a chocolate roll would be great anytime for this chocolate lover.
I have never made a cake roll before. I have always loved the pumpkin ones during the holidays. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Wow, this looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, that looks amazing!
Such a good looking dessert.
It looks pretty tasty, but maybe a little too much to create but the result looks good
I haven’t made one of these in….years. Love them! I especially love making a mint filling for the chocolate cake roll. Yum!
The cake roll looks yummy, Thanks.
I’ve always wanted to make arolled cake but it seems so hard. You’ve outlined directions that make it sound easy enough that I might be able to do this!
Your cake roll came out nice and professional looking! I’ve been tempted for a long time to make one,but thought it always seemed so hard to make!
This looks divine. I have made roll cakes before and they are not as tricky as I thought.
This sounds so good. I love chocolate cake. This looks so moist. Yummy! Thank you for sharing
This looks so good. My older sister used to make jelly roll cakes all the time, I should make this one for her!
This looks good. I make one almost exactly like this, ingredients and all. It has made me hungry. I will be making it soon!!!!
this looks delicious. I have never made a cake roll before. I would love to try it.
What a lovely cake. I think I’d top it with fresh strawberries.
This cake looks scrumptious; thanks for posting the recipe!
This looks delicious! I bet the kids loved it.
I can’t believe how easy this is. Its a must try.
The Chocolate Cake Roll looks delicious. I have never tried making a cake roll before.
These look super awesome but the room in my kitchen is not even close to being enough.
This cake roll looks really good & not that difficult to make. I also appreciate the listing of pans, mats etc. – very helpful!
If I had a bigger kitchen with more counter space…I’d make a lot more goodies from scratch. Your cake roll looks great!