CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CAKE ROLL
Chocolate and cake in the same dessert is wonderful. Add in some cool, wintery peppermint-laced cream filling and let’s just swoon and get it over with, shall we?!
So pretty!
Your holiday table will love you for the effort you put forth to make this. (And it’s not hard – don’t be scared of a cake roll. If something awful happens when you try to re-roll it, just break it up in chunks, place in beautiful goblets, add a little more cream on the top and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies. No one will guess…or even care!!)
This is best made at least a day in advance. The cake becomes moist and melts in your mouth and the filling more mellow and perfect!
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Cake:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup Whey Low Granular or maltitol crystals (or Splenda granular as a last resort)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11×15 inch jelly roll pan with vegetable cooking spray and line the bottom with waxed or parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray.
Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle it with 1/4 cup powdered sugar or powdered Whey Low. (Most of this will stay on the towel.)
In a small bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Separate the eggs and, with very clean beaters, whip the whites with 1/4 cup of the Whey Low/maltitol, until soft peaks form. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat the egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup Whey Low for two minutes, until thick and light yellow. Beat in the water and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture in two batches, just until combined and smooth. Gently stir in half of the egg whites. Carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites, just until no streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until cake springs back when touched lightly. Do not overbake! An over-done cake will crack when you try to roll it.
Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and invert cake onto towel. Carefully remove paper. Starting on the short end, slowly roll the cake AND the towel. Place on a wire rack and cool completely – at least 30 minutes.
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Filling:
One 8-ounce package fat-free or reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
5 tablespoons Splenda Granular
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
3 cups whipped cream, chilled (use 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream) OR 3 cups Cool Whip, thawed
2 sugar-free candy canes OR 10 sugar-free starlight mints, crushed (or regular, if you can’t find sugar free…it’s hardly any added sugar grams per serving)
3 drops red food coloring
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In a large bowl beat the cream cheese with the Splenda and peppermint extract until smooth. Beat in whipped cream or Cool Whip until combined. Stir in crushed candies. Fold in the food coloring, leaving a few streaks…it will look like a candy cane!
Gently unroll the cake, leaving it on the towel. Don’t force it to lay completely flat. Spread the filling evenly over the cake, and slowly re-roll as before. If it cracks don’t panic…you can probably lay that part on the plate and no one will be the wiser!
Sprinkle with cocoa powder and a little powdered sugar, if desired. Chill for at least overnight. This is best made a day ahead…seriously!Makes 16 servings.
Per Serving (using fat free cream cheese): Calories 115; Protein5 g; Fat 6 g; Carbs 7 g; Sugar 2 g; Sodium 146 mg
