Chocolate Swiss Roll

Looking for a dessert that looks impressive but won’t keep you in the kitchen for hours?

This Chocolate Marmalade Swiss Roll is your answer. Light, elegant, and surprisingly simple to make, it’s the kind of showstopper pudding that makes people think you’ve spent all day baking—when actually, you haven’t.

The magic is in the pairing: rich, cocoa-spiked sponge meets the sharp, citrusy bite of quality marmalade. It’s a flavour combination that feels both nostalgic and sophisticated, perfect for afternoon tea, dinner parties, or those moments when you want something a bit special without the faff.

And here’s the best part—Swiss rolls are far more forgiving than their reputation suggests. Follow these simple steps from La Vieja Fábrica, and you’ll have a dessert that looks like it came from a fancy bakery, ready to slice and serve with pride.

Difficulty Medium

Serves 2

Prep time 30 - 60mins

Cook time 12 mins

Ingredients

For the sponge:

3 Eggs (large)

75g Caster sugar

50g Plain flour (sieved)

25g Cocoa powder (sieved, plus extra for dusting)

zest of 1 orange

For filling and decoration:

175g La Vieja Fábrica fine cut marmalade

200ml Double cream

½ tbsp Icing sugar

½ tsp Vanilla extract or paste

4 squares dark chocolate (melted), orange zest, sprinkles (optional)

Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan, line the baking tray with baking paper.

Method

For the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk until it has grown in volume significantly and is pale in colour

Gently fold in the flour and cocoa powder

Spread the mixture into the tin using a palette knife

Bake for 12 minutes

Remove from the oven and tip onto a clean sheet of baking paper dusted with cocoa powder. Remove the baking paper the sponge was baked with, then roll up the sponge, taking the clean baking paper with it, then leave to cool completely on a rack

Gently unroll the sponge and spread the marmalade over it

Whip up the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla. Spread most of the double cream (save some to decorate the top) over the marmalade. Re-roll the sponge as tightly as you can, and place onto a serving plate

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the Swiss roll. Pipe or dollop the remaining whipped cream on top, then add the orange zest and, if using, the sprinkles

Serve immediately, store any leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days