Bianca Zapatka

Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll)

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This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Making it vegan is easier than you think and it only takes a few minutes to prepare! Impress everyone with this show-stopping simple and delicious dessert.

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake Roll

If you’ve ever thought making a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Cake Roll without using eggs or any dairy ingredients is hard, I can tell you that it’s actually not that complicated! Today I‘ll show you, how simple it is! Step-by-step!

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

Honestly making a Vegan Swiss Roll is not something new and unusual for me. I used to bake them often in the past before I started my blog. I guess it was kind of a “Trend” earlier because so many bloggers on Instagram were making them all the time. Which means I wasn’t the only one who had fun creating different kinds of Vegan Swiss Rolls (Yule Log). Ever since I started my blog, however, I’ve wanted to try new things and create other recipes. Well, now I decided it’s time to share an easy recipe for this Black Forest Cake Roll with you.

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

Vegan Swiss Roll or Yule Log?

I have to admit that I’m not sure what this Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll is actually called in America or England. So I simply use a variety of names: Black Forest Cake Roll, Vegan Swiss Roll, and Chocolate Yule Log. ? Just wanted to mention that, so please do not be irritated. What’s your favorite name for this kind of Cake?

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To make this Black Forest Cake Roll, first, start with lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then combine all ingredients for the Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake batter according to the recipe below. When the batter is mixed together, pour it onto the prepared baking tray and spread it evenly using a spatula. Pop it straight into the preheated oven and bake for around 20 minutes or until the cake is firm but still soft and springs back when you press down gently with your finger. Please make sure not to bake the Chocolate Sponge Cake for too long or it will get dry and crumbly.

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

When the Chocolate Sponge Cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes or so. In the meantime, dust a smooth kitchen towel with some sugar. This will help keep the cake from sticking to the towel. Then place the cake face-down onto the sugared towel and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Roll into shape with the towel and set aside to cool completely. If you want to make this Black Forest Cake Roll in advance, you can store it wrapped in the towel in the fridge until the next day. It will be just as good!

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

Cherry & Cream Filling

That filling and topping if this Black Forest Cake Roll looks so dreamy but it’s actually the easiest part of the Yule Log! You can make your own compote according to this recipe (it works also well with other fruits, no matter if canned, fresh or frozen) or using store-bought compote. Simply beat non-dairy cream (or another creamy filling) until whipped and spread approx. 1/2 amount of the cream over the unrolled cake along with the cherry compote. Then re-roll and frost with remaining cream.

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

Black Forest Cake Roll

This Black Forest Cake Roll only looks like it took forever but really it has simple ingredients, comes together quickly, and is definitely a show-stopping cake! It is:

  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Quick and Easy to make
  • Chocolatey
  • Creamy
  • Juicy
  • Moist
  • Can be filled with different fillings
  • Tastes like heaven on earth!
This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe. This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

Fluffy Vegan Cake Recipes

Once you take a bite of this fluffy and creamy Black Forest Cake Roll, you’ll have no words, only delicious feelings in your mouth and happiness in soul! The combination of chocolate, cherries and cream truly makes my mouth water. If you think so too, you should definitely give this recipe a try or check out my similar recipes for fluffy Vegan Cakes, such as my Vegan Black Forest Cake, Cranberry Vanilla Cake or my Best Vegan Chocolate Cake. Happy baking, guys!

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.

This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
Servings: 12 Servings

Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll)

This Black Forst Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Making it vegan is easier than you think and it only needs a few minutes to prepare! Impress everyone with this show-stopping simple and delicious dessert.
3.7 from 13 votes
Print Pin Vote
Course: Dessert, Snack, Snacks
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Author: Bianca Zapatka

You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my new Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge Cake

  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (185g)
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch (40g)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup fine sugar (100g) + more to sprinkle
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla ground
  • 3/4 cup non-dairy milk (180ml) or more, if needed
  • 1/3 cup chickpea brine (80ml) or 60ml more milk
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter or oil (50ml)

Filling + Frosting

For Garnish (optional)

