Romantic and Sweet, a Valentine's Special: Chocolate and Raspberry Swiss Roll

Valentine's day is a special occasion to remind us of how important love is in our lives. While there's no one way to celebrate this day and express your love, for me the simpler the better. A nice romantic dinner with a sweet finish is all it takes. Let your gift for your significant other be a dinner prepared with love and finished with my idea of a perfectly romantic dessert: a chocolate, raspberry, rose and mascaprone Swiss roll.

You cannot go wrong in the romantic department when you combine chocolate, raspberries and roses; it's not even possible. This cake is not only delicious but it is also easy to make and you won't have to spend hours upon hours to make it perfect and ready for the occasion.

Let´s start rolling:
For the sponge cake you need:

• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 80 g brown sugar
• 80 g flour
• 20 g cocoa powder
• dash of salt
• 1 tbsp of rose water 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla and rose water and mix for about 8 to 10 minutes until it triples in volume and becomes pale yellow and rather thick.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix them well together. Sift the dry ingredients over a baking paper. 

Gently fold the flour  mix with the beaten eggs using a rubber spatula.  Make sure there are no lumps in the mix. It is better to add the flour mix in batches to avoid lump formation.

Spread the batter evenly on a 30 x 25 cm baking sheet covered with baking paper, greased and sprinkled with cocoa powder,

Bake in a preheated oven (200C) for 10 min. To make sure the sponge is baked nicely, gently press it in the middle and if it springs back then it´s done.

Let the cake cool for 3 minutes, then flip it over a baking paper covered with cocoa powder.  Gently peel off the baking paper that you used to bake the cake and cover it with a new one or a clean kitchen towel. Flip it again, trim the edges and roll it. Make sure to cover the edges well and let it cool completely. 

For the filling you need:

• 250 g mascarpone cheese at room temperature
• 30 ml rose water
• 40 g powdered sugar (you can add more if you want it to be sweeter)
• 100 g fresh raspberries

In a bowl, mix the cheese, sugar and rose water until you have a smooth and fluffy mixture. I used a hand whisk and it took just few minutes.

Assembly:

Unroll the cake, remove the top layer of baking paper, spread the mascarpone mix evenly over it and scatter the raspberries. With the help of the baking paper or towel you used on the bottom of the cake roll the sponge slowly and tightly. Remove the baking paper or towel and transfer the roll to a serving platter.

You can serve the cake as it is with a sprinkle of powdered sugar but  I decided to add chocolate rose water ganache. 

For the ganache you need:

• 75 g of 70% dark chocolate, chopped finely
• 100 ml cream (35%)
• 1 tsp rose water

Heat the cream until it simmers, remove from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until all the chocolate melts. Add the rose water and mix again.

Pour the ganache over the swiss roll to cover it completely. Let it cool for 15 minutes, and you´re ready to serve. If you decide to use the ganache to frost the roll, do this before you transfer it to the serving plate.

Enjoy a chocolaty, creamy and  aromatic cake with your loved one or ones! 

Happy Valentine!