If you are one of those strange people who don’t like Christmas pudding, then this is a great alternative festive dessert for you.
Ingredients
- finely grated zest of 1 large orange
- 3 medium eggs
- 125g castor sugar
- 175g chestnut puree
- 40g castor sugar for the meringue
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 15g good quality cocoa powder
- 15g arrowroot
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- For the filling
- 284mls (½ pint) lightly whipped double cream (Elmlea or suitable freezer proof one)
- 2 tbsp level cocoa powder
- 6 tbsp level, icing sugar
- 2 large meringues, roughly broken into small pieces
- 75g melted extra bitter chocolate
- 40g melted butter for buttering the tray
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, Gas 6.
- Line a 21cm x 30cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and brush well with melted butter.
- Separate the eggs, place the yolks in a mixing machine with the castor sugar, orange zest and whisk on a high speed until very thick, this will take about 15 minutes.
- Add the chestnut puree and whisk again to incorporate well, finally fold in the arrowroot, cocoa powder and mixed spice.
- Whisk the egg white and cream of tartar over a medium speed or by hand until not too thick but foamy.
- Add the 40g castor sugar and whisk again to just incorporate. The meringue must be soft and silky not too stiff.
- Carefully fold the two together and spoon into the prepared Swiss roll tray. This amount of mixture will fit exactly into the tray.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until springy to the touch and well risen.
- Turn out onto lightly sugared baking parchment to cool.
- To finish, fold into the cream the cocoa powder, icing sugar and meringues together.
- Spoon onto the sponge and carefully roll up Swiss roll style using the parchment, if the roulade splits slightly then don’t worry, it’s all part of this unique cake.
- Freeze on a cling film lined baking tray, then cover with cling film.
- Defrost best overnight in the fridge.
- Carefully transfer to a long plate and chill well.
- Just before serving, drizzle with the melted chocolate and dust with icing sugar.