Chocolate and Irish Cream Roulade

Chocolate and Irish Cream Roulade

Another absolute winner from Mary Berry

 

Serves 8

175g plain dark chocolate, about 50% cocoa solids
6 large eggs, separated
175g caster sugar
2tbsp cocoa powder
300ml double cream
4 tbsp Irish Cream liqueur
Icing sugar, sifted for dusting

Icing
50g icing sugar
2 tsp double cream
2 -3 tsp Irish cream 

Heat the oven to Gas 4/180ºC.  Lightly grease a Swiss roll tin with butter and line with baking parchment.

Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.  The base of the bowl must not touch the water.  Leave until the chocolate is just melted then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk, using an electric hand whisk on a high speed until fluffy and stiff but not dry.

Tip the caster sugar and egg yolks into another bowl and whisk on high speed until thick and creamy, about 1½ minutes.  Pour in the cooled chocolate and stir until blended.  Add 2 large tbsp of the egg whites and mix gently to loosen the mixture then fold in the remaining egg white. Sift the cocoa over and fold it into the mixture.  Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is well risen and firm on top.  Remove from the oven and set aside, leaving it in the tin until it is cold.  Expect it to crack and dip a little.

Put the cream into a bowl with the Irish Cream and whip until it is thick enough to just hold it's shape.

Lightly dust a large peice of baking parchment with icing sugar.  Turn the cake out of the tin onto the parchment and carefully peel off the lining paper.  Spread the surface of the cake with cream, leaving a rim of about 2cm all the way around. With one of the short ends towards you, make a score mark 2cm from the edge careful not to cut right through.  Starting here, lightly roll up the roulade, transfer to a serving plate or board.

Make the icing by mixing the sifted icing sugar with the cream and enough liqueur to give a smooth consistency.  Drizzle or pipe the icing over the roulade.