• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors

Sees Food, Will Travel logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • About Me
      • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    March 15, 2022

    Mocha Roll Cake

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you've been following all of my baked goods recipes from the Philippines, you'll notice that many of them accompany the primary breakfast drink of Filipinos: coffee. And if you are like me, you also love pairing the bitterness of coffee with anything baked and sweet. However, this mocha roll recipe made with instant coffee is not a breakfast or snack item; it's dessert! Leave it to the Filipinos to ensure we always have things that taste like coffee.

    Closeup of mocha cake roll

    Where Did Mocha Rolls Come From?

    Mocha rolls cakes are not traditional Filipino desserts such as biko or yema tarts. Also, you won't find much regarding its history. At least, I didn't. This is more likely a trendy product of famous bakery chains such as Goldilocks or Red Ribbon that became a staple in Filipino culture. Growing up, I knew about mocha roll cakes whenever someone presented one in front of guests at parties. Since I was about five years old, I remember hearing enough endless gasps at these moments that I immediately thought this cake had to be good. But I wasn't allowed to actually eat the cake until I was older and it was deemed appropriate for me to drink coffee. This finally rendered mocha cake a "legal" treat in my food world.

    Years later, I learned the myth that coffee stunts your growth isn't necessarily true. I could have indulged in mocha roll cakes at a younger age. Nevertheless, I still get a childlike glee whenever I devour a slice. As someone who usually needs coffee or tea with a sweet, I enjoy this cake without any accompaniments. That's how good it is!

    This Cake Contains a Lot of Coffee

    This mocha roll cake comprises three separate parts that come together to make its sweet, soft, and balanced glory. First comes the Swiss roll cake, essentially a thin sponge cake rolled to look like a log. Next is the mocha filling made with cocoa powder and instant coffee for flavor. It's a Swiss meringue buttercream made with hot sugar syrup, combined with egg whites and instant coffee to create a unique flavor. The third element is the frosting made with American buttercream, including instant coffee and cocoa.

    This cake is so indulgent that I recommend you make this for celebrations that call for an over-the-top dessert. This mocha roll cake will meet all expectations for most of your guests regardless of whether they are coffee lovers or not!

    How to Make Mocha Roll Cake

    Make the Sponge Cake

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Prepare two bowls because you will be combining ingredients with the egg yolks and whites separately.

    Add egg yolks and sugar to one bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until combined. Then add the oil, milk, instant coffee, cocoa powder, flour, and cornstarch mix. Mix the ingredients in the bowl until well combined.

    Dry and wet ingredients for mocha roll sponge cake
    Dry ingredients with wet ingredients for sponge cake
    A bowl with sponge cake mix

    Tip Before making the egg yolk mix, sift together the cornstarch and flour along with the cocoa powder and instant coffee. Since I developed this recipe to be more adaptable, I opted out of the regular cake flour sponge cake recipes usually require. The cornstarch will help make the all-purpose flour produce a softer cake.

    In the second bowl, beat egg whites until they are frothy, then add cream of tartar. Beat again until you no longer see the bits of cream of tartar. Slowly pour the sugar into the bowl of whites as you keep beating. 

    Whipped meringue in a bowl

    Beat until you have soft peaks, then take about a third of the meringue and fold it into the egg yolk mix. Repeat the process until all of the meringue has been gently folded into the mixture.

    creamed butter with meringue in bowl
    Folded sponge cake mix for mocha roll cake

    Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Before you slide it into the preheated oven, carefully tap the pan on the countertop to remove giant air bubbles. Do not overdo this because you may release too much air into the meringue. About two sets of double taps should do!

    Sponge cake for mocha roll cake before baking

    Place it in the oven and bake for about eighteen to twenty minutes. Then take it out of the oven. The cake is finished when you can poke it with a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Let it sit for about five to ten minutes, but make sure it's still warm when you work with it in the next steps. 

    Preroll Your Cake

    Take it out of the pan, and remove the parchment paper. Don't worry about the cake top wrinkling, as the wrinkles will be covered by the buttercream filling later on. Transfer it to another clean parchment paper with the top of the cake facing you.

    Cooked sponge cake next to clean wax paper

    Then from the short side, begin to roll the cake along with the parchment paper. Place your cake seam side down on a plate and put it in the refrigerator to cool. 

