Ingredients
Melted butter, to grease
6 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tsp gelatine
1/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup thickened cream
2 Tbsp caster sugar
Brandied cherries
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 Tbsp cornflour
300g packet frozen pitted cherries
1/4 cup brandy or cranberry juice
Cinnamon stick
Chocolate ganache
1/2 cup thickened cream
180g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
Chocolate curls (optional)
Method
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1. Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and line a 35 x 25 x 2cm oven tray with baking paper set aside.
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Preheat oven to 180C. Put egg yolks, vanilla and salt in the medium bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until thick and pale in colour. Gradually add 1 ¼ cups icing sugar, beating until combined; set aside. Thoroughly wash the beaters. In a large bowl, beat eggwhites on medium to high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold about ¼ of the eggwhites into egg yolk mixture; fold egg yolk mixture into remaining eggwhites. Sift flour and cocoa powder over egg mixture; fold in gently until combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared tray.
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Bake cake for about 25-30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from tray and turn out onto a clean kitchen towel dusted with 1 tablespoon icing sugar. Remove baking paper. Roll towel and cake into a spiral, starting from a short side of the cake. Cool on a wire rack.
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To make brandied cherries, combine sugar and cornflour in a medium saucepan. Stir in cherries, brandy and cinnamon stick. Stir over a medium heat until thickened and bubbling. Continue stirring for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl; cool completely. Remove cinnamon stick.
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To make filling, sprinkle gelatine over hot water and whisk with a fork until dissolved. Combine cream and sugar in the large mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed while drizzling in the gelatine mixture. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
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Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cake with filling to within 2cm of edges. Spoon cherries evenly over filling. Roll up cake from short side, taking care not to push out filling; trim ends. Put cake roll, seam side down, on a wire rack set over an oven tray. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
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To make chocolate ganache, put the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to just boiling. Remove from heat. Add chocolate (do not stir). Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool for about 15 minutes or until thickened (chill if necessary). Spread ganache over top and sides of cake roll. Chill cake for about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Transfer to a serving platter. If desired, garnish with chocolate curls. Serve.
