Fudgy Chocolate Chestnut Roulade

My ten year old son Joey and I made this Roulade. We were a great team in the kitchen. He measured out the ingredients, while I read out the recipe. He cracked the eggs and I did the folding. We were like a couple of synchronised swimmers, until the child started arguing over who got to lick the bowl and who got to lick the spoon. But that was just me... Joey was quite mature about it.



Fudgy Chocolate Chestnut Roulade
slightly adapted from Janelle Bloom's My Favourite Food for All Seasons

For the Cake:
5 eggs, room temperature
125g golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon self-raising flour
unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

For the Chestnut Cream Filling:
300ml whipping cream
3/4 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened chestnut puree

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 170 degree C fan-forced. Spray a 25cm x 37cm shallow Swiss roll pan with cooking oil spray and line with baking paper. Set aside

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed for about 6 minutes, until doubled in volume. Sift the self-raising flour evenly over the surface of the egg mixture, pour in the warm melted chocolate and gently fold everything together. Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly to the edges. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the centre is firm to the touch and springs back when gently pressed.

When cooked, remove from the oven and immediately place a sheet of baking paper over the hot cake, and then cover with a tea towel and turn it over onto a work surface. Remove the pan. Keep the baking paper on and cover the other side of the cake with another tea towel. This will help keep the cake supple when we starting rolling and prevent cracking. Leave to cool completely.

Make the Chestnut Cream Filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the chestnut puree and icing sugar together until combined. Scrape into a small bowl.

Attach the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the cream until thick.

Fold the sweetened chestnut puree into the whipped cream.

Assemble the Roulade:
Remove the top tea towel and carefully pull off the baking paper.

Spread the chestnut cream evenly over the surface of the cake. With a short side closest you, roll the cake up, using the paper underneath to help you. Place on a platter and chill for at least 6 hours before sprinkling with cocoa powder and slicing with a serrated knife.