Chocolate Vanilla Swiss Roll

You're going to adopt this one: an easy, foolproof recipe for a soft, moist chocolate Swiss roll, filled with a simple vanilla cream and covered in an indulgent chocolate coating that kids and grown-ups alike will enjoy. Make yourself a hot cup of coffee and you're all set.

Ingredients for chocolate vanilla Swiss roll

For the roll

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated.
• 30 g sugar (3 tablespoons).
• 40 ml vegetable oil (4 tablespoons).
• 40 ml milk (4 tablespoons).
• 70 g all-purpose flour (½ cup).
• ½ teaspoon baking powder.
• 20 g cocoa powder (2 tablespoons) + 40 ml hot water (4 tablespoons).
• 100 g sugar (½ cup, for whipping with the egg whites).

For the cream

• 375 ml heavy cream (about 1½ cups).
• 30 g instant vanilla pudding mix, such as Jell-O (3 tablespoons; you can add another tablespoon if you like your cream really sweet).
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 60 ml milk (¼ cup).

For the coating

• 90 ml heavy cream.
• 120 g dark chocolate.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
2. In a wide bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar (30 g, 3 tablespoons), then add the oil and whisk. Add the milk and whisk well.
3. Mix the flour and baking powder together and add them to the bowl. Whisk well into a smooth batter.
4. Stir the hot water and cocoa together into a smooth paste with no lumps. Add it to the bowl and whisk until combined.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the egg whites for a few minutes, until small bubbles form. Add the sugar gradually, and whip into a stable but soft foam. Fold the whipped whites into the batter.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the batter in an even layer.
7. Bake the roll for about 16 minutes (in the oven it will look puffy and risen, but after baking it sinks back down).
8. When it comes out of the oven, turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper and gently peel off the parchment it was baked on (while the roll is still warm). Let it cool a little, and move on to the cream.
9. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, combine the heavy cream, pudding mix, milk and vanilla. Whip until you have a stable cream.
10. Spread the cream over the roll in a thin, even layer, and use the parchment paper to help you roll it up.
11. Transfer to a tray and chill the roll in the fridge for about an hour.
12. Once the roll has chilled, make the coating: in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the heavy cream and dark chocolate. Melt in short bursts until completely melted, and stir.
13. Take the roll out of the fridge and set it on a wire rack. Pour the coating over it and smooth it with an offset spatula.
14. Return to the fridge for about 30 minutes.
15. Keep the roll in the fridge for up to about 5 days.