I decided to make a chocolate Swiss roll for Easter this year - well why not you make them for Christmas!
I have filled it with vanilla buttercream and topped with a dark chocolate ganache and lots of Easter confectionery.
It's a great alternative to a simnel cake or for the kids and big kids after Easter lunch. They are also great to give as gifts for an alternative to an Easter egg.
You can decorate however you wish and with any Easter confectionery you have or just some Easter sprinkles will look great too.
Start by pre-heating the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) Gas Mark 4.
Then grease and line a Swiss roll tin measuring 33cm x 23cm (9" x 13").
Place the caster sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted.
Whisk until doubled in size and you can see a trail on the surface if you lift the whisk upwards.
Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl, then add the milk.
Using a spatula fold in the flour and cocoa until you can see not traces of flour or cocoa.
Transfer to the prepared tin and spread evenly with a small spatula.
Bake for 14 minutes, then remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack and leave for 10 minutes.
While it is cooling take a piece of baking parchment slightly bigger than the Swiss roll tray and place on the worktop and sprinkle with a generous dusting of caster sugar.
After 10 minutes turn the cake out of the tin faced down and peel off the baking parchment.
Make a small indent along the small side facing you with a ruler or large spatula about 1.5cm in from the edge- this will help starting the rolling.
Using the new baking parchment roll up from the indent edge with the baking parchment between the cake until it is fully rolled and with the seam at the bottom place back on the baking tray to cool.
While it is cooling make the buttercream by placing the butter, icing sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add some milk so that the filling can be easily spread but not runny.
Once the cake is cool unroll and spread the icing evenly all over the cake and then re-roll the cake using a spatula.
With the seam at the bottom wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to firm up for at least 1 hour.
Then make the ganache - place the cream in a pan and heat on a medium temperature until little bubbles start to appear around the edges of the pan. Do not let it boil.
Remove from the heat and add the dark chocolate but don't mix. Leave for 5 minutes then mix vigorously until smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool.
When ready to decorate take the Swiss roll from the fridge, unwrap and place on a serving plate. Trim the edges to neaten with a sharp bread knife. Then take the ganache and give it a stir until smooth.
Then spread it over the top and down the sides of the Swiss roll with a small spatula.
Decorate with the Easter confectionery.
Slice to serve.
Easter Swiss Roll
Sarah's Servings: 8-10
Sarah's Skill: Medium
Baking Time: 14 minutes
Ingredients
Cake
150g Caster Sugar
4 Large Eggs
150g Plain Flour
30g Sieved Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Milk
Filling
100g Soft Unsalted Butter
200g Sieved Icing Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1 -2 Tbsp Milk
Ganache
75g Dark Cooking Chocolate
75ml Double Cream
Easter confectionery to decorate.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) Gas Mark 4.
Grease and line a Swiss roll tin measuring 33cm x 23cm (9" x 13").
Cake: Place the caster sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted.
Whisk until doubled in size and you can see a trail on the surface if you lift the whisk upwards.
Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl, then add the milk.
Using a spatula fold in the flour and cocoa until you can see not traces of flour or cocoa.
Transfer to the prepared tin and spread evenly with a small spatula.
Bake for 14 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack and leave for 10 minutes.
While it is cooling take a piece of baking parchment slightly bigger than the Swiss roll tray and place on the worktop and sprinkle with a generous dusting of caster sugar.
After 10 minutes turn the cake out of the tin faced down and peel off the baking parchment.
Make a small indent along the small side facing you with a ruler or large spatula about 1.5cm in from the edge- this will help starting the rolling.
Using the new baking parchment roll up from the indent edge with the baking parchment between the cake until it is fully rolled and with the seam at the bottom place back on the baking tray to cool.
Buttercream: While it is cooling make the buttercream by placing the butter, icing sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add some milk so that the filling can be easily spread but not runny.
Once the cake is cool unroll and spread the icing evenly all over the cake and then re-roll the cake.
With the seam at the bottom wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to firm up for at least 1 hour.
Ganache: place the cream in a pan and heat on a medium temperature until little bubbles start to appear around the edges of the pan. Do not let it boil.
Remove from the heat and add the dark chocolate but don't mix. Leave for 5 minutes then mix vigorously until smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool.
When ready to decorate take the Swiss roll from the fridge, unwrap and place on a serving plate. Trim the edges to neaten with a sharp bread knife.
Then take the ganache and give it a stir until smooth, spread it over the top and down the sides of the Swiss roll with a small spatula.
Decorate with the Easter confectionery.
Slice to serve.
Sarah's extra slice......
You could use a chocolate buttercream if you prefer.
I used a Prestige, Nadiya Oven Tray
The small spatula I used was a KitchenCraft Palette Knife.
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