    Sponge cake being rolled with wax paper
    Rolled sponge cake

    Tip This should be easy to do if the cake is still warm. Thoroughly cooled cake has a significant chance of breaking. 

    Make Your Swiss Meringue Buttercream Filling

    Take two egg whites, salt, cocoa powder, coffee powder, and sugar, and beat them until you have soft peaks.

    Wet and dry ingredients for sponge cake
    Mering for buttercream filling for mocha roll cake

    In a small bowl, mix instant coffee and warm water until all granules have dissolved. Then, add the coffee and sugar to a saucepan and place on medium heat until it boils and bubbles. After three minutes on the stove, remove it from the heat and immediately pour it into the bowl of meringue while it's nice and bubbly.

    Coffee sugar syrup in a black pot
    Coffee syrup being poured in a bowl

    Turn on your electric beater and beat until you get a cloudy and fluffy meringue.

    Whipped coffee meringue with electric egg beater

    Add butter to the meringue a little bit at a time and continue beating. The buttercream may start to look curdled, but repeat the process until you use up all the butter. 

    Buttercream filling with butter

    Tip If it still seems curdled after using all the butter, there is a way to save it! Take about a half cup of the meringue and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it in the microwave for about five to ten seconds. It will look like it's half liquid or have some melted liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Pour it back into the bowl of meringue and start beating until the buttercream becomes a smooth texture.

    Buttercream filling for mocha roll cake in a bowl

    Make the Outer Buttercream

    In (yet) another bowl, add butter and cream together. Then add instant coffee and cocoa powder and beat them together again until well incorporated into the creamed butter.

    Finished mocha roll cake buttercream filling

    Add cream slowly into the bowl as you continue to beat. Make sure the mix is fluffy before moving on to the next step, which is to add the powdered sugar a quarter at a time. Repeat the process until you use up all of the powdered sugar. If this buttercream curdles in the process, don't fret! Go here for instructions on how to save the buttercream.

    Coffee buttercream frosting in a boowl

    Assembling the Cake

    Take the rolled cake out of the fridge and unroll it onto a clean work surface. Add the buttercream filling by spreading it across the top of the cake. 

    Sponge cake with frosting

    Then gently roll it back into a log without the parchment paper this time. Place it seam down again on your working surface. Take a sharp knife and cut off the ends to clean up the cake's silhouette.

    Sliced ends of mocha roll cake

    Take your buttercream frosting and layer your mocha roll cake with it. Once it's completely covered in frosting, you are ready to decorate! It's up to you how creative you want to be. I added a bit of frosting decor and topped them with espresso beans. It's a simple style but lets you know what type of flavor to expect!

    Mocha roll with first layer of coffee buttercream frosting
    Second layer of mocha roll cake frosting

    Place the cake uncovered in the fridge for about an hour to let the buttercream harden before slicing it up to have a bite. Don't say I didn't warn you; this one has an extravagant taste, so sit back and treat yourself!

    Overhead view of mocha roll cake

    Have You Tried This Recipe?

    Simply rate the recipe by clicking on the ⭐️s on the recipe card. Have something to say? Please leave me a comment down below telling me what you think of this recipe.

    Bonus: Let me and other readers know what you did to make this recipe your own - 💫 let's inspire each other!

    Also, follow me on Instagram [@seesfoodwilltravel] and send me a DM with a picture of what you made. I would love to share and celebrate YOUR creation with our budding community 💞

    Check out Sees Food, Will Travel on Pinterest and Facebook for more delicious updates.

    Mocha cake roll on a wooden board

    Mocha Roll Cake

    This mocha roll cake recipe has so much coffee flavor you won't be missing your cup of joe! This Filipino dessert is not too sweet either so it is satisfying, but won't leave you in a sugar-laden snooze. It is, however, full of butter because of the two buttercreams used in this cake. Consider it sinful, but you can be bad once in a while.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Filipino
    Servings 10 people

    Ingredients
      

    Sponge Cake

    • 6 egg yolks
    • 60 grams sugar
    • 60 grams vegetable oil
    • 60 grams milk
    • 90 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder, unsweetened
    • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
    • 6 egg whites
    • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 60 grams granulated sugar

    Filling

    • 2 egg whites
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1½ teaspoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
    • 1½ teaspoon instant coffee powder, unsweetened
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 118 grams water mixed with 1 tablespoon of instant coffee powder
    • 100 grams granulated sugar
    • 170 grams unsalted butter

