Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus cooling
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 10-12
What You’ll Need:
- 3 medium eggs
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 75g plain flour
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder plus extra for dusting (25g)
- 50g Walnut Pieces, chopped
- 100g chestnut puree
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (20g)
- 150ml double cream
- 425g can black cherries, drained and roughly chopped
For the icing:
- 50g butter, softened
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (15g)
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- 50g Walnut Pieces, chopped
What To Do:
- Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6. Grease and line the base and sides of a 30x20cm Swiss roll tin.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together for about 3-4 minutes until pale and thick. Mix together the flour, cocoa and walnuts and fold into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and gently spread to the sides. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle a little cocoa onto a large sheet of parchment and upturn the Swiss roll onto it. Peel off the parchment from the base and then roll it up from the longest end with the paper inside and allow to cool completely.
- Whisk the chestnut puree and icing sugar together until smooth then add the cream and whisk until soft peaks form. Unroll the Swiss roll, spread with the cream mixture and scatter over the cherries then roll it back up into a log.
- To make the icing, whisk the butter in a medium bowl until pale, gradually whisk in the icing sugar and cocoa powder and whisk until fluffy, adding a little milk if the mixture is too thick.
- Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log. Arrange the log onto a serving plate then place the slice on the side with the cut against the cake to make a branch.
- Spread the log and branch with icing (but not the ends) and use a fork to make a bark effect. Scatter with walnuts and serve.
Cooks tip
Try spreading the cake with your favourite jam before adding the cream instead of adding cherries.