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Baking guru Mary Berry came on to Woman's Hour for a special phone-in programme to answer all those questions about how to create the perfect culinary Christmas. Mary brought in her own recipe for a delicious chocolate roulade.

Chocolate Roulade

Totally irresistible, this impressive dessert is made from just a few ingredients: chocolate, eggs, sugar and a little cocoa powder plus double cream for the filling.

The joy of sponge is that it tastes rich yet it is not heavy - there's no flour or butter in the mixture, so it's rather like a baked chocolate mousse. It's made by whisking egg yolks with sugar, adding melted chocolate and cocoa, and then folding in whisked whites.

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Tips and techniques

1. One of Mary's favourites - and a good alternative to Christmas Pudding
2. You don't need to use expensive chocolate
3. When rolling make a cut at the end and roll like a Catherine Wheel
4. Dust with icing sugar, and add a sprig of Holly

Ingredients

• 175g dark chocolate (39% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 6 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
• 175g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• For the filling and finishing
• 300ml pourable double cream
• Icing sugar, for dusting

You will need

• 1 x 33 x 23cm swiss roll tin, greased with butter
• Non-stick baking paper
• An electric mixer to whisk the mixture

Recipe serves 8 people

Preparation method

Line the base and sides of the buttered tin with non-stick baking paper. If you make a small diagonal snip in each corner of the paper, it will help fit the paper snugly into the corners of the tin.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of steaming hot but not boiling water (don't let the base of the bowl touch the hot water). Leave to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the pan of water and stir until the chocolate is smooth, then leave to cool for about 15 minutes or until just warm. Preheat the oven to 180潞C/350潞F/gas 4.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one large mixing bowl and the yolks in another; set the yolks aside. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until they stand in stiff peaks. If you turn the bowl upside down, the whites should be stiff enough not to fall out.

Put the sugar into the bowl with the egg yolks and whisk using the electric mixer (no need to wash it) on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until very thick and pale in colour, and the mixture leaves a ribbon like trail on itself when the whisk is lifted out.

Pour the cooled chocolate into the yolk and sugar mixture and gently fold in with a wooden spoon to blend evenly. Add 2 large spoonfuls of the whisked egg whites to the chocolate mixture and stir in gently to loosen the mix, then fold in the remaining egg whites using a large metal spoon. Take care not to knock out the air you have just whisked in.

Sift the cocoa powder over the top and lightly but thoroughly fold it in with the metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and gently move the tin around on the worktop so the mixture finds its own level.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until risen and the top feels firm and slightly crisp when pressed gently with a finger. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin; the sponge will fall and crack a little as it cools.

Lay a large piece of non-stick baking paper on the worktop and dust it lightly with icing sugar. Turn the sponge out onto the paper, then carefully peel off the lining paper. Whip the cream for the filling until it just holds its shape.

Spread the whipped cream over the sponge, leaving a clear edge of about 2cm on all sides. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow cut along one of the short edges.

Roll this cut edge over tightly to start. Use the sugar-dusted paper to help continue the tight rolling by pulling it away from you as you roll. Finish with the join underneath, then lift the roulade onto a serving plate or board using a large wide spatula or 2 fish slices.

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