    Buttercream Frosting

    • 113 grams unsalted butter
    • 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
    • ½ teaspoon cocoa powder
    • 55 grams heavy cream
    • 120 grams powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    Make the Cake

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a 9x13 baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
    • Mix the flour, cornstarch, instant coffee powder, and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside
    • In a bowl beat together egg yolks and sugar until sugar has disappeared.
    • Add the bowl of flour with other dry ingredients into the bowl of mix egg yolks plus the milk and vegetable oil. Mix everything together. Set aside.
    • In another bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Then add the cream of tartar and continue beating until the cream of tartar has disappeared.
    • Add the sugar slowly while beating the egg whites and continue until you get soft peaks. Take a third of the egg whites and fold into the egg yolk mixture. Repeat the process until you use all the egg whites.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is brown and the cake is set.
    • Take it out of the oven and allow to cool until you can touch the pan but it's still warm. Take the cake out of the pan and place it on a clean parchment paper with the top of the cake facing you.
    • Roll the cake and place it on a plate seam side down. Put it in the fridge while you make the buttercream filling and frosting.

    Make Buttercream Filling

    • In a bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
    • Add salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, instant coffee, and cocoa powder. Then beat until you get soft peaks. Set aside.
    • In a saucepan, add the 100 grams of sugar and coffee water then put on the stove on medium heat. Cook for no more than 3 minutes and make sure it boils. Take it off the heat and add to the bowl of egg whites.
    • Beat the egg whites and hot syrup together until you get soft peaks. Allow the meringue to cool completely before you add the butter.
    • Add butter a little bit at a time and beat with electric mixer until butter is incorporated. Repeat the process until you use all the butter. Set aside.

    Make the Frosting

    • In a bowl, cream the butter then add instant coffee and continue to mix.
    • Add heavy cream a little bit at a time and continue mixing.
    • Once the heavy cream is incorporated, add the powdered sugar a quarter at a time and repeat until all of the powdered sugar is used.

    Put the Cake Together

    • Take the cake out of the fridge and unroll carefully.
    • Spread the filling across the top of the cake. Then gently roll the cake into a log again.
    • Cut the ends of the cake to clean up the edges.
    • Cover the cake with frosting and decorate to your preference.
    • Put the cake back in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the buttercream to set.
    Keyword baked, cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Dessert

    • Sliced brownies
      Frosted Mocha Brownies
    • Pumpkin Crunch with Homemade Cake Mix
    • Closeup Portuguese egg tarts or pasteis de nata
      Classic Portuguese Egg Tarts (Pastéis de Nata)
    • Fried Filipino fritters on a gray plate
      Filipino Apple Banana Fritters (Maruya)

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Joanne!

    Living abroad has taught me how food plays an important role in making connections worldwide. I love pies, Asian food, anything made from potatoes, and wine when it comes to food.

    You can learn more about me here.

    I created this site to track my gastronomy adventures, record inspired recipes, and help others build meaningful (and delicious!) travel itineraries.

    Cheers!

    Trending Recipes

    • Closeup of ube lava cake on a blue plate
      Ube Lava Cake
    • Rolled egg omelet or gyeran mari on a plate
      Cheesy Gyeran Mari (Rolled Omelet)
    • Ube cinnamon rolls on a wood table
      Ube Cinnamon Rolls
    • Sliced maja blanca on parchment paper
      A Creamy Maja Blanca Recipe

    Delicious Food Guides

    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner in Belém (then Lisbon)
    • Overhead view of various plates in Degenried
      Wirtschaft Degenried: A Hidden Gem Restaurant in Zurich
    • Hawksmoor steak header
      Hawksmoor & Flatiron: Steaks in London

    Don't know where to start? See everything I've ever written here.

    Footer

    Currently

    I love anything that has to do with travel, eating, and cooking.

    Nowadays I am getting to know my Filipino heritage by developing some recipes of my own. Check out some Filipino recipes - you will love it 💕

    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy

    Filipino Recipes

    Baked ube sugar cookies
    Fried Filipino fritters on a gray plate
    Closeup of Bistek tagalog or Filipino beefsteak
    • Recipe Index
    • Travel & Food Guide Index

    stay connected

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2023 Sees Food, Will Travel

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT