This black forest roulade is rich, decadent and naturally gluten free, as there is no flour in sight. Even better for some, there's no butter either.
Made with plain chocolate, rather than cocoa, eggs and filled with cream and cherries, this dessert is sheer luxury in every mouthful.
There are step by step instructions too, and you can even freeze it for another day.
Bon appétit!
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This dessert has surprisingly few ingredients, with the only fresh item being the double cream for the filling. If you keep long life cream in your fridge it's even easier.
I've added cherries to the cream to give the dessert a black forest feel, but they are totally optional and it will taste delicious without them.
There are quite a few steps to making this, but there are plenty of step by step instructions to help. And, for a change, you don't need a bain marie to melt the chocolate. The whole lot just goes in the saucepan.
The most important part to remember is that it this dessert is not a Swiss roll. It doesn't matter if it has cracks when it's rolled up. It's all part of the charm!
❤️ Why you will love this dish
✔️Easy to source ingredients.
✔️No flour or butter.
✔️Simple to make.
✔️Vary the fruit for a different flavour.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Cherries - there are only a small amountin the recipe so I've used frozen cherries. Let them defrost well in advance and let them drain on kitchen paper to reduce the moisture from freezing. Leave the cherries out if you want to.
- Chocolate - plain chocolate or semi sweet chocolate will give the best flavour for this. Aim for the cocoa solids to be between 50 and 70%.
- Water
- Coffee - instant coffee granules. This doesn't make the roulade taste of coffee but it helps to intensify the chocolate flavour.
- Eggs - large and free range.
- Sugar - caster or superfine sugar for the sponge and icing sugar for decoration.
- Cream - double or heavy cream for the filling.
The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.
🍽 Equipment
- saucepan
- whisk or electric food mixer
- wooden spoon
- large bowl
- baking parchment
- large metal spoon
- swiss roll tin 32.5 cm, (13 inches) x 22.5 cm, (9 inches) x 1 cm
- bread knife
- spatula
🔪 Instructions
Line the baking tray with baking parchment. If the tray is not non stick then lightly grease the tin with a small amount of oil of butter first.
Break up the chocolate into pieces and place in a saucepan with the coffee granules and water.
Stir over a medium heat while the chocolate and water melts and is well mixed.
Leave to cool while the remaining ingredients are prepared.
Separate the eggs.
💭 Top tips for separating eggs
- It makes it easier to separate the eggs if you put them in the fridge for 30 minutes before using them.
- Use 2 ramekins or small bowl and separate one egg into them before adding to your mixing bowl. This makes it easier if you have dropped a piece of shell or if one egg is bad it won't contaminate the rest.
Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl for about 5 minutes, with all of the sugar less one tablespoon.
The egg yolks are ready when the whisk leaves a trail of mixture behind like ribbons.
Fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate with a large metal spoon.
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks then whisk in the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
💭 Top tips for whisking egg whites
- Make sure that the bowl you use for mixing meringues is scrupulously cleaned and dried and preferable glass or metal. A miniscule amount of grease in the bowl can mean that your egg whites won't whip correctly..
- Double check each egg white as you add to the whipping bowl. If you have the slightest bit of yolk in the white it can stop the egg whites from whipping.
- The egg whites have reached the stiff peak stage when you can hold the bowl upside down and nothing moves!
- When the egg whites has reached the right consistency handle it as little as possible with metal spoons or a spatula so that you don't allow the air to escape.
Fold one tablespoon of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon.
This will help to loosen the mixture and make it easier to fold in the remaining egg whites.
Tip the rest of the egg whites in and carefully fold until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the lined tin.
⏲️ Baking Time
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until set.
Leave the cake in the tin to cool and cover with a clean tea towel. This will help the top to stay soft and easier to roll.
Put the cream in a bowl and whisk to medium peaks until it holds its shape.
Lay a clean sheet of baking parchment onto the work surface and sprinkle a tablespoon of the icing sugar.
Turn out the sponge on the clean parchment and carefully peel off the used parchment.
Trim any uneven edges with a bread knife.
💭 Top Tip
- Peel the parchment back on itself, keeping it as close to the sponge as possible, rather than from a height. It is less likely to remove any sponge when done like this.
Spread the cream in an even layer avoiding the edges.
If you are using cherries chop them and drain on kitchen paper.
Scatter them over the cream.
Turn the sponge until the shorter edge is in front of you.
Make a slit with a knife, halfway through the sponge, about 2cm or an inch along the short edge. This makes it easier to start rolling.