  • canned cherries & chopped chocolate

Instructions

Chocolate Sponge Cake

  • Preheat oven to 355˚F (180˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a bowl, stir the apple cider vinegar into the non-dairy milk and set aside for about 3-5 minutes to create vegan buttermilk.
  • Add the melted vegan butter and chickpea brine into the vegan buttermilk and mix until well combined.
  • Combine the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and sift into the wet mixture. Stir to combine (but please do not overmix, or the cake won’t get so fluffy). The batter should be thick and pourable. Add a little more milk, if needed.
  • Pour the batter onto the prepared baking tray and spread evenly with a spatula. Tap the tray on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
  • Bake for approx. 20 minutes or until the cake is firm but still soft and springs back when you press down gently with your finger. (Please do not overbake though, or it will get dry and crumbly and you can’t roll it up easily without cracking).
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes.
  • In the meantime, generously dust a smooth kitchen towel with some sugar. (This will help keep the cake from sticking).
  • Place the cake face-down onto the sugared towel and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Trim of the edges with a sharp knife if they’re too dry.
  • Roll into a log with the towel and set aside to cool completely. (You can also make the cake one day in advance and place it wrapped with the towel in the fridge overnight.)

Filling + Frosting

  • Prepare the cherry compote according to this recipe (or use store-bought. You could also use other fruits to make it).
  • Beat cold non-dairy cream with a hand mixer on high speed for 1 minute. Continue mixing, add sifted powdered sugar and cream stabilizer as you go. Beat for approx. 2 minutes longer until whipped and stiff peaks form.

Assemble the Cake Roll

  • Carefully, unroll the cooled cake from the towel, spread a thin layer of cream and cherry compote evenly over the cake, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Then re-roll tightly.
  • Spread the remaining cream over the cake roll and make pipes, and decorate with cherries, if you like. Sprinkle over chopped chocolate or create other decorations to your wish.
  • Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for later!

Notes

  • You can also add other fillings of your choice, such as drained non-dairy yogurt (quark), tofu, custard, cream cheese. However, I can’t guarantee if this will result in a more runny filling, so please make sure that the consistency of the filling you choose is not so watery, otherwise, the liquid will soak into the sponge cake, which makes it soggy.
  • The chickpea brine (the liquid of canned chickpeas) helps make the cake easier to roll, however, you could also use another egg substitute or just adding a little more non-dairy milk instead. If you notice a few cracks on the outside of the cake, just cover up with some cocoa powder or melted chocolate and the cream frosting.
  • If you want to make a lemon or vanilla cake roll, you can omit the cocoa powder and add more flour or cornstarch instead.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!

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This Black Forest Cake Roll (Vegan Swiss Roll) is a fluffy Vegan Chocolate Sponge Cake with a cherry cream filling rolled into a Yule Log. Quick and easy to make! No eggs required. Egg-less Recipe.
©Bianca Zapatka | All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you for supporting biancazapatka.com!
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Comments

  1. Avataralexandra

    i was looking forward to making this and it looked hopeful until I unrolled it after it fully cooled and it split horizontally. It is not holding together, As some others had pointed out, it was a disaster! i found the sponge dry and not sweet or chocolately enough.. As a vegan baker for decades my instincts told me that something was a bit off with the recipe; it lacks enough oil and sugar and cocoa, but i didn’t want to change anything b/c i know how fickle rolls are. Good thing that i had some choc buttercream to hold it together but did look like a log with bark on it before i frosted it.

    Reply

  2. AvatarStevie

    I tried this recipe today, and it was a disaster. I followed it perfectly. I even watched tips and tricks to rolling your cake before I attempted to make this cake. It rolled up fine (so I thought), but as I unrolled it, it fell apart into strips. I made another one and baked it 2 minutes fewer. Same result—only the cake was a little softer. It tasted good, so we just put the pieces on a platter along with the filling.2 stars

    Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      Hi Stevie, I’m super sorry to hear that and I can totally understand that you’re angry now. But I’m sure you’ll get better when trying it more often. Unfortunately, it’s not very easy to roll a vegan cake but it works as you can see on the photos. Please make sure to not overbake the cake or it’ll get dry and crumbly. Hope you’ll enjoy your Christmas holidays! Lots of love, Bianca

      Reply

  3. AvatarRose

    This was disastrous unfortunately. My daughters and I were very excited to make it (even went out yesterday to buy the right sized baking tray) and her flop was a real disappointment. Followed the instructions perfectly but it wouldn’t even roll up properly the first time – I could see the cracks as I was rolling it up. And then unrolling it it was just layers of strips that the cake and cut into. Such a shame. The cake is tasty but maybe some more tweaking for it to be suited perfectly for rolling purposes.2 stars

    Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      Hi Rose, I’m sorry to hear that. You must be very careful when rolling a vegan swiss roll and it’s really hard to create an easier egg-less recipe. Anyway, so many of my readers asked for a vegan cake roll version so I tried my best to create a recipe that works. Please make sure not to overbake the cake or it will crack easily. Hopefully, your next will be better. Lots of love, Bianca

