Impress Your Guests with Festive Flavor: Elevate your holiday dessert table with this Christmas Cake Roll. It’s a show-stopper that combines rich chocolate layers, a refreshing peppermint filling, and a festive presentation.

It costs approximately $15.85 to make this cake. The cake makes twelve servings and costs about $1.32 to make.

The finished Christmas Roll Cake on a platter with a slice cut off of it.

Christmas Roll Cake

You’ll impress your friends and family with this cake when you make it for your next holiday party. This cake looks and tastes like it came from a local bakery. It is perfect for entertaining during the holidays.  

If this is your first time making a roll cake, my step-by-step directions will walk you through the process so you can confidently and successfully make this cake. 

The cake is so chocolaty and rich without being dense. The filling has just the right amount of peppermint flavor without being too overbearing.

The chocolate ganache finishes everything off with a buttery, chocolaty coating. This dessert is a show-stopper and perfect for special holiday get-togethers.

What You’ll Love About This Christmas Cake Roll:

  • Decadent Flavor: The cake is so chocolaty and rich without being dense. The filling has just the right amount of peppermint flavor without being too overbearing.
  • Seasonal Flavor: The peppermint is a festive twist to a traditional chocolate roll cake and is an ideal Christmas dessert for the holiday season.
  • Crowd Pleaser: This dessert will impress all your friends and family. It is the perfect holiday dessert!
Three slices of Christmas Cake Roll on a white plate.

Ingredients and Estimated Cost:

Per Serving Cost: $1.32

Recipe Cost: $15.85

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour – $0.20
  • 6 oz dark chocolate – $2.09
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.28
  • ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder – $0.73
  • ⅛ teaspoon table salt – $0.01
  • 6 large eggs – $2.16
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar – $0.11
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – $0.46
  • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar – $0.04
  • 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $2.52
  • 8 Tablespoons heavy cream – $0.80
  • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar – $0.90
  • ¾ cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips – $3.72
  • ⅔ cup bittersweet chocolate chips – $1.83
  • 4 Tablespoons water – $0.00

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the pricing for this recipe in December 2023.

All of the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

How To Make Christmas Cake Roll:

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

  1. First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and prepare the jelly roll pan with nonstick spray and parchment paper. 
  2. Next, combine the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and melt the chocolate in the microwave for thirty seconds.
  3. Stir and melt again until the chocolate is smooth. 
  4. Sift the cocoa, flour, and salt in a separate bowl and set it aside. 
  5. Beat together the egg yolks until combined and then add half the sugar.
  6. Continue to beat for about eight minutes, and then beat in the vanilla. 
  7. Next, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, and then add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat until soft peaks form.
  8. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks. 
  9. Stir the chocolate mixture into the yolks.
  10. Next, stir a quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture and fold in the remaining whites.
  11. Then, fold in the dry ingredients. 
  12. Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared baking sheet and bake for about eight to ten minutes. Allow the cake to cook on a wire rack for five minutes. 

A picture collage showing how to make the chocolate cake portion of this recipe.

  1. Next, sift one Tablespoon of cocoa powder over a clean kitchen towel and rub the cocoa into the towel. 
  2. Loosen the cake by running a knife around the edges of the baking sheet. Invert the cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment. 
  3. Roll the cake and towel together and cool for fifteen minutes. 
  4. Next, beat together the butter, cream, and confectioner’s sugar in a medium bowl. 
  5. Add the peppermint baking chips and mix until combined. 
  6. Unroll the cake and towel, and spread the peppermint buttercream over the cake with an offset spatula.
  7. Re-roll the cake and then set it seam-side down on top of a jelly-roll pan. Trim the ends of the rolled cake. 
  8. Melt the chocolate and cream in a small bowl for thirty seconds. Stir and repeat until the mixture is melted.
  9. Stir in the confectioner’s sugar and mix in one Tablespoon of water at a time until pouring consistency is reached. 
  10. Finally, spread the ganache over the roulade and sprinkle peppermint baking chips over the top. Chill in the fridge for twenty minutes before serving. 

A picture collage showing how to assemble this cake.

Christmas Cake Roll Storage Tips:

STORE: Store the cake in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap for up to three days. 

FREEZE: If you want to freeze the cake, do it before the ganache goes on top. Wrap the chocolate peppermint cake roll in two layers of plastic and foil. Freeze for 2-3 months.

THAW: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Once thawed, add the ganache topping.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake Roll Recipe FAQs:

What is a roll cake called?

There are several different names for a roll cake. You may recognize it as a Swiss roll, a jelly roll, a roulade, a Christmas yule log cake, or a cream roll.

Where are roll cakes from?

Roll cakes are believed to have been first created in the 1800s in Central Europe. My recipe is an Americanized version. 

How long does roll cake last?

This cake is best when eaten the day you make it, but you can store it in the fridge for up to three days.

An overhead of the finished Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake on a white platter.

More Christmas Recipes:

A close up of three slices of the finished Christmas Cake Roll Recipe on a white plate.
5 from 8 votes

Christmas Cake Roll

Recipe Cost $ $15.85
Serving Cost $ $1.32
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
12 people
Elevate your holiday dessert table with this Christmas Cake Roll. It's a show-stopper that combines rich chocolate layers, a refreshing peppermint filling, and a festive presentation.

Ingredients
 
 

Roulade

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate chopped fine
  • 2 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder sifted
  • teaspoon table salt
  • 6 large eggs at room temperature
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • teaspoon cream of tartar

Peppermint Buttercream

  • 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 6 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 Cups confectioner’s sugar
  • ¾ cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Chocolate Ganache

  • cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar sifted
  • 2-4 Tablespoons warm water

Instructions

PREP OVEN AND PAN:

  • Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Spray an 18 by 12-inch rimmed baking sheet with baking spray, cover the pan bottom with parchment paper, and spray parchment with another layer of baking spray.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE:

  • Combine chocolate and butter in a small bowl.
  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave by heating the chocolate at 50% power for 30 seconds.
  • Stir and repeat until butter and chocolate are melted. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and glossy.
  • While chocolate is melting, sift cocoa, flour, and salt into a small bowl and set aside.
  • In a bowl of a standing mixer, beat egg yolks at medium-high speed until just combined, about 15 seconds.
  • With the mixer running, add half the sugar.
  • Continue to beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl until yolks are pale yellow and thickened, about 8 minutes.
  • Add vanilla and beat to combine.
  • Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
  • Wash and dry the mixer bowl and beaters.
  • In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds.
  • With the mixer running, add about one teaspoon of the remaining sugar; continue beating until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
  • Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until whites are glossy and supple, holding stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted, about 1-2 minutes longer. DO NOT over-beat (if whites look dry and granular, they are over-beaten).
  • While the whites are beating, stir the chocolate mixture into yolks.
  • Mix a quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula.
  • Fold in the remaining whites until almost no streaks remain.
  • Sprinkle dry ingredients over the egg and chocolate mixture and fold in gently.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan; using offset icing spatula and working quickly, smooth the surface and spread batter into pan corners.

BAKE AND COOL:

  • Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched with a finger, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time.
  • Cool the cake in a pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
  • While the cake is cooling, lay a clean kitchen towel over the work surface and sift one tablespoon of cocoa powder over the towel.
  • With your hands, rub cocoa into the towel.
  • Run a knife around the edges of the baking sheet to loosen the cake.
  • Invert the cake onto a towel and peel off the parchment.
  • Starting at the long side, roll the cake and towel together like a jelly roll. Cool for 15 minutes.

MAKE PEPPERMINT BUTTERCREAM:

  • Make the peppermint buttercream while the cake cools. Add the butter, cream, and confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl.
  • Using a handheld mixer, beat until smooth. Add the peppermint baking chips and mix until just combined.

ASSEMBLE CAKE:

  • At the end of the 15 minutes, unroll the cake and towel.
  • Using an offset spatula, immediately spread the peppermint buttercream evenly over the cake, almost to the edges.
  • Re-roll the cake gently but snugly around the filling.
  • Set a large sheet of parchment paper on an overturned rimmed baking sheet and set the cake seam-side down on top. Trim both ends of the cake.

MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

  • Make the ganache by microwaving the bittersweet chocolate and cream in a small bowl at 50% power for 30 seconds.
  • Stir and repeat until butter and chocolate are melted.
  • Add confectioner's sugar and mix to combine.
  • Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Set aside and let the sauce cool to warm.

TO FINISH:

  • Spread ganache over roulade with a small icing spatula.
  • Sprinkle peppermint baking chips over the top and refrigerate the cake to slightly set the icing for about 20 minutes. Serve.

Notes

  • Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Trust me, and it makes a difference!
  • Ensure you read all the directions before you start because this recipe is rapidly moving, and there is little time for breaks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 682IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg

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73 Comments

  1. I make my great-grandmother’s anise cookie recipe every year for the holidays.

  2. Nancy Carr says:

    My favorite holiday treat is a toss up between pumpkin pie and pecan pie. Yummy for both!

  3. Natalie G. says:

    I love my family’s sugar cookie cutouts.

  4. mommyondemand says:

    This looks great! I just bought some of those peppermint andes and Im hooked! The perfect recipe for them! Thanks for coming over and sharin at Create it or Bake it. Hope to see you back tomorrow!

  5. Claudia Lamascolo says:

    My son absolutely loved this recipe and I will be making it every holiday from now on and his birthday!

  6. The roulade I could only wish for! Fabulous texture and wonderful presentation – just the way I like it! 🙂

  7. The family loved this recipe, will be making again for sure!!

  8. Sara Welch says:

    Such a beautiful looking dessert and perfect for the holidays! Definitely saving this for Christmas this year!

  9. Such a great dessert for the holidays, I love the peppermint twist!