This flourless chocolate cherry roulade is an easy low carb recipe made with just eggs, sweetener and cocoa powder. A light sponge filled with whipped cream and cherries for a delicious dessert.
Just 3 ingredients to make this low carb dessert. No strange ingredients and everything that you will have in your low carb pantry. As well as being low in carbs, this chocolate roulade dessert is also dairy free and gluten free. With no flour this is nut free and coconut free too!
What is a roulade?
A roulade is a dish that is rolled up into a spiral. It can be sweet or savoury with a variety of fillings. A roulade can also use meat with a filling and rolled such as our chicken and spinach roulade.
How to make a chocolate cherry roulade
With just 3 ingredients and the filling, you can make this dish in under 30 minutes. The key to a light yet firm sponge is to whisk the egg whites until stiff.
For the baking tin, we used a rectangle baking tin ( 9 x 13 inch, 22.9cm x 33cm). Grease the baking tin and line it with parchment paper. Make sure that the parchment paper slightly hangs over the edges as it makes it easier to remove the sponge and roll it up.
The ingredients
- Eggs - large eggs is available. If your eggs are small increase the quantity by one.
- The low carb sweetener - Monkfruit or allulose are good low carb sweeteners to use as I find that erythritol can crystalize slightly.
- Cocoa - We use unsweetened cocoa which can be found in the baking isles of supermarkets
- The filling - Just a combination of whipped cream and sliced cherries.
How do you roll a roulade?
Rolling a roulade is not as difficult as you may think. The cake needs to be slightly cool before rolling. If it's too warm it may crack.
If your roulade cracks when rolled, don't despair. Cover it with whipped cream or a chocolate ganache.
We roll the roulade in between two sheets of parchment paper but it can also be placed on a damp tea towel when removed from the oven.
When rolling the roulade start from the shorter end of the sponge and roll up as tight as you can.
Can you freeze a roulade?
The roulade can be frozen up to 1 month. To make defrosting easier, roll the cake up and then slice it. Place in an airtight container or zip lock bags.
Make this in advanace
Bake the sponge, allow it to cool, roll it up and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to fill it and serve. Don't store it with the filling as the cream will soften the sponge if left over night.
Recipe Tips
Replace the cherries with raspberries to reduce the carbs.
Don't over bake the sponge as it will be too stiff to roll. It should be slightly firm to the touch when cooked.
Make this dessert dairy free by substituting the whipped cream with whipped coconut cream.
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge and will last 2 days.
More low carb chocolate desserts to enjoy
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
Low Carb Chocolate Mint Brownie Pie
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This recipe was originally posted in August 2011. The photos and content have been updated but the recipe remains the same.
Flourless Chocolate Cherry Roulade
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Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 6 large eggs separated
- ¾ cup monkfruit or other low carb sweetener
- ½ cup cocoa powder unsweetened
Filling
- 1 cup cream heavy/whipping
- 10 cherries pitted and cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F degrees.
- Grease and line a rectangle baking tin ( 9 x 13 inch, 22.9cm x 33cm) with parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until they thicken.
- Add the monkfruit sweetener and whisk until thick.
- Add the cocoa powder and mix well.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the tin, smooth out to all of the edges and bake for 20 minutes, until springy in the centre.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Put a large piece of parchment paper on your countertop and place the baking tin on the parchment paper, sponge facing down. Remove the tin from the sponge.
- Using the parchment paper on the top of the sponge, gently roll up the cake. This is to keep the sponge in the correct shape before adding the filling.
- Set aside to cool.
Assemble
- In a small bowl, whisk the cream until thick.
- Gently unroll the cake, remove the top layer of parchment paper and spread the whipped cream filling evenly over the sponge.
- Place the cut cherry halves over the cream.
- Using the outer layer of parchment paper roll up the sponge again.
- Trim the edges for a neater sponge.
- Optional - decorate with a chocolate ganache and cherries.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Debbie
I tried to make this and I am sad to say I must have done somethng wrong. My chocolate egg yoke mixture came out in a clumpy mess I don't think it wsa suppose to was it?
What could I have done wrong?
Angela Coleby
I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe the egg yolks were not whisked long enough is all I can think off. Maybe I should make it again (any excuse) and provide step by step photos if that helps.
Friarygirl74
I have made this many times, it works really well with different berries and is delicious. Doesn’t raise blood sugars at all. I have it for lunch!
My friends have loved it at dinner parties too.
Angela Coleby
So lovely to hear! You've inspired me to make this again this weekend!
Jeff
Looks great, but double cream isn't available in the US. Is there a suitable substitute I can buy here in Alaska that will work? Thanks!
Divalicious
I think that double cream is much the same as heavy cream. It's a language thing...same as courgette and zucchini!
virginia lenzen
How do you make double cream?
Divalicious
Double cream is the same as heavy cream I believe.
Skeeter N (@SkeeterN)
Forgive my ignorance but what is greaseproof paper? Is this the same as parchment? Can one use a cookie sheet for the swiss cake roll pan? Double cream is the same (sorta) as heavy cream correct? I believe double cream is heavy cream before pasteurization, that is suppose to taste way better than any cream any of us in the states has tried. (I wish we could get it)
Divalicious
Parchment paper is much the same as greaseproof paper and will work perfectly. You are correct that double cream is much the same as heavy cream...it's a language thing!