Christmas Program Chocolate Roll with Cream Cheese Filling is a once-a-year treat. Rich, dark chocolate sponge cake with a cream cheese/whipped topping filling, decorated like a snow-frosted log on a bed of coconut snow.

This Friday is our g’little school girls’ Christmas Program.

The students will all dress up in their Christmas best,

then giggling and excited,

march up to the front of the Church,

singing a familiar and precious carol.

Then, they will make the mamas, daddies, grammas and grandpas, aunties and uncles,

smile proudly and swallow little lumps that pop up in their throats.

Because those children?

They’re bigger than life that one lovely, magical night of the year.

They perform at their best, make music better than any other night of the year.

And then, when the last notes have faded into the night,

and the Christmas treat bags have been handed out to all the school children and preschoolers,

we’ll all gather in the Church’s social hall to share a Christmas feast.

Where the children get to go through the line first, before the adults or anyone else,

because they’re the guests of honor for this one special night of the year.

Christmas Program Chocolate Log

And on this one special night of the year,

I’ll make my special Christmas Program Chocolate Log.

That I only make for the celebration after the School Christmas Program.

Once a year.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line it with parchment paper, leaving an extra 1-inch overhang.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, and salt until combined.
Separate the eggs. Whip the yolks and vanilla until thick and lemon colored. Whip the egg whites, gradually adding 1/2 cup granulated sugar until glossy and stiff, but not dry. Fold yolks and whites together.
Fold in the flour mixture, and stir together until just combined.
Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched.
Lay a clean, lint-free tea towel on a flat surface. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
Gently turn the cake out onto the towel and very carefully remove the parchment paper. While still hot, roll the cake up in the towel with the towel rolled up inside, from short end to short end. Cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack, while rolled up, about 2 hours.

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Christmas Program Chocolate Roll Cream Cheese Filling

While the cake is cooling, make the Cream Cheese Filling.

Ingredients:

8 ounce block of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces whipped topping

Filling Directions:

With electric mixer, whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth.
Fold in the whipped topping until smooth. The filling should be fairly thick, so it doesn’t ooze out the sides of the cake when it’s rolled up.
Once the cake roll has reached room temperature, slowly unroll it so it doesn’t crack.
Spread the filling mixture evenly over cake, leaving a 3/4-inch border on all sides. Then carefully re-roll the cake.
Tightly wrap the chocolate roll in the towel and placed in a large plastic bag in the fridge and chill at least an hour before decorating. (Should I mention, the towel is NOT wrapped inside the cake for this stage??)

How to Decorate the Christmas Program Chocolate Roll

Frost the chocolate roll with a medium thick Chocolate Buttercream Frosting; thick enough to keep it’s shape on the chocolate roll.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup Crisco shortening
1 pound bag of confectioner’s sugar (5+/- cups)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup milk (or coffee)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting Directions:

Measure the confectioner’s sugar into a large mixing bowl for your electric mixer.
Drop in the shortening and sifted cocoa powder.
Measure the milk into a one cup measure, and add vanilla, salt and cream of tartar. Stir with a fork, or whisk, until the salt and cream of tartar is mixed into the milk. Pour over the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Whip until smooth and fluffy.

Decorating Directions:

Place the rolled up chocolate roll on a board or tray.
Frost all around: top, sides and ends. Create tree bark markings on the frosting with a knife or toothpick. Place two marshmallows on the frosting log in two places. Cover them with frosting to make them look like short branches.
Finish decorating the log with winter greenery and berries. Dust with powdered sugar strategically to look like snow, on the log and the tray. You can also layer coconut on the tray for snow.

Print Recipe

Chocolate Cream Cheese Christmas Log

Ingredients

5 eggs, separated
½ tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup sifted flour
3 tbsp. baking cocoa
¼ tsp. salt
powdered sugar, sifted

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
8 oz whipped topping or whipped cream
1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup Crisco shortening
¾ cup baking cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Chocolate Log

Whip the egg whites, slowly adding 1/2 cup sugar, until stiff and glossy but not dry.
Beat the egg yolks and vanilla until thick and lemon colored.
Sift remaining sugar, flour, cocoa and salt and fold into egg mixture.
Fold egg yolk and egg white mixture together.
Line 10"x15"x1" pan with parchment paper. Grease paper lightly. Fold batter into pan and smooth the top.
Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes.
Sift a coating of powdered sugar over a lint-free towel. Turn the cake onto the towel right out of the oven. Remove the parchment carefully, then roll the hot cake, short end to short end, with the towel inside. Place on wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Log Filling

Whip cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla. Fold in the whipped topping.
Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread the topping evenly. Roll up again, with towel on the outside, cover, and chill in fridge for 2 to 3 hours.
Unwrap the log and plate.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Place powdered sugar and sifted cocoa in large mixer bowl.
Measure milk into 1 cup measure, add cream of tartar, vanilla and salt, and whisk together until well blended. Pour over powdered sugar.
Measure shortening into the cup you used to measure the milk. The liquid keeps the shortening from sticking to the measuring cup, making it easier to un-cup. Add to powdered sugar.
Mix slowly at first, then whip until the frosting is the consistency you like. The more you whip, the fluffier it gets. Add more milk, or coffee, if it's too thick. Coffee gives it a richer chocolate flavor.
Cover the log with frosting, and decorate. Use greenery, berries, and powdered sugar to look like snow.

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