Method (cake)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees C fan and line a 9 x 13 inch baking tray with greaseproof paper. Set aside.
2. Add the cocoa and hot water into a small bowl, whisk to combine into a paste.
3. In a separate bowl, sift in the baking powder, xanthan gum and almond flour. Stir to combine.
4. Pour in the water and oil and mix with electric hand-whisk until smooth. You can even do this in a stand mixer fitted with balloon a whisk attachment. Add in the sugar and beat to combine.
5. Pour in the cocoa paste and mix until smooth.
6. Sift in the flour and add in the vanilla, stir to combine.
7. Pour the cake batter into the lined tin and spread out with the back of a spoon or an off-set spatula. Make sure to get it as level as possible. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Just before the cake is ready to come out the oven, lay a clean tea towel on your worktop and dust with cocoa powder.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the cake onto the cocoa dusted towel leaving the greaseproof paper on the cake. This helps to prevent the cake from sticking.
9. Using the tea towel, roll up the cake from both long sides to make a double spiral with the cloth and greaseproof paper inside. Watch the video tutorial for reference.
10. Leave the cake in the towel to cool down completely before frosting.

Method (Vanilla buttercream)

1. In a large mixing bowl add in the dairy-free butter, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Sift in the icing sugar, vanilla and condensed milk. Whip on high speed for 5-8 minutes to incorporate it. Whip on high speed to get it to a smooth consistency. You want it to be thick and creamy. If its too thick, add a few more chunks of butter to get it to a thick and creamy consistency. 
3. Gently unroll the cold sponge, remove the greaseproof paper and cut the sponge into 8 squares. I cut the cake through the middle and in 3 horizontal cuts. Individually spread the filling evenly over the inside of the sponge. Add caramel into a piping bag and add a drizzle on top of the buttercream. Gently roll up the mini sponges. If it cracks, don’t worry too much, these will be covered up with chocolate frosting. Repeat for all rolls. Watch the video tutorial here.
4.  Place into the freezer to set for 15-20 minutes. You want them to be very chilled so its easy to coat.

Method (ganache and decoration)

1. Fill a saucepan ¾ full with water and place a heatproof bowl on top to create a bain-marie. Place on a medium heat. Add the chocolate and cream to the bowl and melt.
2. Place one of the rolls on a fork, hover over the chocolate and use a large spoon to drizzle over the chocolate ganache to coat the entire cake, then place on some grease proof paper. While the ganache is still wet, use a fork to drag through the ganache to create ‘bark texture’. Place back into the freezer to set. Repeat for all the rolls.
3. Decorate the cakes with a dusting of icing sugar. You can even use a holly fondant press, and use some green and red fondant to create some gorgeous toppings(as seen in the photos).
4. Keep chilled in the fridge and enjoy.