Chocolate Cake Roll

‘Tis the season for fabulous, but easy desserts. I know this has a lot of steps, but it’s seriously easy. And seriously chocolate. And seriously delicious.

Chocolate Cake Roll

Cake layer:
6 ounces semisweet bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 1 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons water
6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or oil a 10-by-15-inch shallow baking or jellyroll pan. Line the bottom lengthwise with a piece of waxed or parchment paper that extends up the short sides one inch. 

Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat or microwave until it is 75 percent melted. Remove from heat and stir until the remaining chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. 

Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.  

 

Add sugar gradually, and continue to beat until yolks are pale and ribbony. Gently stir the chocolate and water into the yolk mixture. 

 

 

In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with salt until they hold stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into the chocolate-yolk mixture to lighten it. Fold the remaining whites into the cake batter in three additions.  

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.                                                                                     

 

 

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cake layer feels dry (but very soft) to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It will still seem a little underbaked. 

Transfer to a cooling rack and cover the top with a light damp towel or two layers of damp paper towels for 5 minutes. Gently remove towels; don’t fuss if they have a bit of cake stuck to them. Run a knife around the edges of the cake. Sift some cocoa over the top of the cake and a clean flour sack towel that is a little longer than the pan.                                                                                                    

 

 

 

Invert the cake onto it. Gently peel back the parchment or waxed paper that lined the pan. Sift the remaining cocoa powder over the top of the cake (that was, one minute ago, the underside). Using the towel underneath to help lift and roll the cake, roll the cake from short end to short end with the towel inside. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes, encased in its towel. 

Unroll gently, spread with:

(Note: I used 16 ounces of chocolate and 2 cups of cream, then divided in half and whipped half and drizzled the remainder. ) 

Whipped Ganache
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Put chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring 1 cup of cream just to a boil over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir the mixture very gently, incorporating the cream steadily, without overworking.

Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cool, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk or beat with electric beater until fluffy and smooth. 

Drizzle with:

Melted Ganache

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Decorate as desired or sprinkle with cocoa powder and a bit of powdered sugar.

 

So good! Enjoy!

This is when things go wrong:

I needed to make two cakes. This was the first one. No problem.

This was the second. I guess it has to be eaten though. So it went into the freezer. The melted ganache helped a lot. Just so you know that not all things go perfectly, but it doesn't change the flavor!

 

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions

We didn’t get an elk this fall, but we did buy half a pig. So I’m learning some new pork recipes this fall and winter. I usually make green chili with a pork roast, but I wanted something different. The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, had just the right recipe with apples and onions. This is easy and oh-so-yummy!

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 whole Pork Shoulder Roast (also Called Pork Butt)

Salt And Pepper, to taste

4 cups Apple Juice

1 cup Beef Stock

3 whole Apples, Cored And Cut Into Wedges

3 whole Medium Onions, Sliced

1 whole Bay Leaf 

Wild Rice

2-1/2 cups Wild Rice

4 cups Water

3 cups Chicken Stock

1/2 stick 4 Tablespoons Butter

1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

Tip: About 45 minutes before cooking roast – generously salt with kosher salt on both sides. Let it sit for 45 minutes before searing it in the olive oil. 

OPTIONAL: Sauté onions until brown. (Or you may just add them raw to the roast.) 

Pioneer Woman: To make the pork roast, heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Salt and pepper pork roast, then sear on all sides to give it some color. Reduce heat to low. Add apple juice, apple slices, onions, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. (Or you may place in a 300 degree oven if you prefer.) 

When the roast is done, remove the roast, apples, and onions to a platter. Raise heat to medium-high (to high) and boil liquid, reducing it until thick and rich.

Spoon thick sauce over the roast, then cut the roast into slices. Serve with apples, onions, and wild rice.

(Note: add fresh thyme or rosemary to the roast before cooking if you have it on hand!)

 

Me: Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sear the roast on all sides.

 

 

Place roast in a slow cooker. In the same skillet, sauté the onions till they start to brown.

 

 

Put onions on top of the roast in the slow cooker.

 

 

Add the sliced apples, bay leaf, beef stock and apple juice. Sprinkle with fresh pepper.

Cook on low for six or seven hours. The roast will nearly fall apart when you take it from the slow cooker.

 

 

Remove the apples and onions with a slotted spoon. Pour the juice in a bowl.

 

 

Let the fat rise to the top, then skim off the fat. Pour the juice in a pan, bring to a boil and reduce it until thick and rich.

Rice:

Toward the end of the cooking time for the roast, make the rice: melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add pecans and sauté for a couple of minutes.

 

 

Add wild rice and liquid, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all liquid is cooked out.

Seriously yummy dinner!