140 gm mascarpone
140 gm crème fraîche
70 ml pouring cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Cacao nibs, to serve
BLACKBERRY COMPOTE
250 gm blackberries
70 gm caster sugar
Juice of 1 lime
FRENCH CHOCOLATE SPONGE
4 egg yolks
Blackberry and chocolate
meringue roulade
SERVES 10 // PREP TIME 1 HR // COOK 35 MINS(PLUS COOLING)
“French chocolate sponge is a revelation because it is both
flourless and keeps for a day or so in the fridge,” says Ingram.
“Admittedly it needs cream or a mousse to marry with, but
it’s so light that it will spoil you for other sponges, for life.”
200 gm pure icing sugar, sifted
6 eggwhites
75 gm Dutch-process cocoa,
sifted, plus extra for
dusting
CHOCOLATE MERINGUE
6 eggwhites
280 gm caster sugar
100 gm Dutch-process cocoa,
sifted
1 tsp cornflour1 Preheat oven to 170°C.
Grease two 25cm x 35cm
Swiss roll tins and line base
and sides with baking paper.
2 For blackberry compote,
bring ingredients to the
boil in a medium saucepan
over medium heat, and stir
occasionally until thickened
(12-18 minutes). Remove from
heat and leave to cool.
3 For sponge, whisk egg
yolks and half the icing sugar
in an electric mixer on high
speed until pale and thick
(4-5 minutes). Transfer to a large
bowl, and clean and dry mixer
thoroughly. Add eggwhite and
a pinch of salt to electric mixer,
and whisk on high speed until
soft ribbons start to form. With
the motor running, slowly add
remaining icing sugar until
incorporated, and whisk until
thick and glossy. Gently fold a
third of the eggwhite through
the yolk mixture, followed by
a third of the cocoa. Continueto fold in eggwhite and cocoa,
alternating between them, until
combined. Pour batter into one
of the tins, smoothing evenly
into corners. Bake until sponge
springs back when pressed
lightly (10 minutes). Cool.
4 For meringue, whisk
eggwhite and a pinch of salt
in a clean, dry electric mixer
to soft peaks. Gradually add
sugar and beat until thick
and glossy (8-10 minutes). Sift
cocoa and cornflour over and
gently fold in with a spatula
until no streaks remain. Spread
meringue into second tin,
reduce oven to 160°C and bake
until set (15 minutes). Cool in tin
(5 minutes), then invert onto a
sheet of baking paper dusted
with cocoa set on a large sheet
of plastic wrap. Peel away
paper, then invert sponge onto
meringue and peel away paper.
5 Whisk mascarpone, crème
fraîche, cream and vanilla in a
bowl to soft peaks and spread
evenly over sponge with a
spatula. Drain compote a
little and spoon evenly over
mascarpone mixture. Rolling
away from you and with the long
side facing you, using the paper
and plastic wrap to roll and lift
over, wrap roulade into a log
shape, then gently twist ends
of the plastic wrap to secure.
Refrigerate to firm (1½-2 hours).
Scatter roulade with cacao nibs,
and slice to serve.