Chocolate-Orange Roulade

I can’t have you going without chocolate this time of year, and there’s something about the retro kitsch of a roulade that warms my cold, cranky heart, despite the freezing temperatures and my traditional state of being-single-at-Valentine’s-Day. Also I kind of made this recipe up as I went along, picking and choosing elements from a few different sources, and, not to brag, it’s SUPER DELICIOUS.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE ROULADE

For the cake:

6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp. strong, hot coffee
6 eggs, separated, room temperature
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

For the filling:

4 oz. high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt, Callebaut, or Green & Black’s)
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 lb. mascarpone (or 500g, really whatever largish container you can find)
zest of one orange, finely minced
Optional: about half a pint of raspberries or red currants. I almost never see red currants for sale in the US so I snapped these up when I spotted them at Chelsea Market this weekend. I thought they’d be a lovely little hit of both flavor and a seasonally red color, but feel free to omit.

For the ganache:

6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. corn syrup or golden syrup
2 tbsp. (1 oz.) unsalted butter, diced

Make the white chocolate-mascarpone filling first:

Roughly chop the white chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Place the mascarpone in a medium bowl and give it a good stir to loosen up. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the cream until it’s just about to start simmering, then pour the cream over the white chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, then mix in the orange zest. Allow to cool until it’s just barely warm but still pourable, then fold into the mascarpone until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Gently fold in the red currants or raspberries (if using). Cover and refrigerate the filling until ready to use.

Make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13″ x 17″ rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (pro tip: cutting slits in the corners of the paper helps smooth out the wrinkly bunching situation that happens there). Grease the paper with cooking spray, then dust generously with cocoa powder.

Place the chopped chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and add the hot coffee. Melt the chocolate, stirring, until nearly smooth and then remove from heat, stirring until chocolate melts the rest of the way. Set aside to cool at room temperature until lukewarm.

Beat the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and lightened. Slowly add the sugar, continuing to beat on medium-high until thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes, until the mixture falls in ribbons when the beaters are lifted out. Gently fold in the cooled coffee-chocolate mixture and set aside. In a clean bowl with clean beaters beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until white and frothy. Add the salt and continue to beat until the egg whites hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 of the eggs whites to the chocolate-egg yolks mixture to loosen, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites 1/3 at a time. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes until the top is dry and springs back when touched (might seem underdone– do NOT overbake).

While the cake is baking, spread a clean kitchen towel over your work surface and dust generously with cocoa powder (brace yourself– this is going to go EVERYWHERE). When the cake has finished baking, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it and immediately tip the pan over onto the prepared towel, launching a mushroom cloud of cocoa dust all over your countertop. Gently remove the pan and peel the parchment paper off the cake. Beginning at one of the short sides, gently roll the cake up, along with the towel, into a jelly roll-type situation. Set the cake, towel and all, aside to cool completely at room temperature. Line a fresh baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once the cake is cool, gently unroll it. Your cake make likely crack– don’t panic! By rolling it up in the towel when it was warm, we’ve kind of blocked it so that it will want to roll right back up again, also the filling will help it stick together and keep its shape, and anyway the ganache frosting will hide all sorts of sins. Gently stir the chilled mascarpone filling so that it loosens up a little and spread it evenly over the cake. Re-roll the cake, this time leaving the towel behind (it may stick a bit, even with the cocoa, but go slowly and gently peel the towel away as you roll. Roll the cake right onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, with the “seam” down. Chill until set, at least 1 hour (I chilled mine overnight because I was running late and decided to stop while I was ahead and finish the cake the next morning).

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate and diced butter in a heat-proof bowl. Warm the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just barely starting to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter and let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined. Let cool until lukewarm but still pourable. Slowly pour the cooled ganache over the roulade, working carefully to ensure coverage and using a small offset spatula to spread it smoothly, covering any cracks (don’t worry about the ends of the cake, as they’ll be trimmed). Chill the cake for at least 1 hour until set.

Once the cake is set, use a sharp serrated knife to trim the ends on a diagonal, revealing the beautiful spiral. Decorate with sprinkles, garnish with raspberries, or shave some white chocolate curls over the top, whatever your heart desires. Slice the cake, serve, bask in compliments.

For our lingerie pairing, continuing with the retro/kitschy theme, please enjoy the sensational Minnie collection from Buttress & Snatch, one of the first styles offered in their new expanded size range! Minnie is available in band sizes from 32-40 and cup sizes from B-H (note that B&S don’t follow traditional UK cup sizing conventions, so their H-cup may fit more like a UK G-cup). Buttress & Snatch also offers bespoke bras, so if you see a set you love, it’s worth inquiring about additional sizes!

February 12, 2016 by Sweets | 3 Comments