Ice-cream Cake Roll

This is a chocolate cake roll with ice-cream as the filling.  I generally use mint chocolate chip ice-cream, but have used other flavors as well.  This recipe is not for the faint at heart.  I have no ideas how many times I have made this cake.  Coming from a large family, we all kind of took over a certain type of dessert and got good at it.  And when it needed to be made, we were the one to make our particular specialty.  This cake is my particular specialty in my family.  I started cooking at a fairly young age and my dad taught me how to make this cake.  We often made desserts together on Sunday afternoons.  He taught me a lot of my dessert specialities-good memories that I hope to pass on to my own kids. I have made this cake almost every time it was needed/wanted since then-even after being married.  Two of my brothers always had this cake for their birthdays.  As our family grew and we became adults with kids, I altered the recipe to make double and triple batches.  My husband and one of my children love this cake, so it is now a tradition in our home to on certain birthdays.  It really is super delicious!!  The original recipe came from the classic "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook.  I have changed a few things-mostly added more cocoa powder and made the size larger to curtail it to our family.

To make 1 large cake roll:
1/2 cup flour
1/3-1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
Sift the above ingredients together and set aside.
6 egg yolks
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
In a medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar, beating on high until the sugar is dissolved.
6 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.  If you are using the same beaters-wash them thoroughly!  If you get any yolk into the whites, they will not fluff up. Gradually add the 3/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, but not too stiff.  Essentially, the egg whites should look like whipped cream.

Fold egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture-gently (not with the mixer-a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon would be great).

Gradually sprinkle the dry mixture over the egg mixtures and fold in gently, just until it is all combined.  Spread batter evenly into a greased/floured cookie sheet (15x10x1 pan).

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Immediately loosen the edges of the pan with a knife. When the pan is cool enough to touch, but still pretty warm, turn cake onto a clean dishtowel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Gently roll up the towel to help the cake form.  Let cool.  

1 container of mint chocolate chip ice-cream
Soften ice-cream until you can spread the ice-cream (stir it until it is softened and ready to spread).  Unroll cake and gently spread ice-cream on it.  Re-roll cake and immediately place in freezer to harden.  This cake is delicious no matter how you eat it, but my favorite way is to serve it with chocolate sauce-I just love chocolate!!

To make 2 large cake rolls:  
(this is a little more tricky as you really need a large bowl for the whites and mixing is a little harder-you have been warned)
1 cup flour
3/4-1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
Sift the above ingredients together and set aside.
12 eggs yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
In a medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar, beating on high until the sugar is dissolved.
12 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
In a very large mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.  If you are using the same beaters-wash them thoroughly!  If you get any yolk into the whites, they will not fluff up. Gradually add the 3/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, but not too stiff.  Essentially, the egg whites should look like whipped cream.

Fold egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture-gently (not with the mixer-a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon would be great).

Gradually sprinkle the dry mixture over the egg mixtures and fold in gently, just until it is all combined.  Spread batter evenly into a greased/floured cookie sheet (15x10x1 pan).

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Immediately loosen the edges of the pan with a knife. When the pan is cool enough to touch, but still pretty warm, turn cake onto a clean dishtowel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Gently roll up the towel to help the cake form.  Let cool. 

1 gallon of mint chocolate chip ice-cream
Soften ice-cream until you can spread the ice-cream (stir it until it is softened and ready to spread).  Unroll cake and gently spread ice-cream on it.  Re-roll cake and immediately place in freezer to harden.  This cake is delicious no matter how you eat it, but my favorite way is to serve it with chocolate sauce-I just love chocolate!!