Easy Chocolate Caramel Swiss Roll

PREPARE THE TIN
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F / Gas 5). Line a Swiss roll tin (33 × 23 cm / 13 × 9 inch) with baking parchment, smoothing out all creases.

Lay a second sheet of baking parchment on your work surface and dust it generously with caster sugar — have this ready for the moment the sponge comes out of the oven.

MAKE THE SPONGE
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 5–7 minutes until pale, thick, and tripled in volume. The mixture should fall off the whisk in a slowly dissolving ribbon. (No bain-marie needed — a strong electric mixer will get there on its own.)

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Fold gently into the egg mixture in two additions using a large metal spoon, with light, sweeping strokes. Avoid overmixing - you want to keep all that air.

If using, drizzle the melted butter down the side of the bowl and fold in until just incorporated.

BAKE
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread evenly to the corners with an offset spatula. Aim for a thin, even sheet about 7–8 mm deep — too thick and it won't roll cleanly.

Bake for 12–14 minutes until the sponge springs back when touched and has just begun to shrink from the edges. Do not overbake — a dry sponge will crack when rolled.

ROLL WHILE WARM
As soon as the sponge comes out of the oven, invert it onto the sugar-dusted parchment and peel away the lining parchment from the top.

Working quickly while the sponge is still hot, use the parchment beneath to roll it up tightly from the short end, with the parchment rolled inside. Hold for 30–60 seconds to set the shape, then leave to cool completely on a wire rack, still rolled. Rolling while pliable trains the spiral into the structure — a cold sponge will crack when shaped.

PREPARE THE CARAMEL
Open the tin of Carnation Caramel and give it a brisk stir in a bowl to loosen — it should be thick but spreadable. (If you prefer to make caramel from scratch by boiling your own condensed milk, do this several hours ahead so it's fully cool before use — see notes.)

FILL AND RE-ROLL
Carefully unroll the cooled sponge — it should uncurl without cracking.

Spread roughly 250–300 g of the caramel evenly over the surface, leaving a 1 cm border along the far short edge so the filling doesn't squeeze out as you roll. If using, sprinkle the flaky salt evenly over the caramel.

Re-roll the sponge tightly, this time without the parchment inside, using the parchment underneath to keep the roll even and tight. Press gently as you reach the end to seal. Sit the roll seam-side down.

CHILL AND SERVE
Wrap the roll in parchment, then in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes — this firms the caramel and gives clean slices.

Trim both ends with a sharp serrated knife to reveal the spiral cross-section. Dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

NOTES
For from-scratch caramel: tip a tin of sweetened condensed milk into a heatproof dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake at 220°C (425°F / Gas 7) sitting in a bain-marie (a roasting tin half-filled with hot water) for 1–1.5 hours, stirring once or twice, until golden and thickened. The caramel must be fully cool before spreading or it will melt the sponge.

For a lighter feel, spread a thin layer of softly whipped cream alongside the caramel — about 150 ml double cream whipped to soft peaks, spread first, with the caramel dolloped over the cream.

Make ahead: the filled roll keeps well wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring to cool room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing for the best texture.