Festive Dessert: Chocolate Swiss roll

Serving a fantastic Christmas dinner this year? Be inspired by Pillows Chef's Christmas! Especially for this holiday season, pastry-chef Anastasiia of Pillows Hotels in Amsterdam made a dessert of chocolate Swiss roll flavoured with orange and cherry.

Ingredients

Chocolate-orange sponge
- 4 eggs
- a pinch of salt
- 120 gr sugar
- zest of 2 oranges
- 110 gr flour
- 30 gr cocoa powder
- 2 gr baking powder
- 60 ml milk
- 180 ml orange juice (in preference, part of the juice can be replaced with liquor)

Vanilla cream
- 150 gr cream cheese
- 250 gr mascarpone
- 90 gr sugar
- 1 vanilla stick

Cherry filling
- 150 gr cherries
- 30 gr sugar
- 5 gr corn starch

Chocolate ganach
- 120 gr dark chocolate
- 120 gr cream

Decoration

- Marshmallows
- Berries
- Small pine branches

Necessities

- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Grater
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Pan
- Weighing scale
- Whisk
- Sieve
- Spatula

Preparation

Chocolate-Orange Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (347°F).

2. Whisk the eggs with sugar, salt, and orange zest until the mixture doubles in size, becoming pale and fluffy.

3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder together.

4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the whipped egg mixture.

5. Add the milk and mix until well combined.

6. Spread the batter evenly onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

7. Bake for 15–17 minutes at 175°C (347°F).

8. While still hot, soak the sponge with orange juice and allow it to cool completely.

Cherry Filling

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

3. Once boiling, cook for an additional minute.

4. Set the cherry sauce aside to cool.

Vanilla Cream

1. Combine all the cream ingredients in a bowl.

2. Whisk the mixture until a stable piping consistency is achieved.

Assemble and roll

1. Spread the vanilla cream evenly over the cooled sponge.

2. Layer the cherry sauce on top of the cream.

3. Carefully roll up the sponge to form a log shape.

4. Place the rolled sponge in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours to set.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil.

2. Pour the hot cream over the dark chocolate.

3. Mix thoroughly until the ganache is smooth and glossy.

Finish and Serve

1. Remove the chilled sponge roll from the refrigerator.

2. Evenly spread the chocolate ganache over the outside of the roll.

3. Use a spatula to create a decorative pattern on the ganache.

4. Slice and decorate with the berries, marshmellows and pine branches as garnish

Make the holidays extra special with the special festive packages in Pillows Hotels and enjoy luxurious rooms and festive culinary dinners.