30-Minute Chocolate Roulade
A roulade is a very thin cake that is rolled up with layers of mousse and whipped cream and cut into slices. The cake is usually a bit squidgy (which is just my way of saying it’s light and soft)—just what you want to make it easy to roll up without breaking or cracking. When I was younger and living at home, my mum would ask me to make this for her dinner parties, and I was quite proud that she thought I could make something nice enough to serve to guests. In fact, when I was about twelve years old, Mum asked me to make one for a neighbor who had just had a baby. The woman quizzed me about the recipe in great detail because she didn’t believe someone so young could have made something so sophisticated. It is rather impressive looking, but it’s not nearly as hard as it looks.
Makes 8 servings
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- ⅔ cup (142 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (57 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
- 1½ cups (340 milliliters) heavy cream
- ½ recipe Three-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 10 x 15-inch rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
2 Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg yolks and sugar on high speed until thick and fluffy.
3 Sift the cocoa powder over the egg mixture and then fold it in with a large metal spoon.
4 In a clean mixer bowl using a clean whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5 Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
6 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a spatula.
7 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top of the cake is firm to the touch. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then, while the cake is still warm, remove it from the pan and roll it up lengthwise (this stops the cake from cracking when you go to roll it again later). Let the rolled cake cool completely.
8 Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
9 Unroll the cooled cake and spread with a layer of chocolate mousse, leaving a 1-inch border exposed. Top the mousse with an even layer of whipped cream.
10 Carefully roll up the cake and transfer it to a serving platter, seam-side down.
11 Dust with cocoa powder and serve nice thick slices. Keep refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.
