Chocolate Swiss roll

My Nana was very famous for her Swiss rolls, and I think this one would do her proud: a light, fluffy chocolate sponge filled with whipped white chocolate ganache.

Credit: The Chocolate Queen

• serves

  8

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

For a lovely finishing touch, make your own chocolate butterflies. 

Ingredients

Whipped white chocolate ganache

• 270 g fresh cream 35% fat (A)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 25 g liquid glucose
• 190 g good quality white chocolate 28%
• 395 g fresh cream 35% fat (B)

Chocolate sponge

• 90 g caster sugar
• 4 whole eggs, room temperature
• 55 g plain flour
• 30 g cocoa powder
• caster sugar, for sprinkling

To assemble

• 1 punnet strawberries, cut in quarters (eighths if they’re large)
• icing sugar, for dusting

Ganache chilling time: at least 6 hours.

Cake cooling time: 2 hours.

Chilling time for filled cake: 30 minutes.

Instructions

1. For the ganache, place the cream (A), vanilla and liquid glucose into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Place the chocolate into a bowl and pour over the boiled cream. Whisk to combine.
3. Add the cream (B) and incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the ganache and place into the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 6 hours.
4. For the sponge, spray a 240 mm x 370 mm baking tray with vegetable oil and line the base and sides with baking paper. Set aside until required. Preheat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan forced).
5. Whisk the sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment for approximately 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
6. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and cocoa powder onto a sheet of baking paper.
7. Once the egg mixture is pale and aerated, remove the bowl from the mixer and gradually add the sieved ingredients, gently folding through after each addition.
8. Pour the sponge batter into the prepared baking tray and gently spread the mixture out evenly, careful not to knock out too much air.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes, until the sponge bounces back when gently pressed.
10. Slightly dampen a clean tea towel, lay it out flat onto your work bench and sprinkle it with sugar.
11. While the sponge is still hot, flip it onto the sugar-coated tea towel. Gently remove the baking paper from the sponge.
12. Fold the end of the tea towel over the sponge and roll into a tight roll. Set aside to cool at room temperature to cool.
13. To assemble, transfer the prepared white chocolate ganache into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip until it reaches a piping consistency.
14. Gently unroll the chocolate sponge and transfer it onto a sheet of baking paper.
15. Spread three quarters of the whipped white chocolate ganache evenly over the sponge, leaving a 10 mm edge at the end of the sponge that you will be rolling towards.
16. Place the remaining whipped white chocolate ganache into the refrigerator until required.
17. Arrange the 2 thirds of the cut strawberries over the whipped ganache ensuring they are evenly distributed. Set aside the remaining strawberries.
18. Use the baking paper to lift the sponge as you roll it as tight as possible. You’ll end up with the rolled sponge inside, and the paper around the outside.
19. Place a ruler on top of the baking paper where the ‘top’ part of the paper touches the ‘bottom’ part of the paper, resting against the roulade. Angle the ruler towards the bottom of the roulade. Push the ruler in towards the bottom of the roulade, while pulling on the bottom piece of baking paper to tighten the roll.
20. Place the roll into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using a hot serrated edged knife to trim the ends.
21. Transfer the roulade onto a serving plate, removing the paper. 
22. Using a warm teaspoon, place small scoops of the reserved whipped ganache on top of the roulade in an offset pattern.
23. Arrange the remaining strawberries on top of the whipped ganache and finish with a dusting of icing sugar.
24. Decorate with chocolate butterflies, if you like.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

For a lovely finishing touch, make your own chocolate butterflies.