Double Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Cake

This Double Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Cake combines soft, fluffy cocoa dough with a rich chocolate cinnamon filling and a silky chocolate cream cheese ganache. Instead of making individual cinnamon rolls, the dough is shaped into one impressive spiral cake, creating beautiful layers in every slice. The result is soft, gooey, deeply chocolatey, and perfect for serving warm with coffee or tea.

Why you will love this recipe?

You’ll love this Double Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Cake because it brings together everything you want in a chocolate dessert: a soft and fluffy center, rich cinnamon chocolate layers, and a smooth, creamy ganache topping. Every slice has beautiful swirls and a gooey, tender texture that makes it feel extra indulgent without being overly heavy. It is also perfect for sharing, whether you are serving it for brunch, a weekend treat, or a special gathering, and the impressive spiral makes it just as beautiful to serve as it is delicious to eat.

Expert Tips for Best Results!

• Use Soft Butter for the Filling – The filling should be easy to spread without tearing the dough. However, melted butter can make the filling run out during shaping, so use properly softened butter instead.
• Keep the Milk Lukewarm – The milk should be comfortably warm rather than hot. Milk above approximately 49°C / 120°F can damage the yeast and prevent the dough from rising properly.
• Do Not Add Too Much Flour – The dough may look slightly sticky at first, but it should become smoother as you knead in the butter. Adding too much flour can make the finished roll dense rather than soft and fluffy.
• Protect the Springform Pan – Because heavy cream is poured over the roll before baking, some liquid may escape through the base of a springform pan. Place the pan on a foil lined baking sheet to protect your oven.
• Let the Ganache Thicken – The chocolate cream cheese ganache should be thick enough to spread rather than run straight off the roll. Give it enough time to cool and set before frosting.

Step 1: Activate the Yeast

Start by combining the lukewarm milk with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the instant yeast. Stir gently and leave the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes slightly foamy.

This step confirms that the yeast is active. If there is no foam after 10 minutes, it is better to start again with fresh yeast rather than continuing with inactive yeast.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

Once the yeast mixture is ready, add the whole egg and egg yolk. Mix until the eggs are fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth.

Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine the bread flour, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, remaining sugar, and salt. Whisk everything together so the cocoa and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour.

If you do not have bread flour, you can use all purpose flour instead.

Step 4: Bring the Dough Together

Add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture and begin mixing until a shaggy dough forms. At this stage, the dough may look rough and slightly sticky, which is completely normal.

Step 5: Knead in the Butter

Knead the dough for several minutes before gradually adding the softened butter in 3 to 4 portions. Allow each addition of butter to become fully incorporated before adding the next.

Continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Avoid adding unnecessary flour because a softer dough will give you a lighter and fluffier chocolate cinnamon roll cake.

Step 6: Let the Dough Rise

Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover it. Leave it somewhere warm for approximately 1 to 1½ hours, or until it has doubled in size.

The exact rising time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen, so use the dough itself as your guide rather than relying only on the clock.

Step 7: Prepare the Chocolate Cinnamon Filling

While the dough rises, mix the softened butter with the brown sugar, cocoa powder, and optional cinnamon until you have a smooth, spreadable filling.

The butter should be soft enough to spread easily but should not be melted.

Step 8: Roll Out the Dough

Once the dough has doubled, gently deflate it and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll it into an approximately 12 × 16 inch rectangle.

Try to keep the thickness reasonably even so the finished chocolate cinnamon roll cake bakes uniformly.

Step 9: Spread the Filling

Spread the chocolate cinnamon filling evenly across the entire surface of the dough. Make sure you reach close to the edges so that every spiral contains plenty of chocolate filling.

Step 10: Cut the Dough Into Strips

Starting from the long side of the rectangle, cut the dough into approximately 1½ inch wide strips.

These strips will create the large spiral shape of the finished cinnamon roll cake.

Step 11: Build the Spiral

Take one strip and roll it from the center, just as you would roll a traditional cinnamon roll. Place this first spiral in the center of a lined 8 inch deep springform pan.

Continue wrapping the remaining strips around the center, joining each strip to the previous one and gradually building the spiral outward.

Leave approximately ½ inch of space around the edge of the pan because the dough will expand during the second rise.

Step 12: Proof the Shaped Roll

Cover the shaped chocolate cinnamon roll cake loosely and let it rise for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, or until it looks noticeably puffy. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.

Step 13: Prepare the Chocolate Ganache

While the dough is proofing, prepare the ganache so it has enough time to thicken. Heat the heavy cream until steaming but do not allow it to boil. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and leave it for about 1 minute. Stir until completely smooth, then whisk in the softened cream cheese while the chocolate mixture is still warm.

Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and allow the ganache to thicken until it reaches a spreadable, pudding like consistency.

Step 14: Add the Cream Before Baking

Once the roll has finished its second rise, slowly pour the room temperature heavy cream over the roll. Focus particularly on the gaps between the spiral layers and around the edges. The cream will seep into the dough as it bakes, helping create a soft and tender center.

Step 15: Bake Until Fully Cooked

Bake at 175°C / 350°F for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, starting to check around the 28 to 30 minute mark. Because the cocoa dough makes browning difficult to judge, an instant read thermometer is especially useful. The center should reach approximately 190°F / 88°C. If the top is becoming too dark before the center is ready, loosely tent the roll with foil during the second half of baking.

Step 16: Cool and Frost

Allow the chocolate cinnamon roll cake to cool in the pan for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before carefully removing the springform sides.

Spoon the thickened chocolate cream cheese ganache over the warm roll. If the ganache has become too firm, warm it for 5 to 10 seconds in the microwave and stir until spreadable again. Serve while slightly warm for the softest, gooeyest texture.

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