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Chocolate Roulade

A fabulous showstopper dessert that consists of a chocolate roll and flavored whipped cream.

Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword chocolate, heavy cream, whipped cream
Servings 8 people (slices)
Author Laura

Ingredients

Chocolate Roll

  • 8 eggs
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
  • 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 cup superfine sugar or regular sugar spun in a food processor
  • pinch of kosher or fine sea salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons baking/unsweetened cocoa not drinking cocoa

Filling

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons confectioners or superfine sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or if using orange 1/4 teaspoon vanilla & 1/4 teaspoon fiori di sicilia
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder not espresso crystals or orange rind & a dash of orange oil (latter optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot water or if using orange hot orange juice

Instructions

Chocolate Roll

  1. Oil a half-sheet pan and cover it with a long sheet of wax paper. Let the edges of the paper extend 1/2-1 inch or .8-1.6 centimeters beyond the shorter ends of the pan. (Leave the wax paper unoiled.)

  2. Pre-heat the oven to 350°.F/180°C.

  3. Separate the 8 eggs, putting the yolks in a medium-large bowl and the whites in a large bowl.

  4. Put the chopped chocolate and the cold water in a small, heavy pot and melt the chocolate under a low light, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula for approximately 4-5 minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth. Set it aside to cool.
  5. Add the superfine (or ground white sugar) to the yolks and beat the mixture for several minutes until they are light and fluffy. Set it aside.
  6. Once the chocolate has cooled, add it to the egg yolk and sugar mixture, and gently fold them together. Set that mixture aside.
  7. Beat the egg whites. After about 2 minutes (with a mixer), as they get foamy, add the pinch of salt. Keep beating only until the whites form soft peaks, about 6-7 minutes on medium speed.
  8. Gently fold the chocolate/egg/sugar mixture into the egg whites, using a spatula. Once the mixture is a reasonably uniform, light brown color, pour it onto the wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Smooth the batter out and bake it for 17 minutes.
  9. While the soufflé is baking, lay out two overlapping pieces of wax paper the size of the pan on a table with the one closest to you on top.
  10. Once the soufflé is done, put it on a counter and immediately cover the top with 2 layers of paper towels well-sprinkled with cold water and gently wrung out, plus a top layer of dry paper towel. Leave the paper towels on top for 20 minutes, then gently remove them.
  11. With a small, sharp knife, gently cut the side edges of the fallen soufflé away from the pan and try to lift them to make sure the cut has released the fallen soufflé. Using a small strainer and a spoon, dust the entire top of the soufflé with cocoa, completely covering the area.

  12. Pick up the pan and without hesitation, flip it over onto the wax paper laid out on the table, hopefully somewhere near the center of the long strip and with the long edges of the souffle aligned with the long edges of the wax paper. Phew! It's now on the table with the wax paper it baked on now on top.

  13. Gently lift off the covering wax paper (it's a bit oily on the side now facing up.) You may have to use the sharp knife to release the souffle from the paper in places. If a bit sticks to the wax paper, you can skim it off and place it on the souffle - this will be the inside of the cake and it won't show once you roll it up.

Filling

  1. Mix the brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of the confectioners or superfine sugar, the vanilla & optional fiord di sicilia, espresso powder or orange rind/oil and water or orange juice. Mix them into a smooth or almost-smooth paste.

  2. Whip the cream until it has soft peaks (about 5 minutes on medium speed with a mixer) and then add the paste. Continue whipping for another 2 minutes or so. the cream should still be soft, but also hold its shape.

  3. Put heaping spoonfuls of the filling over the soufflé, leaving about an inch or a bit more at the end nearest you. Gently smooth out the filling, then roll the soufflé towards you, using the wax paper farthest from you to pull the roll over on itself and toward you.