Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

We are already in the holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner and nothing is cosier than having a cup of hot chocolate along with a slice of something sweet with your family and friends.

With this in mind, we met Executive Pastry Chef Victor Hasting. Born in Malaysia, 36-year-old Victor started baking at age 10 under his parents' influence, who also love cooking. He enjoys the fun of being a chef, artist and architect when he makes beautiful pastries.

Fortunately for all of us, he was willing to share his culinary nous on how to make and decorate a topnotch Christmas Forest Roulade. "It is light and simple, the creaminess and the sponge make a good balance," Victor said. "Hot chocolate, coffee or hot fruit wine all go with it."

Good luck and enjoy!

Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

Part One: making the chocolate sponge    

Four eggs, pinch of salt, 130 gr sugar, 100 gr cake flour, 20 gr cocoa powder, 50 ml hot water, 50 gr soft butter.

→Heat oven to 200 degrees C. 

→Line a baking tray size 30cm x 40cm with grease paper.

→Whisk egg, salt and sugar in mixer at high speed till fluffy and white. This takes about five minutes.

→Mix cocoa powder with hot water, then add in the soft butter and mix well to smooth emulsion. Stop the machine and remove the bowl from the machine.

→Fold in the flour and cocoa mix evenly with a spatula. Be gentle at this point to avoid getting too much air in. Mixture must remain fluffy and thick. 

→Pour the mixture into the tray and level it with a spatula. 

→Bake for eight minutes or till it's firm to touch but soft. 

→Remove from the baking tray and let it cool down before using. 

Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

 

Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

Part Two: making the filling and roll

300 gr dairy whipping cream(very cold but not frozen), 10 gr sugar, 30 ml Kirshwasser - Kirsch cherry liquor, 200 gr preserved dark sweet cherries.

→Mix all together and whip up at high speed till firm and fluffy (do not over beat). 

→Place the sponge on a large piece of cooking paper. Spread the whipped filling and arrange the cherries all over. 

→Roll the cake in, tightly. Place it in fridge to set for about two hours.

Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

Part Three: assembling and decorating the cake

→Cut the roulade to pieces in an angle. Pile the pieces together like a tree branch. And apply extra whipped cream over to cover. It will look like a white snowy tree branch. 

→Using a fork make some lines, which resemble Pine tree bark, and use the end of the spoon to make some circles that look like annual rings.  

→Dust it with icing sugar and touches of cocoa powder or chocolate flakes. 

→Decorate with some Christmas decorations to make even more festive. Green and red are certainly the Christmas colors, so you can use grapes, blueberries, cranberries, chocolate cookies and anything cute you like.

Christmas Forest Roulade. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT

Serves 10 to 16

 
Executive Pastry Chef Victor Hasting. Photo: Guo Yingguang/GT