Chocolate Chestnut Log or Dinner Party Roulade

Sweet, moist and rich, this chocolate chestnut log is made with only five ingredients and is naturally gluten-free. It has a creamy chestnut filling and is just perfect for Christmas or any other festive or winter occasion.

A chocolate log blog without a chocolate log recipe? With the Christmas season in full swing, pressure has been mounting to correct this omission. What to bake?

Actually, it’s not that difficult. I’ve wanted to have a go at making a chocolate chestnut roulade for a long time. Only, as it’s Christmas, I’m calling it a chocolate chestnut log.

Chocolate Chestnut Log

The sponge is quite thick, so it cracks when it rolls. The first time I did this, I was a bit aghast. But now I actually like the fissures in the finished article because they make it look just like a log. In fact it reminds me of a pine yule log with deeply ridged bark.

Even though this chocolate chestnut roulade is meant to look rustic, it’s still a good idea to trim the sides off the sponge after it’s been rolled up so that the ends don’t look too ragged. Call it cook’s perks.

The sponge has plenty of body despite being mainly eggs. It almost has a brownie consistency, sweet, moist and dense yet somehow light at the same time. This makes the perfect foil for the cream and chestnut filling, which offsets the sweetness of the sponge and has a contrasting texture and creaminess which creates a divine whole.

Oh heck, forget complex analysis, it’s just truly scrumptious.

CT’s strength must be returning for he managed to hack two chunks off for us to try. He even managed to whip the cream and whisk the eggs, so he deserved his extra large slice.

There’s no shame in presenting this chocolate chestnut log as a centre piece for a Christmas tea or as pudding for a special dinner. Or like us, no special occasion required.

WARNING If you feel tempted to eat the ivy, please don’t. It’s poisonous and is used in the photos for decorative reasons only.

Other Chocolate Log Recipes You Might Like

• Blood orange chocolate log
• Chocolate log with a whipped dark boozy chocolate ganache
• Matcha chocolate roll

For more festive recipes, why not take a look at my Christmas category and my edible gifts category?

Keep in Touch

Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this five-ingredient gluten-free chocolate chestnut log, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like more chestnut recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.

Choclette x

Chocolate Chestnut Roulade. PIN IT.

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5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Chestnut Yule Log or Dinner Party Roulade

This five-ingredient roulade makes an excellent chocolate log for Christmas. It's also perfect for a dinner party dessert. Delicious rich flourless sponge filled with cream and chestnut puree, so it's also naturally gluten-free.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time35 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert

Cuisine: British, French

Keyword: cake, chestnuts, Christmas, dark chocolate, roulade

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 480kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

Sponge

• 150 g dark chocolate chopped (I used Green & Black’s 72% cook’s chocolate)
• 6 large eggs
• 175 g golden caster sugar

Chestnut Cream Filling

• 200 ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 8 tbsp sweetened chestnut puree

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Sponge

• Line a 33 x 23 cm swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
• Set the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
  150 g dark chocolate
• Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until stiff. This can be done by hand, but is easier with electric beaters or a stand mixer.
  6 large eggs
• In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale and custard like. Again this is easier if done with electric beaters.
  175 g golden caster sugar
• Whisk in the melted chocolate.
• Fold in the egg whites one third at a time using a large metal spoon.
• Scrape the mixture into the tin and level it out with the back of the spoon or a palate knife. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake is well risen, lightly browned and spongy to the touch.
• Leave to cool slightly then turn out onto a piece of parchment paper dusted with caster sugar. Remove the backing paper and leave to cool completely whilst making the filling.

Chestnut Cream Filling

• Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
  200 ml double cream (heavy cream)
• Carefully stir in the chestnut puree until the mixture is just combined.
  8 tbsp sweetened chestnut puree
• Spread this onto the cooled sponge.
• Roll the whole thing up, then trim the ends so they don't look too ragged.

Notes

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 553IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 4mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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