Last week was a very busy one...Friday was entirely taken up with baking lots and lots of Mocha Roulades. I was asked to help with a wedding that a customer was catering...130 guests and this recipe was one of the bride's mother's specialities that the bride has been enjoying since her childhood....quite a daunting prospect! I created a sample a few weeks ago which was approved...so it was all systems go! The recipe worked very well, so I will pass it on to you...I think if I were making it for myself, I wouldn't use the cherry pie filling (!) but this was how the bride wanted it! Fresh raspberries would be wonderful I think...or even bananas, if you were going to eat it fairly soon after rolling.
Mocha Roulade (serves 8-10)
6oz/200g good dark chocolate
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
5 large free-range eggs (separated)
8oz/250g caster sugar
Preheat oven to 375f/180c
Line a swiss roll tin (approx 9" x 13") with non-stick baking parchment
In a bowl set over simmering water (or in a microwave if you're confident!) place the chocolate (broken into bits) water & coffee powder to melt. Stir a few times to make sure there are no lumps.
In a large bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks until thick and creamy (I used an electric hand whisk for this)
In a separate, scrupulously cleam bowl, whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
Stir chocolate mixture into egg yolk/sugar until combined. Fold a spoonful or two of egg white into the chocolate mixture to loosen first, then carefully fold in the rest of the egg white using a large metal spoon...
until all traces of white have disappeared.
Turn into prepared tin...
When you're ready...have a serving dish to hand (something fairly flat, like a tray works best)...cover a fresh sheet of baking parchment with sieved icing sugar and invert the base onto that...then carefully peel away the original base paper (which will now be on top!) Whip 10floz/300ml double or whipping cream softly (not too stiff or it will be hard to spread) and spread evenly over the base (not quite to the edge) followed by fruit of your choice...or canned pie filling!!
Anyway, after making so many I'm a real expert! And I must say that they were very straightforward and looked and smelled quite impressive - having no flour in the mixture was also great, as I'm always on the lookout for gluten-free recipes. This also made it more of a dessert rather than the cake that some roulades resemble!
Also at the bakery in recent days....
and my personal favourite - Black Forest Cake, which is my take on the 1970's bistro classic. I find that the original (now usually found in freezer cabinets!) is often dry and oversweet...I like to think that my version is neither of these things!
This morning is chilly and rainy...perfect baking weather! I'm just off to The Coffee Tree to deliver a fresh batch of Gooseberry Elderflower Muffins (and pick up a much needed coffee!)
Enjoy your day xx
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Here when we make something like that roulade, it's customary to remove it from the pan hot onto a towel, then to roll it while hot and hmm leave it rolled to cool I think. Something about training it to be rolly and thus it won't crack. Then it becomes a Yule log or whatever. Once I did make an ice cream cake that way. Yours looked very beautiful and yummy tho I agree the pie filling was over the top. Think among today's posts it's the nectarine cake I'd devour first. If only I had some! Also lovely is the black forest. Very nice and sprightly to have the fresh cherries.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy! I would roll up a roulade too, to cool. But I think that only works when you have the stability that flour offers...this particular recipe is really moussey..has to be cooled and dampened to make it pliable first, or it would just crack up I think! I loved the Nectarine Cake too...anything with hazelnuts! xo
ReplyDeleteHi rachel, pleased to see you back again after all the bloggy problems.
ReplyDeleteMmm pie filling..... very odd. I'm with you on the raspberries, something a bit tart. The roulade looks good though you must be roulade queen by now. Black forrest cake for me today please. Am just trying to sort out in my head the cupcake bouquets that I've been asked to do for a wedding in a couple of weeks. I think I might just have lost the plot when I said yes. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Take care xx
Oh, sweetie, I am so glad I am back up to speed once more and can enjoy the visual feast of your delectable baked goodies! I would have a morsel of each one to savor, please!! I bet your roulade was the hit of the wedding reception!! With love, Sherry xx
ReplyDeleteI could easily wolf down all this. I want to try this Black Forest cake especially.
ReplyDeletelovely. I love the roulade recipe. Never had a mocha one.
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