Crowd-pleasing, indulgent and easy to make, roulades may be retro but they’ll never go out of fashion.
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 100g caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
- 60g plain flour
- 40g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp chocolate extract (optional)
For the ganache and decoration
- 200g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 75g caster sugar
- 400g plain chocolate, broken up
- 20g butter, softened
- 568ml carton double cream
- 1 tbsp bourbon whiskey
- Chocolate leaves, to decorate
- Icing sugar, to dust
Method
- 1. Preheat oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper. Beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until thick.
- 2. Sift over the flour and cocoa and fold in with the vanilla and chocolate extract, if using. Spread in the tin. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Turn out onto baking paper sprinkled with sugar. Cool a little, then roll up from the long side with the paper. Cool.
- 3. Put the berries, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a pan and cook for 7-10 minutes. Cool.
- 4. Put the chocolate and butter in a mixing bowl. Heat 450ml cream in a pan until almost boiling, then pour over the chocolate. Leave for 5 minutes, add the bourbon and stir until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes, then whip until light. Transfer a third of the ganache to a bowl. Whisk in the remaining cream. Unroll the sponge, spread with the creamy ganache, then spoon over the cranberries and re-roll.
- 5. Ice the roulade with the remaining ganache. Decorate with chocolate leaves and dust with icing sugar.
Nutritional info
Per serving (based on 8): 842kcals, 60.6g fat (35.9g saturated), 10.2g protein, 67.6g carbs, 58g sugar, 0.4g salt
Chef's tip
Tips for making the perfect roulade
l A classic chocolate roulade is quick to put together because, compared with a deep cake, the sponge cooks in no time.
l It’s a brilliant dessert for dinner parties because you can assemble the roulade up to 5 hours ahead.
l When you line the Swiss roll tin with a sheet of non-stick baking paper, trim the paper to stand proud of the tin by 3cm. This will give the roulade space to rise.
l For best results use an electric hand whisk or mixer to whisk the eggs and sugar together at top speed until thick, pale and airy – the beaters should leave a ribbon-like trail behind when lifted. Use eggs that are a few days old and bring them up to room temperature before whisking – they will whip up more easily and make the roulade lighter.
l When folding the flour and cocoa into the whisked egg mixture, try to retain as much air as possible. Use a large metal spoon or a spatula and gently cut through the mixture, rotating the bowl as you do so.