Chestnut & Chocolate Christmas Roll Cake

To make this chestnut and chocolate Christmas roll cake recipe, start by preparing all the ingredients for the faux wood pattern.

Faux wood pattern: Pour the softened butter into the bowl of the mixer.

Add the icing sugar...

...and mix these two elements together to obtain a creamy mixture.

Add the egg whites...

... the flour...

... and the cocoa powder.

Combine these ingredients until you have a fairly firm yet creamy dough.

I used the faux wood comb to create a dessert that resembles a wood log.

Begin by placing some chocolate mixture on a 40 x 30cm sheet of parchment paper.

Spread the dough using the faux wood pattern tool, flattening it width wise and forming stripes. As you move the tool (tilting it from side to side), the wood pattern will appear on the paper.

This is what the result should look like.

For the chocolate biscuit: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another.

Add 75g of caster sugar to the egg yolks.

Blanch the egg yolks with the sugar using the whisk attachment.

Add the grape seed oil...

... the vanilla extract...

...and the whole milk while continuing to mix at a moderate speed.

The preparation is ready when thoroughly beaten and well aerated.

Place the second bowl on the stand mixer bowl and add a pinch of fine salt to the egg whites.

Whisk the egg whites with the whisk attachment. When they become frothy and start to turn white on the surface, add 30g of sugar gradually.

Beat the mixture until you achieve stiff peaks.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a fine sieve, over the egg yolk mixture.

Combine carefully...

...and before fully incorporating all the dry ingredients, add half of the meringue.

Continue to mix so that the meringue incorporates along with the dry ingredients. This prevents overmixing.

Add the remaining meringue...

...and continue mixing until you have a smooth and homogeneous mixture. If necessary, give it a quick whisk to eliminate any egg white lumps.

Pour the batter onto a perforated baking sheet lined with the sheet parchment paper with the faux wood pattern.

Spread the chocolate dough over the entire surface of the parchment paper using a cranked spatula...

... as shown in the photo.

Place the baking sheet in a convection oven preheated to 180°C (gas 4) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes depending on your oven.

When cooked, remove from the oven.

While the cake is still hot, flip the parchment paper with the cake onto another sheet of parchment paper.

Remove the parchment paper. The faux wood pattern is now printed on the chocolate biscuit. This should be done while it's still warm for the best results.

Here's the result after baking. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the chestnut cream: Organise all the necessary ingredients. Mix the powdered gelatine with the hydration water (tap water or mineral water) and let it hydrate for 15 minutes.

Whip the heavy cream into whipped cream using the mixer whisk attachment, gradually adding the caster sugar.

Once the cream is whipped, set it aside.

Place the sweetened chestnut paste in the mixer bowl.

Add the Amaretto to loosen the paste.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the container with a rubber spatula.

Continue to mix until you have a very smooth texture.

Add the previously hydrated and microwaved gelatine.

Then add about the same amount of whipped cream as a spatula would hold...

...and quickly mix it with the mixer to achieve a smooth and homogeneous texture.

Add the remaining whipped cream...

...and gently fold it in with the spatula until you have a homogeneous chestnut cream.

When the biscuit has cooled, gently flip it over, being careful not to break it.

The side with the faux wood pattern should be facing down, with the chocolate biscuit on top.

Pour the chestnut cream onto the chocolate biscuit...

... and spread over the whole surface with a cranked spatula.

Then roll the biscuit lengthwise, making sure to start with a tight roll to avoid leaving empty spaces inside the roll.

You should obtain a tight roll that is also perfectly round and with a large enough diameter.

Fold the parchment paper over the roll...

...and use a baking sheet to secure everything to prevent gaps inside the roll.

Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours before serving. This dessert can be stored in the fridge overnight.

Before serving, remove the chestnut and chocolate roll cake from the fridge and peel away the parchment paper.

Cut off the first end using a serrated knife to avoid crushing the dessert.

Do the same with the other end.

Place your cake roll on a serving platter with a cranked spatula...

... as shown in the photo.

Finish: Finish decorating the dessert with two bunches of red currants...

...arranged harmoniously.

Add two fresh holly leaves.

Secure the holly leaves by inserting them into the chocolate biscuit. Keep this chestnut and chocolate roll cake in the fridge until ready to serve. You can dust it with icing sugar or Codineige sugar for a snowy effect. Enjoy this delicious dessert!