48 g Dutch-processed cocoa
100 g sugar
3 g salt
60 g hot water
60 g neutral oil
12 g vanilla extract
4 yolks
Mix cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Add hot water. Whisk in oil, vanilla, and yolks.
85 g cake flour
6 g baking powder
Add to coca mixture
5 egg whites
50 g sugar
Whip to stiff peaks (Because the amount of sugar is low in proportion to the whites, it’s fine to just add all the sugar directly to the egg whites and whip to stiff peaks)
Fold into cocoa mixture
Scrape onto a parchment-lined sheet tray.
Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes until cake springs back when gently pressed.
I find at 20 minutes if I press the surface cracks and a depression is left, and just a couple of minutes later it springs back. For other people I’d recommend setting the timer at 20 minutes just in case since my oven seems to be a bit slower.
Steam by covering as soon as it comes out of the oven.
You can use foil or invert another sheet tray over. Leave on a wire rack until fully cooled.
I make a lot of Asian roll cakes and they roll beautifully, but the chocolate ones made with only cocoa are really lacking in the chocolate flavor and are a little too light in texture. This has a much deeper chocolate flavor and nice dark color thanks to the blooming, and the texture is a bit more dense (as one would want with chocolate cake) than a standard roll. And with the steaming step I’ve now made it multiple times and never had a crack. I also like how easy removing the crust is because I don’t tend to like the crust on chocolate roll cakes.
My other favorite if you want a roll that incorporates chocolate in addition to cocoa is this one:
I found it bitter as written, so I lowered the percentage of the chocolate and added more sugar, but it’s an amazing recipe that rolls like a dream, and for people who love really dark chocolate flavor, they might enjoy it exactly as written. Definitely recommend a sweeter filling than what they call for, though!
