Recipe: Squidgy Chocolate Roll

I had first researched this recipe for Christmas last year and now am posting it in time so that you can make it part of your Christmas feasting this year. This is a heavenly chocolate mousse and cream-filled flourless chocolate cake from English doyen Delia Smith, and it should be made slightly (as the name implies) soft, loose and sweet. During the rolling up, the cake may crack, but this is quite normal and looks most attractive.

Ingredients:

Cake:

6 large eggs, separated

150g caster sugar

50g cocoa powder, sifted

Filling:

225g dark chocolate (use a good quality chocolate, as you will be eating it)

2 Tbsp hot water

2 large eggs, separated

250ml double cream, softly whipped

Method:

1. Begin by making the chocolate mousse. Break the chocolate in pieces and melt over a bain marie of boiling water with 2 Tbsp hot water (You can also melt this in the microwave). Remove from the heat and beat it with a wooden spoon until smooth. Next beat the egg yolks, first on their own, then into the warm chocolate mixture. Whisk the egg whites till stiff and fold them into the cooled chocolate mixture. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

2. For the cake, whisk egg yolks then add the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens slightly – but be careful not to get it too thick. Sift the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture and whisk them together, then, using a clean whisk and bowl, whisk the egg whites to the soft peak stage. Next carefully cut and fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture – gently and thoroughly – then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

3. Bake the cake on the centre shelf for 20-25 minutes until springy and puffy. When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven but leave it in the cake tin to cool (it will shrink quite a bit as it cools but don't worry, that's normal).

4. When the cake is cooled, turn it out on to an oblong of baking parchment which has been liberally dusted with icing sugar. Peel away the cake tin lining paper from the bottom of the cake (which is now facing upwards), then spread the chocolate mousse filling over the cake.

5. Whip the cream softly and spread it over the chocolate filling. With the long end nearest you, roll the cake away from you, using the parchment to help you to make a log shape. As an alternative, an 11 oz tin of sweetened chestnut purée (crème de marrons) can replace the chocolate mousse.

When I make this roulade, I roll it on the long side as I prefer a longer, thinner roll, you can also roll it on the short side, which will give you far more filling than cake. You can also sift patterns on the top of the roll, like a holly sprig or stars.