Ingredients
Chocolate Ganache
- 10 ounces dark chocolate, 55-60%* cocoa
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 5 tablespoons corn syrup or additional Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Chocolate Cake
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour*
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2 large egg whites (no egg yolk traces)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
Moistening Syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup chocolate liquor or concentrated orange juice or orange liquor
Decoration
- 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1 pint raspberries
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- Ganache needs time to firm up and is best made first. Chop chocolate in chip-size pieces and set aside in a microwave-safe bowl large enough to hold all ingredients.
- Bring to a boil whipping cream, sugar, and corn syrup. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour onto chocolate. Add butter and whisk smooth. Set aside in a cool place.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Prepare a 10 X 15-inch jelly roll pan (with a minimum of 1-inch sides) with parchment paper. Butter or spray parchment paper and dust evenly with additional flour. Shake off excess flour and set aside.
- Using a stand or handheld mixer, whisk eggs and yolks until frothy. Add 3/4 cup sugar and whip until mixture is very light and foamy (like hair mousse) at least 12 minutes. Add vanilla extract and salt.
- Stop whipping. Sprinkle sifted dry ingredients onto mixture and using a rubber spatula, fold delicately together.
- In a clean bowl, whip egg whites and second-listed sugar to soft peaks. Fold into above using a spatula.
- Spread mixture using a metal cake spatula onto prepared pan and place in oven for about 10-11 minutes. When cake slightly shrinks away from edges and/or cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger it is done.
- Flip cake upside down onto a sheet of parchment or kitchen towel, and leave jelly roll pan over cake until cooled. This cake is flexible and no need to pre-roll cake.
- For moistening syrup, bring to boil sugar and water. Remove from heat. When cold, add liquor or juice.
- Remove parchment paper from cake. Dip a pastry brush into liquor syrup and brush evenly over cake to make it moist.
- Ganache needs to have consistency of sour cream to proceed. If needed, place bowl into an ice cube-filled bowl for about 10 seconds. Stir sides and return to ice for 10 seconds. If ganache was cooled too much and suddenly becomes too firm to spread, place it briefly in a microwave oven.
- Spread about half of ganache on cake roll.
- Roll up cake starting on narrow side (10-inch side) into a cylinder.
- Place on a serving tray with seam of cake on bottom. Spread additional ganache onto cake.
- Press almond slices onto sides. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Place remaining ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip and decorate surface.
- Decorate with berries if desired.
Imperial Sugar Insight
Chocolate with lesser cocoa content can result in ganache that does not properly set and will be too sweet.