Impress your guests with this indulgent layered roulade sure to hit all the right sweet spots with light, crunchy meringue, rich, gooey chocolate, fluffy cream, and a boost of coffee to wake everyone up after dinner! 

The combination of delicious dark chocolate and smooth coffee is a bittersweet thrill for the tastebuds, and ideal for giving your energy and mood a boost!   

While it sounds too good to be true, eaten in moderation, dark chocolate has some surprising health benefits. If you’re feeling blue, dark chocolate can increase feelings of happiness and boost mood thanks to an amino acid in cacao, tryptophan – a precursor to the happy hormone, serotonin, that works to amp up those feel-good vibes!   

It’s chock-full of antioxidants and flavanols and is often compared to superfruits like blueberries and pomegranates because of its concentrated phytonutrient content.  

Diets high in flavanols have been found to reduce cardiovascular disease, protect against neurodegenerative diseases, and offer anti-inflammatory benefits too. 

Being naturally high in iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese, it can also support healthy blood flow of oxygen around the body, help us to break down food, and produce hormones that are vital for bone health. 

Ideal for combatting that post-dinner lull in energy, the caffeine kick is a handy addition to pep you up! 

As well as giving you a burst of energy to combat tiredness and increase alertness, coffee can also support performance and extend your healthy lifespan too. It’s been found to reduce feelings of depression and may protect against heart disease and diabetes. Some research suggests it can even support a healthy liver, healthy skin, and healthy gut too!  

Delight your dinner party guests and tastebuds with this perfect layered concoction that contains just the right amount of sweet and bitter flavors, and soft and crunchy textures to satisfy those flavor cravings, because sometimes only indulgence will do... 

Ingredients 

For The Meringue: 

Sunflower oil for greasing 

6 medium free-range egg whites 

330g golden caster sugar 

2 tbsp plain flour 

60g ground almonds 

1 tbsp espresso coffee powder dissolved in 1 tsp boiling water 

Handful flaked almonds 

Dark chocolate, melted, to drizzle 

For The Chocolate Spread: 

200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped into chunks 

50g salted butter 

120ml double cream 

½ tsp sea salt flakes 

For The Cream Filling 

200ml double cream 

40g icing sugar 

1 tsp espresso coffee powder, dissolved in 1 tsp boiling water 

How to make it

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Line a 23cm x 33cm lipped Swiss roll tin or baking tray with baking paper, then lightly oil the paper. 
2. In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until thick, glossy, and holding medium peaks. At a low speed, whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then add the flour, ground almonds, and coffee until just combined. 
3. Spread the meringue evenly into the tin, scatter over the flaked almonds, then bake for 8 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 160°C/140°C fan/ gas 4 and cook for a further 20-25 minutes. Lift the meringue from the tin on its paper and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then invert onto another piece of baking paper to cool completely. 
4. Meanwhile, make the chocolate spread: melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl). When melted, add the butter and stir gently, then leave to cool for 15 minutes. Add the cream gradually, beating between additions with a balloon whisk, then add the salt. Spread evenly over the cooled meringue, then chill the whole dessert for 15 minutes. 
5. For the cream filling, put the cream, icing sugar, and coffee in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer until it starts to thicken. Continue in bursts until you get soft peaks (that fall over). 
6. Spread the cream on top of the chocolate spread. Starting with a short edge, carefully roll up the meringue, using the baking paper to help. Wrap the paper tightly around and chill for at least 3 hours. To serve, put on a plate, drizzle with melted chocolate, and slice. 

Additional Information 

Calories:529kcal | Fat: 31.9g | Saturated fat: 0.5g | Carbohydrates: 54g | Fiber: 0.9g | Protein: 5.9g