Mary Berry's chocolate roulade recipe

Mary Berry's chocolate roulade is easier to bake than you might think and is perfect for preparing ahead. 

If you’ve made Mary Berry’s roulade before but fancy an indulgent twist this chocolate recipe is perfect. It’s similar to our chocolate Swiss roll but uses melted plain chocolate instead of cocoa powder. This recipe has a thick double cream filling and is delicious on its own or served with fresh berries. 

Ingredients

• 175g (6 oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 175g (6 oz) caster sugar
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 level tbsp cocoa, sieved
• 300ml (10 fl oz) double cream
• Icing sugar

Method 

1. Lightly grease a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) Swiss roll tin and line with non-stick baking parchment, pushing it into the corners. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4).
2. Melt the chocolate slowly in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Measure the sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk on a high speed until light and creamy. Add the cooled chocolate and stir until evenly blended.
4. Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until stiff but not dry. Stir a large spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, mix gently and then fold in the remaining egg whites, then the cocoa. Turn into the prepared tin and gently level the surface. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes until just firm to the touch.
5. Remove the cake from the oven, leave in the tin and place a cooling rack over the top of the cake. Place a clean damp tea towel on top of the rack, and leave for several hours or overnight in a cool place, don't worry it will sink slightly. (If the tea towel dries out, simply re-dampen it).
6. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape. Dust a large piece of non-stick baking parchment with icing sugar. Turn the roulade out onto the paper and peel off the lining paper. Spread with the whipped cream and roll up like a Swiss roll, starting with one of the short edges, roll tightly to start with and use the paper to help. Don't worry if it cracks - that's quite normal and part of its charm! Dust with a little extra icing sugar then serve.

Top tips for making Mary Berry's chocolate roulade recipe

If you’d like a neater finish, trim the edges of the sponge before filling and rolling the roulade. You can also add fresh or frozen raspberries to the filling if you like. 

Simple cakes by Mary Berry (BBC Books, £14.99) - View at Amazon 

For more easy bakes, Mary’s book is full of inspiration. From a classic coffee cake to Devonshire scones and of course, a Victoria Sponge, she has a bake for every occasion. 

You might also like our chocolate cake recipe of this lemon drizzle cake for something zesty. These flapjacks and fairy cakes are a nice afternoon treat but can also be packaged up as gifts for friends and family.