Chocolate Roll
Roulade au Chocolat

(Serves 8)


6 squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
6 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon very strong coffee, or 1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons kirsch
1 tablespoon bitter cocoa powder

Place the chocolate in a double boiler or in a 200-degree oven and melt. Mix the granulated sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup A over the yolks, mixing vigorously with a whisk. Continue whipping the mixture for about 5 minutes to have it fluffy and smooth and pale yellow in color. Add the melted chocolate and the coffee. Mix. Whip the egg whites until they hold firm peaks. Add about 1/3 of the whites to the chocolate mixture and mix vigorously with the whisk. Add the remaining whites and fold in with a spatula-mix just enough to combine the ingredients. Do not overwork.

Cut a piece of waxed paper large enough to line a 12 by 16-inch cake-roll pan (you may have to use 2 pieces of waxed paper running the length of the pan, be sure they overlap a bit, otherwise the mixture will stick to the pan). Butter the paper and coat with flour, shaking off any excess. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. The mixture will be about 1/2 inch thick. Again, avoid stirring and mixing the mixture too much.

Place in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15 minutes. Initially cool at room temperature; then cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool for at least 2 more hours. Start whipping the cream; when half-whipped, add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and kirsch. Continue beating until the cream is firm.

Now begin rolling the cake. This is a delicate operation. You have just cooked a soufflé mixture which rose in the oven and collapsed to about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. It is important that the pan be lined because the paper aids in removing the cake and in rolling. The plastic wrap keeps the cake moist, making it possible to be rolled. Remove the plastic wrap, slide a knife all around the sides to loosen the cake. Spread the whipped cream on the cake. Start rolling the cake with the paper still on, peeling the paper off, then rolling a little. Avoid pressing down on the cake as you roll so that the whipped cream is not squeezed out. Continue rolling and removing the paper alternately. Try to have the end of the cake underneath so that the cake looks smooth on top. Use 2 large spatulas to slide the cake to a serving platter. Place the cocoa powder into a sieve and shake it over the cake to coat the top. Refrigerate.

There are two delicate operations, folding the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and rolling the cake. If the cake is brittle and cannot be rolled you probably did not incorporate the egg whites properly in the mixture. To salvage the cake, cut into 3 lengthwise strips, cutting through the paper. Place the first strip upside down on a serving tray, remove the paper and spread with cream; place the second strip upside down on top of the first, remove the paper, spread with cream, and repeat the operation with the last strip. Coat all around with cream and sprinkle the top with cocoa.

from jacquespepin.net