Celebrate summer and ice cream cake season with our chocolate and pistachio ice cream cake roll! A rich and fudgy chocolate sponge cake is paired with sweet pistachio ice cream in a this cake roll, then topped with a silky chocolate ganache and crunchy pistachios. Ice cream cake dreams come true!

Overhead view of Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream Cake Roll

This ice cream cake roll pairs the delicate flavor of pistachio with rich chocolate for an elevated, elegant dessert! Ice cream cake feels fancier when served in cake-roll-style, don’t you think? Make this for your next special occasion or upcoming dinner party and watch it disappear quickly! Each bite is sweet and luscious, with complimenting textures and flavors.

This pistachio chocolate ice cream cake recipe is:

Easy to follow!
An ice cream cake recipe for baking experts and novices alike
Perfect for any occasion

Looking for a few other elegant, summertime cakes? Check out our Lemon Cake Roll and this beautiful Vanilla, Rose and Pistachio Cake.

Ingredient List:

While this ice cream cake roll recipe sounds elegant and fancy, it’s quite simple to prepare! We use a from-scratch chocolate cake for the sponge layer (a lighter, fluffier take on our popular chocolate and cream cheese cake) and pair it with store-bought pistachio almond ice cream. The chocolate ganache is also quite easy to make (only three ingredients required!).

Here is everything you will need:

Cake flour (all-purpose also works too)
Unsweetened cocoa powder (for both the cake and assembling)
Espresso powder
Baking powder
Salt
Eggs, at room temperature
Sugar
Vegetable oil
Milk
Vanilla extract
Pistachio Almond Ice Cream, softened
Heavy cream
Corn syrup
Chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Overhead view of a serving of Ice Cream Cake Roll

Let’s Make it!

Follow this step-by-step guide (and the photos below) to see how easy it is to make our Chocolate and Pistachio Ice Cream Cake Roll! For all of the details and ingredient amounts, scroll to the bottom of the page to view the entire recipe.

Make the chocolate cake roll: Prep a 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper (don’t skip that step!). Sift the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whip the eggs and sugar until they’ve nearly tripled in volume. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the oil, milk and vanilla. Gently fold in the dry ingredients and spread the batter into the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Roll the chocolate cake layer: Remove from the oven and loosen the cake from the edges with a knife. Sift cocoa powder over the top of the cake while it is still warm, then lay a kitchen towel over the cake. Place a baking sheet or cutting board over the towel, then flip the cake over so it’s sitting on the towel. Remove the parchment paper and dust cocoa powder on top of the cake. Starting at the short end of the cake, roll it into the towel, jelly-roll style (best to do it while it is still warm). Cool the cake, rolled up, on a wire rack, then transfer it to the refrigerator for an hour. It must be completely cold before spreading the ice cream.
Spread the ice cream filling: Place the ice cream in a large bowl, then stir to soften it. Gently unroll the cake and spread a thick, even layer of ice cream over it, within 1 inch from the far end. Begin rolling the cake over the filling. Use the towel to lift and support the cake as you roll, but don’t roll the towel inside of the cake! Ice cream will ooze out the ends as you roll, but that’s okay. Gently lift the filled cake roll and place onto the parchment paper, cake seam down. Roll it in the parchment paper, then roll it in foil, twisting the ends of the foil. Place in the freezer, seam side down, and freeze overnight.
Cover it in ganache: In a small saucepan, heat the cream and syrup. Once it’s hot (but not boiling), remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes (this helps the chocolate melt slowly). Stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until the melted chocolate is completely incorporated. Transfer the ice cream cake roll from the freezer and remove the paper and foil. With a serrated knife, trim off a 1/4 to 1/2-inch from each end of the roll, then place the roll on a wire rack set over a sheet of parchment paper. Pour the ganache on top of the cake, then sprinkle the top of the roll with chopped pistachios. Place it back in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up the glaze.

Processing photos for making a chocolate pistachio ice cream cake roll

Chocolate ganache being poured on ice cream cake roll

More Chilled or Frozen Desserts

Recipe Notes and Tips for success:

When whipping the eggs and sugar, it should almost triple in volume. You’ll know it is thick enough when it reaches the “ribbon stage,” the point when it is thick enough to leave a ribbon-like trail on the batter when you let it fall from the beaters. Check out this hot milk cake recipe to see it in a video!
When rolling the cake with the kitchen towel, try to use a towel with a smooth surface. A towel allows the cake to breathe and cool down quicker than parchment paper does. Avoid terry-cloth towels!
Make sure to roll the cake when it is still warm since it’s more pliable and resistant to cracking. Once it cools in that shape, it will be easier to re-roll once the ice cream is added.
When making ganache, use a spoon or spatula to combine. Don’t use a whisk since it can cause air bubbles to form in the ganache.

