Chocolate Roulade

5 from 3 votes

This chocolate cake is so moist and delicious! It’s based on Mary Berry’s classic recipe from the Great British Bake Off. Make it from scratch and enjoy a special treat.

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Inactive Time1

Total Time2 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 359kcal

Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients

▢ 6 ounces 60% cacao chocolate chips
▢ 6 large eggs at room temperature
▢ ¾ cup caster sugar
▢ 2 tablespoons cocoa powder sifted
▢ 1 cup heavy whipping cream
▢ ¼ cup icing sugar

Instructions

Making the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the base and sides of a 9x13-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper. Also, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is fully melted, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until stiff peaks form. The mixture should not fall out of the bowl when it's turned upside down.
In a large, clean bowl, beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together with a handheld electric mixer. The mixture should be increase in volume and be pale in color. When the whisk is lifted, the mixture should fall in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a couple seconds before sinking back into the mix.
Gently fold the melted and cooled chocolate into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, making sure they are fully mixed.
Put two large spoonfuls of beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture and stir it in carefully to slacken the mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites until no white flecks remain. Sift in the cocoa powder and fold it in, being careful not to knock the air out of the batter.
Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to move the batter into the corners. Make sure the batter is level.
Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, until the cake is well risen and the top feels a little crisp. Be careful not to overbake. Put it on a wire rack and let it cool completely in the pan.

Assembling the Roulade

Put a large sheet of parchment paper on a big cutting board and sift a little icing sugar all over the paper.
Pour the heavy whipping cream into a medium mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer until the cream forms fairly stiff peaks.
Turn the cake out onto the sugar-dusted parchment paper and carefully peel off the paper. Spread the whipped cream evenly on top, making sure to leave 1 inch uncovered all the way around.
Turn the cutting board so a short side of the cake is facing you. Using a sharp knife, cut almost all the way through the cake about an inch in from the short end. Start the roll by pushing this little strip over, then roll it up as tightly as you can. Use the parchment paper to help. It will crack as it's rolled.
Trim the ends with a sharp serrated knife, then dust the roulade with more icing sugar if desired. Transfer it to the serving platter with a large cake lifter. Serve within a few hours.

Notes

Be careful not to overbake, or the roulade will crack a lot and be dry.
Let the cake cool before rolling, or it will crack far too much.
Give it a mint flavor by adding ⅛ teaspoon of peppermint extract before whisking the cream.
Roll the cake as tight as you can. If some cream squeezes out, that's okay; you can clean it up.
It will crack as you roll it up, so don't worry; it's part of this dessert's charm.
Eat the trimmings from the ends. You'll get 9 additional slices out of this cake.

Nutrition