A few days ago, it was my mom’s birthday and she had a special request for her birthday cake. She wanted a mocha roll, just like what they sell at Goldilocks. For those of you who don’t know, Goldilocks is a famous bakery in the Philippines. They also have branches here in the US and Canada but unfortunately, they’re all in the west coast. So after hours of researching, I stumbled upon this website. I gave this person’s recipe a try. I must say, it definitely tasted just like the cake I ate growing up.

For the Cake:

• 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon coffee/espresso granules [Nescafe instant coffee recommended]
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon water
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F. Prepare your baking pans. If making a roll, use a 10.5″ x 15.5″ x 1″ pan. Spray lightly with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a bowl on low speed until combined. Switch to medium speed until “ribbon” stage. Ribbon looks like your egg yolks are pale yellow and when you lift your whisk and drizzle it, it forms a “ribbon”.
3. Dissolve espresso or coffee granules (I used Medaglia D’ Oro Instant Espresso) and cocoa powder in water and vanilla extract. Pour into the egg yolk mixture. Add canola oil and beat until combined.
4. Sift cake flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mix. Stir until well blended. Be careful not to deflate your mixture by over mixing.
5. Transfer your egg yolk mixture to another bowl and clean your mixing bowl to whip your egg whites. A clean bowl is the key to whipping whites! Any traces of oil or other stuff may ruin your egg whites. (In making sponge cakes, owning 2 mixers is amazing!)
6. Whip your egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks. 
7. Fold your egg whites into the mocha batter. “Sacrifice” a dollop first to liquefy the batter a little bit. Then fold in the rest in thirds. 
8.  Pour your batter into the jelly roll pan. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Rotate the pan after 6 minutes.
9. Lay a kitchen towel flat on the counter top and dust it lightly with powdered sugar.
10. Once the cake is done, turn it over on the towel and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Slowly roll the towel and cake altogether. Cool on a wire rack with the seam side down.
11. After about an hour, unroll and remove the towel and spread a layer of mocha buttercream.
12. Frost the outside of the cake, and viola! Its done For the Mocha Buttercream
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
    • 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, soft, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon coffee/espresso granules
    • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
    • 5 teaspoons water
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 5 teaspoons amaretto

    Whisk sugar and egg whites for 3 to 5 minutes in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (water should not touch the bottom of the bowl), until meringue is hot to the touch. The sugar granules will be dissolved and you will be left with a fluffy marshmallow cream-like froth. Remove bowl from heat and beat for 5 minutes with whisk attachment on medium speed. Add half of the butter and beat until smooth then add the other half. Beat for 6-10 minutes on medium high speed. Dissolve cocoa and coffee in water, vanilla extract and amaretto in a small bowl. Pour into the buttercream and beat until smooth.