Chocolate Praline Roulade

106

Prep Time:

Bake/Cook Time:

40m

Yield:

10-12 slices

This showstopping make-ahead Chocolate Praline Roulade gets better as it sits. A swirled flourless chocolate cake with cream cheese filling is enrobed in a rich chocolate ganache that would make Paul Hollywood proud! This roulade is made with cocoa powder instead of flour, resulting in a moist, gluten-free cake. The texture is similar to an Austrian Truffle Cake. Finish the whole spectacular dessert with homemade pecan pralines and chocolate swirls. When you want to impress, this is the cake to do it with.

Rate it yourself

Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Confectioners Powdered Sugar Poly Bag

Ingredients

Decorations (optional)

Chocolate melting wafers or chocolate almond bark

Praline

1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Flourless Chocolate Cake

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
9 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, divided
8 tablespoons sifted natural cocoa powder, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Directions

Start by making the decorations. Melt chocolate melting wafers in a microwave in 30-second intervals at 50% power. Stir between each interval until melted. Transfer to a piping bag, and snip tip. Pipe designs onto waxed paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Tip: use a template under wax paper for fancy designs.)
Next, make pralines. In a dry skillet, toast pecans until fragrant. Remove from heat.
In a deep saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir mixture with a wooden spoon until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let cook undisturbed until it reaches 320-330°F. Remove from heat, add pecans, and let mixture cool undisturbed and uncovered. At 212°F, stir mixture for a few seconds, pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool. Once cool, chop into small pieces.
To make cake, place oven rack on bottom 1/3 of oven. Preheat to 350°F. Butter an 18x13-inch rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Line with parchment, smoothing and using butter to adhere. Butter top of parchment. Stir together a few spoonfuls of flour and cocoa powder. Dust sheet pan, getting sides as well, and tap out excess.
Melt chopped chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool.
Whisk egg yolks for 2-3 minutes using a whisk attachment. Add 1/2 of sugar and beat until thick and light yellow. In a small bowl, stir together vanilla and espresso powder. With mixer on low, add in vanilla mixture and then the chocolate. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl.
Fold in 6 tablespoons of sifted cocoa and salt until combined. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. With mixer on low, gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Whip at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
Gently fold 1/3 of whipped egg whites into chocolate mixture. Then, add remaining whites, folding gently until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth evenly.
Bake for 18 minutes or until cake slightly shrinks away from edges and/or bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger. Remove from oven and run a knife along edge of pan. Dust hot cake with remaining cocoa powder.
Place a clean dish towel on top - covering entire cake. The towel should be even with cake on one short side; overhang is ok on others.
Place a large cutting board on top of towel and use oven mitts to flip cake onto board with towel underneath. While still hot, roll cake, including towel, starting with short end with no towel overhang. Let rest, seam-side down for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, gently unroll cake and let cool completely. (The cake will look wrinkled and ends should curl upward.)
To make filling, place soft cream cheese in a bowl large enough to hold powdered sugar. Add 1/5 of powdered sugar and combine gently until smooth. (Mixing cream cheese filling too vigorously will result in a mixture that is too soft and runny. It is best to mix ingredients using a handheld rubber spatula.) Keep adding 1/5 of powdered sugar at a time until all is incorporated. Add vanilla.
Face cake vertically, with short side closest to you. Use an offset spatula to spread filling onto cooled cake. Leave a 1/2-inch border on 3 sides and a 1-inch border on far short side. Sprinkle chopped praline on, leaving some for top.
Roll cake from short side nearest you, but without towel this time. Place cake, seam-side down on a cooling rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate.
To make ganache, place chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup to a bare simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate and butter and let sit for 5 minutes. Gently stir until it is a glossy, smooth chocolate. Pour over cake, letting excess drip onto rimmed sheet. Refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
Before serving, cut off ends of cake to expose swirl. Use a thin spatula or knife to loosen cake from cooling rack. Use a cake lifter or large spatula to transfer to serving dish. Peel decorative chocolate from waxed paper and place on cake. Sprinkle on any reserved chopped pralines. Serve.