Salted Caramel Chocolate Roulade

Oh, please, let this salted caramel thing run and run... it's so good!!!  A tweak to the much-loved (gluten free) chocolate roulade gives it the extra sweetness and glorious goo of caramel, with a little salt to offset the massively amazing calorific hit.  Oh, go on, it's so easy to make.   The original recipe was from a lovely friend, Charlotte, whose roulades were legendary.

I made this for a ballroom dancing competition night, where the audience were as enthusiastic as the participants and much laughter was had by all.  Then a lot of calories were had by all...   The roulade can be made ahead of time, and is only assembled shortly before eating.  In this case, it was assembled in a defunct industrial kitchen, and very badly photographed as a result!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Roulade 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Roulade

5 eggs, separated

6oz/170g dark chocolate

6oz/170g caster sugar

To serve: ½ pint double cream                             

1 tin Nestle’s caramel (or similar)

Good pinch of salt

sieved cocoa                                                    

swiss roll sized tin lined with parchment

Preheat oven:  180 deg C.  Melt chocolate in microwave.  Cool slightly.   Whisk egg yolks and sugar with an electric whisk until thick and creamy (3-5mins).  Whisk whites until thick.   Beat yolks mix into chocolate gently.   Fold in 1/3 egg white using a metal spoon - this will break up the texture and make it easier to fold in the rest of the egg whites afterwards.    Pour into lined Swiss Roll tin and spread it evenly.  Bake 10 minutes until firm (not solid all the way through, just on top).

Cool, still in the tin, covered with a damp cloth.  Turn out onto paper covered with sieved cocoa.   Spread with whipped cream and huge dollops of caramel, followed by a good sprinkling of salt.  Roll up from the long side using the paper to help achieve the classic roll shape. 

Will produce characteristic cracking on the surface.   Dredge with sieved cocoa or icing sugar.   Transfer to a suitable plate.  

This is best eaten the same day.  Apparently it can be frozen, but I have never tried!