This morning, mom and I made my absolute favorite dessert. I have insisted on having it for every birthday and celebration since I was a child! Loosely based on James Beard’s recipe, this chocolate roll cake melts in your mouth with its rich chocolate and smooth homemade whipped cream. An absolute crowd pleaser, made even better by the fact that it is gluten free!
Chocolate Roll Cake with Cognac scented Cream
5 eggs separated
5 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
2 Tablespoons butter chopped
2 Tablespoons cognac
1/3 cup of sugar
Cognac scented Cream (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10 x 15” jellyroll pan with parchment or a silpat. Bring a large pan with a couple of inches of water to the boil, then shut off. Put chopped chocolate, butter and cognac in a heat proof bowl. Melt, stirring often. When melted beat in egg yolks, one at a time , beating well after each addition.
In separate bowl beat egg whites with a pinch of salt. When soft peaks form add sugar in a slow steady stream. Whip till peaks stay up when beater is lifted but are not dry looking. (If the whites get to dry they are hard to incorporate into the chocolate cognac mixture.)
Take a small amount of whites and beat into the chocolate to make it lighter. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites. Gently pour the mixture onto your lined pan. Smooth the top and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Cake will lightly puff in the oven. Upon removing from the oven , grab the parchment at one end and pull off the pan to stop the cooking. Let sit for 20 minutes or until cool.
Gently pull edges away from cooled cake leaving parchment still underneath. Put cream on cake lightly covering top. Use the parchment to help roll the cake lengthwise. Keep the cake on the parchment, put your platter next to it and lift the parchment up and roll the cake onto the platter. Refrigerate until half an hour before serving. Optional – can be dusted with powdered sugar.
Cognac scented Cream
½ pint of Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Cognac
1 teaspoon sugar
Put cream and cognac in a chilled bowl. Whip until soft peaks form, add sugar, continue beating until it sets up.
