Chocolate & Walnut Roll

Looking for a creamy, rich and elegant dessert? Then look no further than this decadent Chocolate & Walnut Roll. Inspired by a popular Serbian cake called the griljaz torta (pronounced something like ghre-lyaz). Made up mostly of crunchy, sweet walnuts with layers of rich chocolate filling. The same ingredients are used to make this decadent chocolate & walnut roll. With a layer of walnuts that have been drizzled in melted sugar and a rich layer of dark chocolate filling, this dessert is a chocoholic’s dream come true.

Griljaz / walnut & sugar mix

The star of the show for this recipe is the grljaz. This is simply a walnut and sugar mix which is what makes this chocolate & walnut roll that little bit extra decadent!

Before putting other parts of this recipe together take a few minutes to prepare the griljaz. Place 120 g of caster sugar into a pot over medium heat and melt the sugar down into liquid. Once the sugar turns into liquid and slightly starts to brown turn the heat off. Add in the chopped or halved walnuts into the pot and combine the two ingredients using a spatula. Empty the walnut & sugar mixture onto silicon mat or parchment paper and set aside to cool.

Once the griljaz has cooled, in a food processor, mix the griljaz into a grounded walnut-like texture. Set aside to be used in the walnut filling part of the recipe.

The walnut base

Making the base for this chocolate & walnut roll is an easy one bowl process.

To begin preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a baking tray (28×38 cm) with butter and fit baking paper into the tray. Place 8 egg whites into a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until some volume in the egg whites develops. Then, gradually add in the 70 g of sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff. This process can take roughly 5 minutes with a hand mixer on high speed.

Once the egg whites have become stiff add in the 30 g of flour as well as one tablespoon of cocoa powder. Combine with a hand mixer on medium speed. Using a spatula fold in the ground walnuts and place the walnut base mixture into the baking tray. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the walnut base has finished baking in the oven set aside to cool.

*Tip – By greasing your baking tray with butter first, your baking paper will adhere to the pan much better. This is how you avoid uneven surfaces for the walnut base.

The fillings

The two fillings for this rich chocolate & walnut roll is made up of the remaining egg yolks, sugar and butter. This mixture is divided into two halves. One half is used to add in the griljaz (walnut & sugar mix) making the walnut filling. The second half is used to make up the chocolate filling by adding in melted dark chocolate. What could be better than this rich and decadent duo!

To make the filling, in a glass bowl beat 8 egg yolks on high speed with a hand mixer. After a minute of beating the egg yolks, gradually add in 90 g of caster sugar. Continue beating until the egg yolks turn to a lighter yellow colour and forms a thick, custard-like texture. This can take up to 4 minutes of beating on high speed.

It is important to cook the egg yolks using a double boiler method. Place the glass bowl with the combined egg yolks and sugar on top of a pot with boiling water and cook on low to medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir the egg yolks regularly. Once the egg yolks have cooked, set the bowl aside to cool for twenty minutes.

Once the egg yolks have cooled, add 250 g of unsalted butter (at room temperature) into the egg yolks and combine with a hand mixer. You are looking for a creamy buttery texture.

Walnut Filling

Divide the egg yolk, sugar and butter mixture into two even halves. You should end up with roughly 180 g in each bowl. The measurements can vary as it will depend on the initial size of the egg yolks.

Chocolate Filling

In one bowl of the egg yolk, sugar and butter mixture add in the grounded griljaz (walnut & sugar mix). Mix well together with a spatula. Set aside.

In the second bowl of the egg yolk, sugar and butter mixture add in 130 g of melted chocolate and combine using a hand mixer.

Assembling the walnut & chocolate roll

Assembling the chocolate & walnut roll is a simple process of forming a log.

Once the walnut base has completely cooled, spread on top the completed griljaz / walnut filling evenly. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.

After the first filling has set, spread on top the chocolate filling as evenly as possible. Then form a log shape starting from the long side that is closest to you and roll into a tube. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour to set or preferably overnight.

Decoration & storage

To decorate, spread 100 g of melted chocolate over the log and sprinkle some grounded walnuts as well as some shredded chocolate. You can store this roll in the fridge, covered for up to a week. You can also store this delicious treat in the freezer for up to a few months.

Did you make this recipe?

This is one of the most creamy, rich and elegant desserts. You can never go wrong combining chocolate with lots of walnuts. This chocolate & walnut roll is a great recipe to make for your friends and family. It is also a great decadent treat to bring to a dinner party. Anything chocolatey is sure to delight just about anyone and especially chocolate lovers! Let me know how this Chocolate & Walnut Roll recipe turned out for you! Leave a comment below and reach out or share a picture on Instagram.