Chocolate roulade

Not yet rated

This stunning chocolate roulade recipe by Steven Doherty has the perfect ratio of soft sponge to rich, fruity filling for those who love their sweet cream, while the tart tang of fresh strawberries, raspberries and the drizzle of raspberry sauce prevent this glorious chocolate dessert from being too cloying. Rolling the roulade can seem a daunting task if you've never tried it before – the key is to have plenty of paper under the sponge to roll with, and to fold the dessert with a quick, confident motion.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Chocolate sponge

Roulade filling

Raspberry sauce

To serve

Equipment

  • Electric hand whisk
  • Blender

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line a 38 x 26cm tray with baking paper or a non-stick liner
2
Begin by preparing the sponge. Measure out 80g of the icing sugar and beat it together with the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl, mixing for 5 minutes until fluffy and combined
  • 80g of icing sugar
  • 3 eggs, medium, separated
3
In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg whites with the salt, then add the remaining icing sugar and whisk for a further 30–60 seconds to form soft peaks
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 95g of icing sugar
4
Sift together the cocoa powder and cornflour in a third, smaller bowl and gradually fold this into the egg yolk mixture using a spatula. A tablespoon at a time, add the beaten egg white, mixing carefully until all the egg white has been incorporated
5
Pour the mixture into the lined tray, using an angled spatula (or spoonula) to spread the mixture evenly across the tray. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, or until the top of the sponge springs back when pressed
6
Meanwhile, prepare the fruit for the filling. Hull the strawberries and slice lengthways into thick chunks. Wash and drain the raspberries, setting aside until required
7
Once cooked, remove the sponge base from the oven and all to cool for 5 minutes. After this time, flip the sponge over onto a sheet of baking paper and leave to cool for a further 4 minutes
8
Whisk together the cream and sugar for the filling until firm, taking care not to overbeat
  • 300ml of double cream
  • 75g of caster sugar
9
With the sponge still on the paper, spread the jam over the sponge and top with a thick, even layer of cream. Dot the berries across the cream, ensuring an even distribution of berries
  • strawberry jam, high quality
10
Using the paper, roll up the roulade tightly but quickly to form a cylinder. Tightly twist the ends of the paper like a Christmas cracker to hold the shape of the roulade together. Place on a plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving
11
Meanwhile, prepare the raspberry sauce. Combine the raspberries, lemon juice, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat a little and simmer for 10 minutes
12
Transfer the raspberry mixture to a blender and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a jug or bowl and set aside to cool
13
Before serving, hull the remaining strawberries and slice half of them into chunks, keeping the rest whole
14
To serve, remove the chocolate roulade from the fridge and carefully unroll from the baking paper. Dust liberally with icing sugar, trim the ends and slice into 3cm slices. Drizzle over a little raspberry sauce and serve immediately with the strawberries and a few sprigs of mint to garnish

Working as the head chef at Le Gavroche in the 1980s cemented Steven Doherty's status as a legendary chef, but after falling in love with Cumbria he kick-started the gastropub scene in the county.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.