Recipes

Donal Skehan: Red velvet roulade with redcurrants

A Christmas log that everyone will want to eat. Photograph: Donal Skehan

Donal Skehan
Fri Dec 16 2016 - 12:01
Serves: 0
Course: Dessert
Cooking Time: 0 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
  • Serves 8
  • 130g plain flour
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Half tsp salt
  • 165g caster sugar
  • 4 large free range eggs
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 tbsp buttermilk
  • 1 tsp distilled vinegar
  • 1 tsp red food colouring (or half a tsp of paste)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • Icing sugar, for dusting
  • Redcurrants to decorate
  • For the frosting:
  • 200g good-quality white chocolate
  • 125g butter, at room temperature
  • 225g cream cheese
  • 225g icing sugar, sifted</li><li/></ul>

If your family are anything like mine, Christmas pudding is more of a show rather than something people actually want to eat for dessert. This is why a red velvet roulade is the showstopper you have been looking for to round off the perfect modern Christmas dinner.

Preheat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius/Gas 4. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment paper; be sure to grease the parchment paper also.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another mixing bowl, using a handheld (or free standing) mixer, whisk the sugar and eggs until pale, light and frothy. Beat through the oil, buttermilk, vinegar, red food colouring and vanilla bean paste.

Sift in the dry ingredients and then using a spatula, gently fold through until just combined.

Pour into the prepared Swiss roll tin and smooth over the top.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the batter is cooked through and comes away slightly from the edges of the tin.

Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges. While the sponge is still warm, turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper dusted with icing sugar.

Gently peel away the parchment paper from the sponge.

From the short end of the sponge, carefully roll into a spiral. Place on a wire rack and cover with a tea towel. Allow it to cool completely.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a bowl placed on top of a saucepan filled with a little water simmering over a low heat. Remove from the heat to cool for about 10 minutes.

Place the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat until fluffy and combined. Mix through the melted white chocolate and then gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar until you have a smooth, spreadable mixture.

Carefully unroll the sponge and spread evenly with about half of the cream cheese filling . Roll the sponge up again and wrap firmly with cling film. Place in the fridge to firm up for at least 45 minutes before serving.

Cover with the remaining frosting, or you can just dust with icing sugar instead. Decorate with redcurrants and serve.

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