      Reply

  4. AvatarIsabel

    I tried this recipe 4 times and followed the exact ingredients and instructions but each time the cake broke and cracked. Such a waste of ingredients and time. I’m so disappointed 🙁1 star

    Reply

  5. AvatarBetty

    Hi there, I tried this today in anticipation of the big day! I was not disappointed, no outlandish ingredients and I had to use up the chickpeas so I was forced to make a decent dinner.
    Mine cracked slightly as I unrolled but practice will make perfect I’m sure, and you couldn’t tell anyway once it was rolled back up.
    I used 200g of ready made vegan cream cheese frosting and added the zest of one orange for the centre and left the top naked as I was really just testing the bake.
    Thumbs up from the family so we will be adding this to our Christmas day menu.
    I might experiment with a few other flavours as it’s a very versatile base, thank you so much for sharing and making vegan life easier😊5 stars

    Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      Hi Betty, Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! So glad you enjoyed this vegan chocolate cake roll! I also love trying new flavors because you can really get creative with the filling! 🙂 Lots of love, Bianca <3

      Reply

  6. AvatarRose

    This is the first time I’ve seen a recipe for a vegan swiss roll that isn’t broken and shows a perfect swirl that would impress even Paul Hollywood! I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      Hi Rose, Honestly, I needed a few times until it turned out perfectly. You must be very careful when rolling but the chickpea brine (aquafaba) helps to make the dough more elastic like egg-whites. Also please make sure not to overbake the cake or it will get dry and crumbly. Let me know how it turned out when you try it! 🙂

      Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      Hi Vivianna, a cream stabilizer is an ingredient that helps the whipped cream staying longer. I buy it here in Germany so unfortunately, I have no idea where you could find it in your country. Anyway, it’s just an optional ingredient so if you can find a good non-dairy whipping cream that doesn’t melt quickly, you can omit it.

      Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      Hi Irina, I used soy milk. I recommend you to not omit the chickpea brine because it’s very helpful for the binding. It makes the cake a little more elastic so it doesn’t break so quickly when you roll it.

      Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      I’ve shared one a while ago on Instagram but I think I won’t put it on my blog since you must be very very careful when making eggless swiss rolls and I don’t want to disappoint my readers when it fails 🙁

      Reply

  12. AvatarIgnacia

    We call it Brazo de reina (Queen’s arm) in Chile, Pionono in Argentina. The most common filling is manjar (a.k.a dulce de leche) and we sprinkle it with desiccated coconut. I’ll try this recipe! Thx

    Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      Thank you so much for that information! Honestly, I didn’t know that. It’s always exciting to learn more about the origin of vegan cake recipes. Hope you’ll like it 🙂

      Reply

  14. AvatarSunanda Gautam

    I followed all your instructions to the last detail but when I opened out my roll after cooling it was broken into long strips. The sponge was stable but at every bend it was broken. In fact I took it out of the oven in 10mins because it was done by then and I did not want to overbake it. Pity because I’ve been searching for an eggftee Swiss roll recipe which works for a long time.2 stars

    Reply

  16. AvatarMaybe

    Tried the recipe and was honestly disappointed, taste was great except it instanly crumbled for being so soft, couldnt roll up at all. Made the recipe without using chickpea brine, using vegan milk instead, maybe it wouldve been success using the brine.2 stars

    Reply

    • Bianca ZapatkaBianca Zapatka

      I’m sorry to read this, but I recommend using the chickpea brine because it makes the cake easier to roll up. Please also make sure not to overmix the batter and not overbake the cake, or it will get crumbly instead of soft.

      Reply

  17. Avatarmims

    This is literally the ONLY plant based swiss roll recipe I’ve found that worked. And I have tried a lot!! So happy to have tried this. My baking tray was smaller than the one used in this recipe (I found the size of the pan by reading through the comments) so I didn’t use all the mixture and cut the cooking time by a few minutes. Both times I cooked it it’s been perfect. My 15yo son is using this recipe in a food technology exam next week – THANK YOU!!5 stars

    Reply

  18. Avatar@vegani87

    I made this recipe yesterday for my husbands birthday it was so delicious, I added 1banana in stead of the sugar. Really delicious5 stars

    Reply

  19. AvatarLaura

    I wish I should try this one made by Bianca, but I tried to do my best and made my own Cake Roll ? it is so delicious, thank you for recipe

    Reply

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