Fluffy, light and delicious raspberry chocolate roll, filled with whipped cream and fresh berries, covered in ganache. The perfect cake to kick-start summer!
Oops, I've done it again, raspberry and chocolate. It wasn't intentional, well, maybe it was a little, but if you've been following the blog for a while you will know that this combination is my absolute ultimate favourite flavour. Not to do the humble strawberry an injustice, I love them with a creamy Greek yogurt for breakfast, big rosy red and juicy, but put them with chocolate and for me, they get a little lost. The raspberry, however; well the raspberry holds its own and gives chocolate a run for its money. The sharp tartness cuts through the richness of a deep and dark chocolate ganache.
So after a baking hiatus due to the day job, I finally got chance to put my feet up last weekend and just relax; and relax I did, in the only way I know possible... bake! The last couple of months have been hectic behind the camera, filming for work. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love it but having spent 150 hours inside a supermarket and a lot of those in the bakery aisles, my mind whirled again whilst trying not to face plant straight into fresh pastries.
The thing is, when you're doing your weekly shop you how many other products do you notice, except those that are near items on your shopping list? Probably not many if you're like me, up and down the aisles and through the checkout as quickly as you possibly can. Although, when you're there for 10-12 hours a day, you find yourself scanning the shelves in between takes and you notice things you haven't seen before and food that brings back happy memories!
Ah, school day memories, memories of opening my lunch box to find tucked in the corner a little roll wrapped in shiny purple foil - the delight of a Cadbury's mini roll, covered in chocolate and filled with sweet cream. I couldn't just bite the end off and eat it, no! I had to unroll it first and then nibble the chocolate sponge to make it last longer. Now they're in little packets and come in lots of different flavours, and much to my horror... smaller! Unrolling them to eat now is a must to make them last longer.
Can you see where I'm going with this?
Yes, of course, you can! Anyway, the thought of these little delights wouldn't leave me and hugging a hot mug of Earl Grey for a leisurely Saturday morning lie-in, the ingredients made their way onto the shopping list for my version of a chocolate roll, complete with raspberries and fresh whipped cream.
The beauty of this raspberry chocolate roll is that there's no fat in the sponge mix and it is so light, and no matter what anyone says, they're not that tricky to make... give yourself an hour and you've got a pretty fabulous after dinner dessert or a slice or two to go with a freshly brewed pot of coffee. If you need a little more convincing, check out these tips and the recipe below...
Top tips for a perfect raspberry chocolate roll
- Bake the sponge on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat as it will peel off better than normal baking paper
- When you're ready to flip the sponge out, roll out another strip of parchment paper and dust with cocoa powder, this will stop the top layer of the sponge sticking and tearing off when you roll the chocolate roll up
- It's best to roll whilst the sponge is still slightly warm, it's more flexible and there's less chance of it cracking.
- Don't worry if it does crack, dust with a bit more cocoa powder or pour more chocolate ganache over the top.
- Scatter the raspberries over the cream but don't cover it completely, leave plenty of space. Overfilling will make it harder to roll up.
Pin Raspberry Chocolate Roll
Hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Give my light and fluffy raspberry chocolate roll a go and let me know how you got on. Please rate the recipe and leave me a comment below if you do!
Feel like indulging in more raspberries and chocolate? How about my so-simple raspberry chocolate pots, healthy raspberry and white chocolate baked oats or a classic chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting.
Raspberry Chocolate Swiss Roll
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Eggs Medium
- 150 g Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 50 g Cocoa Powder
- 175 ml Double Cream or Heavy Cream
- 1 tbsp Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 100 g Raspberries
- 50 g 70% Dark Chocolate
- 50 g Butter Unsalted
Instructions
- To make the cake sponge: Preheat oven to 180C. Line a swiss roll tin, approx 30 x 20cm, with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- Separate the eggs. Place the yolks in a large bowl and save the whites in a separate large bowl.
- Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk with a stand mixer or hand mixer until they are thick and pale. When you lift the beaters out, they should leave a ribbon of the mixture. Sift the cocoa powder into the yolk mixture and gently fold in with a metal spoon.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a stand mixer or hand mixer, making sure they are clean, until the whites are frothy, soft peaks.
- Gently fold the whisked egg whites into the cocoa and yolk mixture, with a metal spoon, until completely combined. Be careful not to knock the air out.
- Pour the mixture into the baking tin and gently spread into the corners with a palette knife.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The sponge should be springy.
- When baked remove from the oven to cool slightly in the tin. Whilst it is still warm, flip the sponge out onto another piece of parchment paper dusted with cocoa powder. Gently roll the sponge, starting from a shorter edge and set aside whilst you make the filling and ganache.
- To make the filling: Add the cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until the cream starts to thicken up but is still smooth enough to spread.
- To make the ganache: In a separate bowl, break the dark chocolate into small pieces and add the butter. Gently melt together in a microwave or place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and gradually melt it, stirring until smooth.
- To assemble the cake: Unroll the chocolate sponge and spread the cream all over, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
- Scatter the raspberries over the cream, making sure that they are well spaced and not overcrowded.
- Use the parchment paper to re-roll the sponge as tightly as possible so you get a good swirl. Place the roll on a plate and set it on the seam. Pour the melted chocolate over the top to coat the roll.
- Leave for an hour or overnight to set before serving.
Notes
- You can make the sponge ahead of time and freeze for up to one month. Remember to fully defrost before assembling the roll.
- Remove the cocoa powder from the mixture and add vanilla bean paste for a vanilla roll. When turning out onto the parchment paper, sprinkle with paper with caster sugar rather than cocoa powder.
- Instead of cream and raspberries you could fill the roll with a vanilla buttercream and jam. A coffee cream goes well with a chocolate sponge as well, or how about a white chocolate and lemon curd filling. The possibilities are endless.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
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Lou Carruthers
I love this recipe, it's so quick to make and absolutely delicious!