Use the parchment to help roll up as tightly as possible then place the black forest roulade on a plate with the seam underneath.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.
🥙 Substitutions
- Cherries - spread a layer of cherry jam before adding the cream.
- Cream - substitute with buttercream by mixing75g of softened butter with 125g of icing sugar. Beat together until light and fluffy and add a little milk if it seems too thick.
📖 Variations
- If you prefer you could cover the black forest roulade in melted chocolate or buttercream.
- Leave the cherries out or use fresh raspberries or strawberries instead.
🤔FAQs
A roulade is the name given to any savoury or sweet item that is rolled up. This could be a chicken breast, pastry, meringue or a pancake.
A Swiss roll is also a roulade, but it is always a sponge cake with a sweet filling.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
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📋 Recipe
Black Forest roulade
Equipment
- saucepan
- whisk or electric food mixer
- wooden spoon
- Large bowl
- Baking parchment
- large metal spoon
- swiss roll tin 32.5 cm, (13 inches) x 22.5 cm, (9 inches) x 1 cm
- bread knife
- spatula
Ingredients
- 60 g morello cherries optional
- 225 g plain chocolate 50-70% cocoa colids
- 85 ml water
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 5 eggs
- 140 g caster sugar
- 300 ml double cream heavy
- 2 tablespoon icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/160FAN/Gas4.
- Line the baking tray with baking parchment.
- Break up the chocolate and place in a saucepan with the coffee granules and water. Stir over a medium heat while the mixture melts and is well combined. Leave to cool while the remaining ingredients are prepared.
- Separate the eggs then whisk the egg yolks in a bowl for about 5 minutes with all the sugar, less one tablespoon, until the whisk leaves a trail of mixture behind.
- Fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate with a large metal spoon.
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks then whisk in the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Fold one tablespoon of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon then tip the rest of the egg whites in and carefully fold until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into the lined tin.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until set.
- Leave the cake in the tin to cool and cover with a clean tea towel.
- Put the cream in a bowl and whisk to medium peaks until it holds its shape.
- Lay a clean sheet of baking parchment onto the work surface and sprinkle a tablespoon of the icing sugar.
- Turn out the sponge on the clean parchment and carefully peel off the used parchment then trim any uneven edges with a bread knife.
- Spread the cream in an even layer avoiding the edges and sprinkle over chopped cherries.
- Turn the sponge until the shorter edge is in front of you. Make a slit with a knife, halfway through the sponge, about 2cm or an inch along the short edge. Use the parchment to help roll up as tightly as possible then place on a plate with the seam underneath.
- Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Notes
- It makes it easier to separate the eggs if you put them in the fridge for 30 minutes before using them.
- Use 2 ramekins or small bowl and separate one egg into them before adding to your mixing bowl. This makes it easier if you have dropped a piece of shell or if one egg is bad it won't contaminate the rest.
- Make sure that the bowl you use for mixing meringues is scrupulously cleaned and dried and preferable glass or metal. A miniscule amount of grease in the bowl can mean that your egg whites won't whip correctly..
- Double check each egg white as you add to the whipping bowl. If you have the slightest bit of yolk in the white it can stop the egg whites from whipping.
- The egg whites have reached the stiff peak stage when you can hold the bowl upside down and nothing moves!
- When the meringue has reached the right consistency handle it as little as possible with metal spoons or a spatula so that you don't allow the air to escape.
- Peel the parchment back on itself, keeping it as close to the sponge as possible, rather than from a height. It is less likely to remove any sponge when done like this.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
French Desserts
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended'
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.
However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.
Amanda
Hi Steve, This sounds like a great idea, but I would also let them drain on paper towel as well. Thanks,
Amanda
Steve Z.
This looks wonderful, I'm looking so forward to making this. What do you think of soaking the cherries in Kirsch overnight, then letting them drain (something my mom used to do when I was a kid)?
Amanda
Hi, I filled the roulade with the cream and then wrapped and froze it. Decorate the top just before serving. Thanks,
Amanda
Anonymous
What are the freezing instructions? Do you just freeze the sponge cake and then fill after defrosting?
Dannii
This would be perfect for Christmas Day. It looks stunning.
Danielle Wolter
This came out so delicious! The steps make it easy to make and it came out perfect! I'll be making it again for Christmas.
Artney
This is the perfect dessert to enjoy this time of year. I'll definitely be making this soon.
Michelle
Plain Chocolate simply hits different. The flavors all melt together perfectly. Love the cherries!
Maria San Juan
Yuum! Perfect for the holidays! Will surely add this to my menu!