Chocolate Apricot Roll

Scale of difficulty ★★★ There are quite a few steps involved but none too challenging
Yummy-ness ★★ I think I just lack the skills in making a nice sponge :(

This cake has so many components that it's not funny it is like an ultra complicated swiss roll! Firstly you have the biscuit layer (bis-KWEE if you decided to be French), layered with lekvar (apricot jam-like layer), smeared with chocolate ganache and topped with a chocolate glaze. What? You've never heard of half of these things? Well... neither have I until this cake! lol

Anyways, here is my bis-kwee, all rolled up in its baking paper, or parchment paper as the yankies would call it. I was expecting this to be nice and fluffy because the batter involves egg white beaten to a soft peak stage folded into a fluffed up egg batter with minimal flour. However I ended up with a pancake like biscuit :( Maybe because I halved the recipe? I have no idea what happened *sobs*

Then... Lekvar!! Wikipedia says lekvar is a jam or fruit butter... After my super painful orange marmalade making experience, I decided to go with apricot jam because you can never go wrong with putting jam on a cake right? My lovely sister decided to throw in some chopped dried apricot pieces as well to go with the apricot theme. Then it was time to make the glorious chocolate ganache. Last time I made ganache I heated it too much and it separated, resulting in a crappy looking cake :( This time it turned out alright, my sister loved it and decided to put some in a tub and use a teaspoon and eat it like truffles :) and she's still skinny!! How is that fair?? Before I go on about how unfair life is, lets go back to the cake of the week.....

Here is my nearly finished chocolate apricot roll.

and ROLL!!!! ta- da!!!

Ok I'll admit I'm a slacker and didn't bother with the chocolate glaze, instead I just drizzled some leftover chocolate ganache on the roll (see the cookies in the background? I'll blog that next week).

How did it taste?
My mum told me I make great cookies but totally suck at making cakes and this is a fine example for her statement :( Yes.. .my own mother said it.... But to be honest it was not too bad, it tastes like a big pancake with chocolate syrup and apricot bits. The addition of apricot bits makes this roll soooo much better :) However no on in my family seems to be interested in eating this :( so I guess I'm gonna have to finish it all...... another sad week in my baking diary :(