Chestnut Roll Cake: the delicious dessert recipe made of chestnuts

A yule log (or Swiss roll) looks beautiful on the festive table, but traditional recipes can be difficult and finicky to make. This Chestnut Roll Cake takes the effort out of a Swiss roll and gives you the same look without the hassle.

To make this no-bake Chestnut Roll Cake, you will need chestnuts, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, butter, orange juice, and coffee. The ingredients are mixed together to form a dough, then filled with a buttercream spread.

While the Chestnut Roll Cake looks like a Swiss roll, the taste and texture are more like that of a rich chocolate truffle. Dense, chocolatey, and sweet! Exactly what you expect a dessert to be!

Tips
If you’re short on time, you can also look for ready-made chestnut puree.

Instead of sprinkling the cake with cocoa powder, you can also sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles, grated chocolate, or coconut flakes. Alternatively, drizzle with caramel sauce or melted white chocolate.

Don’t add too much of the buttercream filling. If the cake is overfilled, you won’t be able to roll the cake up as tightly, and it won’t keep its form.

Mix up the flavor of the filling by using different types of extracts. Hazelnut, coffee, or rum extract will all work well.

For extra texture, mix crushed pecans or almonds into the buttercream mixture. Sprinkle the finished cakes with flaked almonds.

Don’t feel like making buttercream? You can also use fresh cream or Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) for the filling.

For a darker roll cake, use Dutch-processed or black cocoa.

How To Store Chestnut Roll Cake
Store the Chestnut Roll Cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container.

The cake can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
CHESTNUTS, BOILED AND PEELED
500 g
COCOA POWDER
80 g (1 cup)
POWDERED SUGAR
180 g (1 1/2 cups)
BUTTER, MELTED
80 g (1/2 cup)
ORANGE JUICE
60 ml (1/4 cup)
FOR THE FILLING
BUTTER, SOFTENED
100 g (1/2 cup)
POWDERED SUGAR
100 g (3/4 cup)
COFFEE
30 ml
How To Make Chestnut Roll Cake

Step 1
Place the chestnuts in a large mixing bowl and use a hand blender to blend the chestnuts until smooth thick paste forms.

Step 2
Add melted butter, orange juice, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the mix and knead until smooth dough forms. Chill the dough in the fridge for around 1 hour.

Step 3
Meanwhile, beat softened butter with powdered sugar until light and creamy.

Step 4
Place the chestnut dough on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a triangle.

Step 5
Spread buttercream on top and smooth it out with a spatula. Roll the chestnut base into a roll and wrap it in parchment.

Step 6
Use a fork to create swirls on the surface of the roll to create a “wood” look.

Step 7
Chill for 1 hour, then decorate with cocoa powder and cut into pieces. Serve and enjoy!