Variations:

For an extra dark chocolate cake roll, Hershey’s Cocoa-Special Dark works wonderfully!
The great thing about this Chocolate and Pistachio Ice Cream Cake Roll is that it’s so versatile. If you want to swap in a different flavor of ice cream, feel free! Cherry, chocolate marshmallow, vanilla, cookies and cream… the options are endless! But we’re pretty partial to chocolate and pistachio. 😉

This ice cream cake recipe is one you’ll love this summer! It’s stunning, easy to assemble, and ice cream cake is always a hit.

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Coconut Cake Roll: An easy, make-ahead dessert that will be one of your favorites. Light, airy sponge cake rolled up with a creamy, fluffy filling and covered in sweetened coconut.
Lemon Lavender Cake: This is an impressive dessert! The light 2-layer sponge cake is flavored with dried culinary lavender then assembled with a thick lemon curd between the layers. Finally, a fluffy Italian buttercream covers the entire cake. Awesome flavors!
Whacky Chocolate Cake: Whacky yes, but delicious and just the quick dessert you need in a hurry. No eggs, butter or milk, baked in one pan and frosted with a chocolate peanut butter frosting!

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Chocolate and Pistachio Ice Cream Cake Roll

Fudgy chocolate sponge cake and pistachio ice cream all rolled up for a delightful dessert! This easy dessert is covered with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 15

Additional Time: 2

Total Time: 2 35

Servings: to 10 Servings

Calories: 541kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Cake

¾ cup cake flour all-purpose flour also works
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs room temperature
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Assemble

¼ to ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-½ pints Pistachio Almond Ice Cream softened

Chocolate Ganache:

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1-½ tablespoons corn syrup
¾ cup 128 grams chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions

The Cake Roll:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Whip on medium high speed until nearly tripled in volume (about 5 to 8 minutes). The mixture will turn light yellow and get thick. (see notes)
Turn the mixer to low and beat in the oil, milk, and vanilla.
Sift half of the flour mixture over the batter. Use a wide spatula to fold the flour in gently. Sift the other half of the flour over the batter and gently fold it in. Spread the batter into the jelly roll pan
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the surface springs back when touched.
Remove from the oven and slide a knife around the edge of the cake pan to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.
Sift the cocoa powder over the top of the cake while it is still warm then lay a kitchen towel over the cake.
Place a baking sheet or cutting board over the towel and flip the cake over so it is on top of the kitchen towel. Lift the cake pan off.
Remove the parchment paper and dust cocoa powder on the top of the cake.
Roll the cake while it is still warm. Starting at the short end of the cake, roll the cake into the towel jelly-roll style. Cool on a wire rack.

The Filling:

Have 1 sheet of parchment paper and 1 sheet of aluminum foil ready. Set aside until you finish rolling the ice cream inside the cake.
Remove the ice cream from its carton and place it in a large bowl. Break it up, stirring until it has become slightly softened.
Gently unroll the cake and spoon the ice cream onto the cake, spreading in a thick even layer to within 1-inch from the far end.
Begin rolling the cake over the filling. Use the towel to lift and support the cake as you roll but make sure you do not roll the towel inside the cake.
As you roll, the ice cream will probably ooze out the sides which is okay as it will get trimmed later. As you get closer to the end of the roll the ice cream will get pushed to the uncovered section on the end.
Gently lift the filled cake roll and place onto the parchment paper, with the cake seam down. Roll it first in the parchment paper, then again in the foil, twisting the ends of the foil.
Place the roll into the freezer, seam side down and freeze overnight.

For the Ganache Glaze:

Add the cream and syrup to a small saucepan set over medium heat and stir to combine. When the cream mixture is hot, but not boiling, remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.
Remove the cover and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until the melted chocolate is completely incorporated. Do not use a whisk.
Transfer the ice cream cake roll from the freezer and remove the paper and foil. With a serrated knife, trim off 1/2-inch from each end of the roll, (this is the chefs treat). Place the roll on a wire rack set over a sheet of parchment paper.
Pour the ganache over the top of the cake roll allowing it to gently drizzle down the sides.
Sprinkle the top of the roll with the chopped pistachios.
Place the cake roll back in the freezer until the glaze is firm, about 1 hour.

Notes

When you whip the eggs and sugar, it should almost triple in volume. You will know it is thick enough when it reaches the "ribbon stage". That is when it is thick enough to leave a ribbon-like trail on the batter when you let it fall from the beaters. See our recipe and video for hot milk cake for reference.
For an extra dark chocolate cake roll I used Hershey’s Cocoa-Special Dark.
When rolling the cake with the kitchen towel, try to use a towel with a smooth surface. You can roll the cake up with the parchment paper but we have better results when we use a towel. A towel will allow the cake to breath and cool down quicker.
Roll the cake while it is still warm from the oven. The warm cake will be more "pliable" and resistant to cracking. Once the cake is rolled up, it will cool in that shape and be easier to re-roll after you put the filling inside.
The ice cream should be soft enough to scoop and spread with a spatula. If it has become too soft, return it to the freezer for a few minutes.
When you make the ganache, do not use a whisk to stir it. Using a whisk will cause bubbles to form in the ganache. Use a spoon or spatula.