My mum is a huge fan of cake rolls. I guess it’s because she used to make them quite often when I was a kid, but when I took over the dessert making in the house, she totally forgot about her famous cake rolls. But I sure did not, I was just waiting for an opportunity to make them and it finally came – a regular day, just like any other, except the fact that I was chosen for an internship on AdiHadean.ro and it was announced just today. Adi Hadean is one of the Masterchef judges here, in Romania, his blog is one of the most visited with over 2000 recipes written and explained and I was chosen to write a recipe on his blog every week for one year starting from March. It’s a pretty good feeling considering that there’s been 250 recipes sent and only 3 of us were chosen. I’m happy, it feels like a huge accomplishment at the moment as I’ve been working hard for the last year, learning a lot, taking in every piece of information I get my hands on and never losing faith in my skills and my knowledge.
But back to our cake roll now, shall we?! The recipe is pretty straight forward and it consists of a sponge cake enriched with butter, a chocolate mousse flavored with strawberry bits and a chocolate ganache to cover it all. It’s easy to make, but devine with its richness. Like my previous Red Wine Chocolate Cake, it has a fair amount of chocolate, but no one minds it, right?! It’s a dessert for you, chocoholics, so enjoy it!
- 4 eggs
- 110g sugar
- 110g all-purpose flour
- 25g Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 30g butter, melted and chilled
- 150g dark chocolate, chopped
- 70ml heavy cream
- 150ml heavy cream, whipped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g fresh strawberries, diced
- 120g dark chocolate, chopped
- 80ml heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper (30x40cm). Place aside.
- Mix the eggs with sugar in the bowl of your mixer and whip for 8-10 minutes until tripled in volume.
- Sift the flour with cocoa powder and salt then fold the flour into the whipped eggs. Add one spoon at a time and fold with a spatula.
- Take a few tablespoons of batter in a small bowl and stir in the butter.
- Transfer the mixture back to the bowl and fold it in slowly and gently.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or just until the top is set and springs back is pressed slightly. Don't bake more than 15 minutes as it will dry out.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate and 50ml heavy cream in a heatproof bowl over a hot water bath.
- Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Stir in the vanilla then fold in the whipped cream. Place the mousse in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Spread the mousse over the chocolate sponge and top with diced strawberries.
- Roll the sponge tightly and place on a platter. Place in the fridge until the ganache is ready.
- Bring the cream to the boiling point in a saucepan and remove from heat.
- Stir in the chocolate and mix until melted.
- Add the vanilla and let it cool completely. At this point, you have two options: either you pour the ganache over the roll or you place the ganache in the fridge and let it set then spread it with a spatula. I chose the second option as I wanted to create the look you see, but it's up to you.
- Decorate the roll with chocolate shavings and fresh strawberries and serve it chilled.

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ROMANIAN!
Mama obisnuia sa faca rulade mai des, insa de cand am preluat eu fraiele deserturilor in casa, nu prea am facut rulade. Fara motiv, sincer, pentru ca se fac foarte usor si sunt foarte versatile. Aceasta de exemplu e umpluta cu mousse de ciocolata si capsune, dar puteti folosi si o crema de vanilie, o budinca, o crema pe baza de unt, o crema de branza, posibilitatile sunt nenumarate. Ca baza, eu folosesc de obicei o varietate de genoise – pandispan – si nu il rulez niciodata dupa ce-l scot din cuptor. Cheia e coptul blatului. Daca il coci prea mult, se usuca si va crapa la rulat – been there, done that! De asemenea, cand il rulez las partea de sus a blatului sa fie in interiorul ruladei. La copt, aceasta parte formeaza o crusta care odata intinsa cand rulati, inevitabil crapa. Pe cand partea de jos a blatului e mult mai flexibila si sansele sa crape sunt mult mai mici. In plus, acea parte e si mult mai uniforma si abia daca necesita vreun decor. Nu mai vorbesc de posibilitatile de a decora blatul cu pasta tuile, precum am facut eu la acest tort, dar despre asta vom vorbi mai pe larg cu alta ocazie.
Ingrediente:
Blat:
- 4 oua
- 110g zahar
- 110g faina alba
- 25g cacao
- 1 praf de sare
- 30g unt, topit si racit
Mousse de ciocolata:
- 150g ciocolata neagra
- 70g frisca lichida
- 150ml frisca, batuta
- 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
- 150g capsune proaspete, taiate bucati (optional)
Ganache:
- 120g ciocolata neagra, bucati
- 80ml frisca lichida
- 1/2 lingurita extract de vanilie
Mod de preparare:
Blat:
- Preincalziti cuptorul la 180C si tapetati o tava cu hartie de copt (30×40 cm are tava mea).
- Combinati ouale cu zaharul in bolul mixerului si mixati pana isi tripleaza volumul, cel putin 5 minute.
- Cerneti faina cu sarea si cacaoa si incorporati-o in amestecul de ou cu o spatula.
- Luati deoparte cateva linguri de aluat si adaugati untul. Amestecati usor pana la incorporare apoi transferati amestecul inapoi in restul de blat si incorporati usor.
- Turnati aluatul in tava si coaceti pentru 10-15 minute cel mult pana suprafata blatului este elastica la atingere.
- Scoateti din cuptor si lasati sa se raceasca in tava.
Mousse de ciocolata:
- Topiti ciocolata si 70ml frisca intr-un vas termorezistent pe baie de aburi.
- Luati de pe foc, adaugati vanilia si lasati sa se raceasca.
- Incorporati frisca batuta si dati mousse-ul la rece 30 minute.
- Intindeti mousse-ul peste blat si acoperiti cu capsune proaspete.
- Rulati blatul cat mai strans si dati la rece pana pregatiti glazura.
Ganache:
- Infierbantati frisca intr-un vas. Luati de pe foc si adaugati ciocolata.
- Amestecati pana ciocolata e topita complet si ganache e fin, lucios.
- Adaugati vanilia si lasati ganache-ul sa se raceasca. Acum aveti doua posibilitati, Fie turnati ganache-ul putin caldut peste rulada, fie il dati la rece sa se intareasca si il intindeti peste rulada cu o spatula, cum am facut eu.
- Decorati cu aschii de ciocolata si capsune proaspete.
Tip: pentru aschiile de ciocolata, dati o tableta de ciocolata la congelator 10 minute apoi radeti aschii cu un peeler de legume.
I for one love cake rolls! This version looks terrific, with all the creamy mousse and chocolate 🙂
Thank you, June!
Congratulations!! How exciting – and what an opportunity for you to share your beautiful creations. Your site is stunning, and this cake is just gorgeous!
Thank you, Aida.
Another beautiful cake. It looks so moist and delicious.
Thank you, Angela. It is incredibly moist, indeed.
Mmm I LOVE cake rolls, they can be so versatile, and oh-so tasty!! And a chocolate mousse cake roll sounds SO delicious!! 🙂
Thank you, Christina!
This has to be among my top 5 favorite cakes of all times. Besides the contrast of colors made by the strawberries makes it even more delicious.