Swiss Roll with Yellow Cake
So I’m on a bit of a challenge for my upcoming recipes. I am working on some sympathy meals, meaning food you bring to those who are grieving, traditional funeral food that has a more historical background and then recipes from the Great British Bake Off, because that’s how a girl relaxes! I am obsessed with this show and I am currently rewatching every episode so I thought that a great first start would be a lovely swiss roll!
So what exactly is a Swiss Roll?
“A Swiss roll, jelly roll, roll cake, cream roll, roulade or Swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake is believed to have originated elsewhere in Central Europe, possibly Austria. It appears to have been invented in the nineteenth century, along with Battenberg cake, doughnuts, and Victoria sponge. In the U.S., commercial versions of the cake are widely known under brand names like Ho Hos, Yodels, and Swiss Cake Rolls. A type of roll cake called Yule log is traditionally served at Christmas.” Look I am not trying to over think it here and yeah I stole this quote from Wikipedia.
I mean look, what is a Swiss Roll? It’s like that god damn delicious chocolate Little Debbie sugar rush cake you had as a kid. It’s amazing. It’s a lot of the time chocolate but doesn’t have to be. It’s got whip cream and its rolled up so that you can see the alternating cake and filling. And by God I wanted to make one. And I did. Sorta….
Ok I’ll be honest I made this recipe and it tasted great! But my roll? Well Paul Hollywood would have laughed me off the season. But I think that the taste it the most important part so I am going to get this recipe up and running with a personal promise that I will come back and try it over and over until I get the perfect roll.
This recipe is from Vegan Richa who has been one of my favorite vegan authors so far. After I perfect her recipe you can bet you’ll see my own flavor spins on this classic cake.
Ingredients
Wet
3/4 cup (183 ml) non dairy milk
2 Tbsp non dairy yogurt
1 Tbsp flax seed meal or chia seed meal
1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (56 ml) oil
3/4 to 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) almond extract
1/2 cup (60 g) vegan powdered sugar or other fine sugar
a generous pinch of turmeric for color optional
I used tumeric and a little squirt of yellow food dye to get a really beautiful yellow color reminiscent of childhood
Dry
1 1/4 cup (156.25 g) unbleached white flour
2 tbsp cornstarch or other starch
1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) baking powder
1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) baking soda
Filling: fruit preserves marmalade, jellies, vegan buttercream frosting
Instructions
In a bowl, add all the wet ingredients and whisk well until combined.
In another bowl mix in the dry ingredients, or sift directly into the bowl with wet ingredients.
Whisk until the mixture is smooth and silky. 1 to 2 minutes. you want the gluten to develop here so the baked cake doesnt break easily.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F / 180ºc
Pour the batter into the parchment line sheet. Spread the batter evenly using a spatula. The batter will seem like it isn't enough, but we need just a 1/4 inch thickness.
Bake for 13 to 14 minutes. test with a tooth a few inches from the edge.
Slip the parchment with the cake off the baking sheet.
Cover with a towel for a minute or 2 so the cake temperature goes down enough to be easy to handle. Trim the edges to make an even rectangle and remove the hard edges.
Flip the parchment with the cake onto another parchment or thin damp kitchen towel. Remove the parchment on which the cake was baked from the cake. Gently roll the cake with parchment/damp towel into a roll. The first roll may crack. Tighten as you roll. Let it cool completely. Gently unroll, Spread a light filling of choice evenly. Roll up the cake again using the parchment/towel, but not rolling it in this time. Make a tight roll. Place on serving tray. Cover and chill if needed. Slice and serve at room temperature with fruits of choice.