Chocolate & Fudge Caramel Roulade

Perfect for the season that is in it, this cake is relatively simple to “throw” together, and coupled with the fudge sauce made late week (I truly urge you to try it) it becomes a decadently delicious ensemble.

I adapted this from a recipe found on my old friend, the BBC GoodFood website, and, having never made a swiss-roll/roulade before, it worked perfectly.

(At this juncture, I have to tell you one of the most hilarious stories involving swiss-rolls: my friend Sue (not to be confused with crafty-Susan) went looking for a swiss-roll tin. When the shop assistant produced the shallow flat tray for same, Susan said “oh, no, I’m making a swiss-roll, you know the ones that look like a roll; the tin needs to be a spiral shape”  !!!!!!!!! I think of Sue everytime I see a swiss-roll)

Ingredients:

100g caster sugar plus extra for turning out the roulade

5 eggs

25g self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

40g cocoa

50g ground almonds

 

For filling:

Fudge sauce (recipe here)

Frosting:

100gms chocolate

50gms butter

dash of cream

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line and butter a (flat!!!!!) 30cm Swiss roll tin, dust with caster sugar and shake out any excess.

Beat the eggs and sugar together until they are pale and thick enough to leave a trail when you lift out the whisk – they should have trebled in volume. This will take about 10 minutes, so use a counter-top electric mixer if you have one.

Fold the dry, sieved ingredients into the egg mix using a large metal spoon, being careful not to knock out too much air. Spoon carefully into the tin and spread out to the corners.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the cake feels firm to the touch. Flip out onto a sheet of baking parchment scattered with caster sugar.

Peel off the backing paper, then roll up the roulade lengthways, using the paper to help you. Leave to cool completely.

When ready to assemble, melt chocolate, butter and cream. Unroll the roulade until flat (It will crack and may break a little, but once the frosting is on top no-one will be the wiser)

Spread the fudge sauce on the cake and, usng the paper agin, re-roll it. When the frosting is ready, spread thickly with a spatula, and, if you like, mark it with a fork to look like the typical Christmas Log. 

Decorate with a sprig of holly, and, as ever, consume greedily with lashings of (double) cream or an excellent ice-cream!