Black Forest Ice Cream Cake Roll: A Swiss Roll Recipe

This Black Forest Ice Cream Cake Roll is a fun “twist” on a classic cake. Chocolate cake is layered with vanilla ice cream, cherry pie filling, and topped with chocolate ganache. If you love a classic Black Forest cake, just wait until you try it rolled up into a swirly, ice-cream-stuffed dream!

Don’t Let Cake Rolls Intimidate You — This Black Forest Ice Cream Cake Roll Is Easier Than It Looks!

Okay, so can we talk about how a black forest cake roll LOOKS like it belongs on some fancy bakery case, but is actually so doable at home? This is basically a chocolate sponge cake situation crossed with an icebox cake, and it’s perfect for special occasions or just a random Tuesday when you need something ah-mazing in your freezer. Start by whisking your dry ingredients — flour, cocoa powder, a little salt — in a medium bowl and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat your egg yolks with sugar and vanilla extract until you get a thick, pale white mixture. That’s your base for the whole cake batter.

Meanwhile, in a separate large bowl, use your electric mixer on high speed to whip your egg whites to stiff peaks (not just soft peaks — you really want them holding their shape). Gently fold the whites into the egg mixture, then fold in the flour mixture until you’ve got a smooth, airy cake mixture that’s basically a genoise sponge in disguise. This light, delicate chocolate sponge cake is what makes this whole black forest ice cream cake roll so dreamy — it’s sturdy enough to roll but still wonderfully tender.

A FEW THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THIS Black Forest Ice Cream Cake Roll:

In my experience, a “messed up” cake roll is never really messed up beyond repair. If your cake cracks while unrolling, just keep going! Spread the filling over it, and roll it back up as best as you can. Get it wrapped tightly in plastic and chill (or freeze, as the case may be ????). You can always cover up cracks with frosting, whipped cream, or ganache on top!
In retrospect, I think I would have opted for a chocolate chip ice cream instead of just plain vanilla. FYI.
I wrapped my cake roll in plastic wrap and then in a few layers of foil as well. This cake roll was near-to-bursting at the seams when I rolled it back up! With it wrapped in foil, I was better able to round out the shape of it a bit before putting it in the freezer.

Baking And Rolling The Chocolate Sponge Cake

Pour your batter into a prepared pan — a swiss roll tin or prepared jelly roll pan lined with a silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper works great. Unlike other sheet pans you might reach for, jelly roll pans have those short 10.5-inch sides that are key for a proper roll cake. Bake until just set, then immediately invert it onto a clean kitchen towel (a tea towel dusted with powdered sugar or icing sugar keeps it from sticking) and roll it up while it’s still warm. This is the trick that keeps a black forest ice cream cake roll from cracking later — rolling it warm trains the sponge into that shape. Let the cake cool completely, rolled up, before you even think about unrolling it again.

Once it’s cooled, gently unroll and spread on softened vanilla ice cream as your whipped cream filling stand-in, then spoon on your cherry filling — homemade cherry compote, cherry pie filling, or even sweetened fresh cherries or sour cherries simmered in a little cherry syrup all work beautifully. Roll it back up, wrap tight, and freeze until firm.

The Dreamy Chocolate Ganache Topping

No black forest ice cream cake roll is complete without a glossy chocolate ganache draped over the top. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, warm your heavy cream just until it steams, then pour it over dark chocolate or chocolate chips in a small bowl. Let it sit a minute, then whisk into a silky chocolate mixture. Pour the melted chocolate ganache generously over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Save any remaining cream mixture to drizzle later, or transfer it to a piping bag for prettier swirls right down the center of the cake.

Finish with chocolate shavings made with a vegetable peeler and a handful of maraschino cherries or black cherries on top. Transfer to a serving platter or serving plate, slice, and serve — this beauty is basically a black forest ice cream cake and a black forest swiss roll had the most delicious baby imaginable.

Tips, Swaps, And Storage For Next Time

If you’re short on time, you can absolutely doctor up a box mix instead of baking from scratch — check out my doctored chocolate cake mix recipe for tips on making cake mixes taste homemade. Just make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start; it makes a huge difference in volume when you whip them up with a mixing bowl and an electric mixer. And if plain flour is all you’ve got, regular purpose flour (all-purpose, that is!) is exactly what this recipe calls for anyway.

Feeling fancy? A splash of cherry liqueur stirred into the filling gives it that grown-up, classic german dessert flavor without needing any fake natural flavor add-ins — just real, sweet or sweet cherries shining through. This cake also makes a gorgeous black forest icebox cake alternative for warm weather gatherings when you want something cold and creamy instead of a traditional butter cake. Next time I make this, I’m swirling in a cream cheese filling alongside the cherries for even more tang. However you dress it up, keep it stored in the freezer, tightly wrapped, until you’re ready to slice and devour.

More Cherry Dessert Recipes!

Cherry Cheesecake Fluff Salad

Chocolate Cherry Cola Cake

Chocolate Covered Cherry Fudge

Nutritional info and daily values will vary depending on your exact ingredients, so always double check if you’re tracking closely — but honestly, some desserts are worth every bite regardless of the numbers. Now go make this black forest ice cream cake roll and report back — I literally can’t even with how good this is!