S’mores Cake Roll

This S’mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

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I should not have started watching The Great British Bake Off. I thought I knew better. I expect more of myself than to fall down that sugary-sweet chasm of beautiful treats, a path that could only end with me drooling all over the TV screen and furiously scribbling ideas on soggy paper.

Clearly I don’t do what’s good for me.

First episode I watched, and I was immediately inspired to make a cake roll. Now, let me be honest, I’d never tried to make a cake roll before. Something about it just seemed too intimidating. I mean, what if it just crumbles instead of rolls? What if the swirl isn’t… swirly? Even worse, what if it’s not delicious? I mean, I’ll eat crumbs if they’re delicious, presentation be darned!

Good news – not only is it more than edible, it was actually surprisingly much easier to make than it seemed on the show. It did not fall apart, or crumble, and the roll was actually ‘roll-y’! Next on the list, tiny tea cakes…

First things first, you need to start with a sponge cake recipe. You sadly can’t use your regular chocolate cake, but I did find a chocolate one that was almost as sinful as my favourite chocolate cake recipe: this one from Chef-in-Training. Of course I ended up tweaking it  just a little to make it less sweet and more chocolatey. It was moist, held its shape perfectly, and above all was DELICIOUS.

Like all good cakes, mix the dry ingredients first….

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Then whip up those egg whites, set them aside while you mix and fold in the wet ingredients. Fold in the egg whites as the last step!

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Keep folding juuust until everything is mixed.

Lay parchment paper down in a baking tray with sides (I just used a normal cookie sheet, no extra deep edges or anything and it fit perfectly!). Pour the batter in, flattening it out and making sure it goes all the way to the corners and sides!

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

And bake!

Now, this is the fun/most stressful part. As soon as the cake is finished baking, pull it out and turn it upside down on a towel or more parchment paper. I found a towel easier on the hands, you’re dealing with a hot cake that just came out of the oven here!

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

(I apologize for the lighting in these two shots – my new kitchen is very very dark and I haven’t figured out a natural lighting solution yet!)

Carefully, carefully roll up the towel with the cake inside while it’s still hot. This is the real trick. And it is magic, my friends!

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Lovely lovely cake sausage. Now set it aside until it cools completely. I gave it a good 45 minutes since my towel was pretty thick.

When you carefully unroll it, it should keep its shape! You may have to gently pry open the last little bit.

Now it’s time for the fixin’s. Slather the whole middle with marshmallow fluff! Mine ended up seeping out the edges a bit when it was sitting in the fridge overnight, so don’t put it as close to the edge as I did! Crumble up some crunchy graham crackers, and drizzle some ganache in there… mmmmm…. just a heads up, the graham crackers will get soggy after a while, so I recommend making this on the day you serve it if you want that crunch!

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Because you cooled it in a roll, it will naturally want to be back in a roll! Slowly roll it back up, this time leaving the towel on the counter. Of course.

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Cover it in the rest of the ganache, sprinkle more crunchy graham crackers, and top with more marshmallow fluff or other marshmallows!

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Perfection!

You know it’s good when you cut it open and can see that beautiful contrasting swirl! (I know Mary would be a fan)

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Cake rolls. So much easier than TV made it look. Now I’m off to watch more Bake Off…

S'mores Cake Roll
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

Course: Dessert
Ingredients
Chocolate Sponge Cake
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs separated
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 Tbsp water
Chocolate Ganache
  • 8 oz. (~250 mL) heavy cream (whipping cream)
  • 8 oz. (~250 mg) semi-sweet baking chocolate finely chopped
Additional Toppings
  • 7 oz. marshmallow fluff (about one small jar)
  • 4-5 graham crackers crumbled
Instructions
Chocolate Sponge Cake
  1. Heat the oven to 350*F

  2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. The baking sheet should have sides, but deep sides are not necessary. 

  3. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. 

  4. With a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy. Turn the speed up to high, and gradually add half the sugar. Stop to scrape the sides if necessary. Beat until stiff peaks form. 

  5. Beat the egg yolks in a third bowl until they are thick, then add the rest of the sugar and vanilla.

  6. Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture a bit at a time, folding them in. Then fold in the stiff egg whites. Pour mixture into parchment-lined baking sheet and make sure it gets into all the corners and is smooth and even. 

  7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, a toothpick should come out clean. Pull out of the oven and immediately flip upside down onto a clean towel or parchment paper. (Towel is better for the heat on your hands!). Gently pull the parchment paper away from the top of the cake.

  8. Gently roll the towel with the cake inside while it is still hot. Go slowly and carefully so that the cake doesn't tear. Set aside to cool completely, about 30-45 minutes

Chocolate Ganache (don't start this until you're ready to assemble the cake!)
  1. In a pot on the stove, heat the cream until it is steaming. Do not let boil! Pour over chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl, and mix until smooth. Set aside. IF the mixture cools too much and you're unable to pour it smoothly, just pop it back on the stove or in the microwave until it warms up. 

Assembly (see photos above!)
  1. Once the cake is completely cool, unroll it from the towel. You'll notice that it tries to keep its shape! This is a good thing. 

  2. Spread the marshmallow fluff all over the inside of the roll. Keep it at least half an inch from the edge, or else it will spill out over time. Dust with graham crackers and drizzle with chocolate ganache. 

  3. Gently and slowly roll the cake back up, it should do so quite easily. Cover with the remaining chocolate ganache, and top with more graham crackers, toasted marshmallows, whatever you would like!

Recipe Notes

The Chocolate Sponge Cake recipe has been modified from Chef In Training's Chocolate Cream Roll recipe found here.

This cake should be made the same day or night before you serve it. The marshmallow fluff (at least the Kraft brand), will ooze over time! The ganache should help seal the ends, but not always. Additionally, the graham crackers in the roll will soften over time, so if you want them to really CRUNCH, then make it the same day. 

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This S'mores Swiss Roll is filled with marshmallow fluff, sprinkled with crunchy graham crackers, and covered in chocolate ganache for a sweet, camping-inspired treat! 

About the author

Cristina

An avid lover of all things East Coast and delicious, Cristina blogs at I Say Nomato, a site dedicated to exploring and inventing allergy-friendly food. When she's not experimenting in the kitchen, she can be found curled up with a good book or planning her next adventure.