Roll with it
TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH TILLY PAMMENT’S PROVEN SWISS ROLL RECIPE.
AS WITH MOST THINGS worth doing, there is an art to good baking. Part science, part practice and part intention, I love the creativity and mindfulness of the baking process. And then, of course, I love the eating part, and the connection, joy and nostalgia this brings to others.
I have long been a fan of a Swiss roll, and if ever there was a bake that was something of an art form, I believe it to be this. As I child, I loved those little packaged Swiss rolls filled with what I think was supposed to be strawberry jam – finding one in my school lunch box was truly a great joy. Since then, my tastes have matured somewhat, but there is still something about a slice of Swiss roll that induces a childlike glee.
Over the last few years, I have made quite a few Swiss rolls, and to my delight, they’re not that hard to create. There are some techniques and rules to follow, but really, with a few good ingredients and an exceptionally short bake time, the road to smug satisfaction is wonderfully short.
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CHOCOLATE SWISS ROLL WITH BLACKBERRIES
Serves 8
3 large eggs, separated ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar Pinch of salt
110g caster sugar
2 tablespoons hot milk
20g unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 75g self-raising flour
25g Dutch cocoa powder FILLING
200ml thickened cream 1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 100g fresh blackberries, plus extra
to serve
Preheat oven to 170°C (fan-forced) and line the base of a 20cm x 30cm slice tin with baking paper. Leave the sides of the tin unlined and ungreased so the sponge can cling to the tin, helping it to rise as it cooks.
Place egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk. Whisk to soft peaks before adding half the caster sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well between additions.
Continue to whisk until egg whites hold firm peaks. Remove bowl from mixer and set aside.
Place egg yolks and remaining caster sugar into a separate mixing bowl and, using a hand whisk, beat until pale and creamy. Trickle in hot milk, melted butter and vanilla, and whisk briefly to combine. Sift in self-raising flour and cocoa powder and whisk to a smooth batter, taking care not to overmix.
Whisk in a third of the egg whites to loosen batter, before carefully folding through remaining egg whites in two batches, until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared tin, gently smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the sponge is cooked and springs back when pressed gently.
As soon as you take the sponge out of the oven, use a flat-bladed knife to ease the cake from the sides of the tin and invert it onto a cooling rack covered with a sheet of baking paper.
Remove the baked-on paper from the base of cake before spreading a clean tea towel over the top and gently flipping the sponge over again. Remove baking paper.
Then, starting from one short end, gently roll the sponge up, tea towel and all. Leave the sponge (seam side down) to cool.
When the cake is cool, whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla together to firm peaks. Unroll the sponge very gently and spread the cream over the surface of the cake, leaving about 5cm clean at the end. Scatter with blackberries. Carefully roll the sponge up again, finishing with the seam side down.
Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the sponge into thick slices and serve with extra blackberries on the side, or wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap or baking paper and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight – this will make it much easier to slice. Now, enjoy it with childlike glee!