This simple and easy Black Forest Log (Schwarzwald roulade) is a delightful dessert that captures the essence of holiday cheer. This delicious treat features a moist chocolate sponge cake, expertly rolled and filled with luscious, whipped cream and sour cherry filling. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of sweet and sour, reminiscent of the classic Black Forest cake, making it a perfect centrepiece for your holiday gatherings. Drizzled with velvety chocolate and adorned with delicate chocolate shavings, this Black Forest Log is a feast for the palate.

Servings: 10  

Choco Jelly Roll

90 g dark chocolate, chopped and melted

75 g all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

4 large eggs

150 g sugar

1 tsp vanilla 

2 tbsp cold water

Whipped cream filling

500 ml whipped cream

50 g  icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cherry Filling

500 g cherry (full jar)

250 ml cherry juice  (leave 50 ml of cherry juice for soaking the cake)

30 g corn starch

50 g sugar

Decor 

50 g melted chocolate for drizzling drizzle

Some choco shavings

10 maraschino cherries 

Drain cherries and receive juice in a pot. Mix cornstarch, sugar and a little cherry juice to dissolve the mixture. Boil cherry juice over medium heat, add cornstarch mixture and whisk for one minute until starts to boil again.  Remove from the stove, add cherries, mix lightly and leave to cool down.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. Let cool down to room temperature. 

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Use a jelly-roll pan 10×15 inch and line with parchment paper. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and thick.

Add melted chocolate and half of the flour. Fold lightly then add the rest of the flour and water.  

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly. 

Bake for 6-8 minutes until springy to the touch or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool down in the pan for 5 minutes.

Use a clean kitchen towel with icing sugar or parchment paper to roll the cake. Turn the cake out of the pan, remove the paper and roll up the cake, using the towel/ parchment paper as a guide. Leave seam-side down, until cool.

Mix whipped cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form.

Unroll the cake and brush it with the leftover cherry syrup. Spread half of the whipped cream on the cake. Use the pipping bag to spread cherry filling over whipped cream. Reroll the cake. Wrap in parchment paper tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze it until you need it. 

Frost the Log with the rest of the whipped cream but leave one big spoon for decoration.

Melt the chocolate and drizzle back and forth over the log. Add chocolate shavings, pipe whipped cream on top and add maraschino cherry.

With the rest of the melted chocolate make some decorations.

Spread chocolate on parchment paper and let it set. When the chocolate is set, cut it into any shape you want (I chose a triangle) and leave it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Peel the chocolate shapes from parchment paper and add them as decor to elevate your log.

Enjoy 

Bon Appetite