Johannesburg - Making a swiss roll is not difficult, but they can be tricky to roll up without cracking. Most Swiss roll mixtures don’t contain a lot of flour and rely on well-beaten eggs and sugar for their volume.
The trick to not getting cracks when rolling is not to overbake the cake. Also turning it on to a damp tea towel will help keep the cake supple and soft.
Allow the cake to cool rolled up, then carefully unroll it and fill with the desired filling.
Don’t be deterred by cracks, they give your roll character and can easily be camouflaged with sifted icing sugar or strategically placed whipped cream.
A rolled Pavlova is one of the quickest ways to make a Pavlova without it spending hours drying out in the oven.
It is great for feeding a crowd as you easily get 18 slices from a roll.
The trick about using an oven roasting bag to line your tin is a fail-safe way to prevent your meringue from sticking.
The Pavlova roll is cooled flat, then filled and rolled. It almost always cracks slightly when you roll it up, but this can also be camouflaged with sifted icing sugar or drizzled chocolate.
Chocolate strawberry swiss roll
Ingredients:
4 extra large eggs
125ml castor sugar
125ml self-raising flour
80ml cocoa powder
Filling:
80ml strawberry jam
125ml cream, whipped
Chocolate coating
150g dark chocolate
250ml cream
100g white chocolate
45ml extra cream
Beat the eggs and sugar until very thick and creamy. Sift over the flour and cocoa and fold in until combined. Spread the mixture into a greased and lined 23x32 cm Swiss roll pan.
Bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes or until cake feels springy to the touch. Remove and turn out on to a damp tea towel lined with a sheet of non-stick baking paper sprinkled with castor sugar. Remove the lining paper, trim the edges and roll up with the paper. Cool completely. Carefully unroll. Spread with a layer of jam then whipped cream. Roll up and place on a wire rack with a tray underneath.
Chocolate coating: Combine the dark chocolate and 250ml cream in a glass bowl. Microwave on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool until a coating consistency. Spoon over the roll being sure to coat it all over. Use a palate knife to help spread the coating. Place in the fridge to set. Apply a second coat if necessary.
Melt the white chocolate and cream in a bowl and allow to cool and thicken slightly. Spoon into a small piping bag and drizzle the chocolate over the roll. Decorate with strawberries.
Rolled passionfruit pavlova
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
6 extra large egg whites
5ml vinegar
375ml castor sugar
50g flaked almonds
250ml cream
pulp from 5-6 granadillas
Preheat oven to 160°C. Spray a 30cm by 40cm Swiss roll baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and then line with an ovenproof cooking bag (this is excellent to prevent sticking). Spray with cooking spray.
Whisk egg whites and vinegar until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition.
When the mixture is thick and glossy, spoon into prepared tray and spread evenly with a spatula.
Do not spread the mixture all the way to the edge of the pan as it does spread during baking. Leave about a 2cm gap.
Sprinkle the almonds over the meringue.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until set.
Turn out on to sheet of non stick baking paper which has been sprinkled lightly with castor sugar. Peel the cooking bag from base and trim off hard edges with scissors.
Allow to cool.
Whip cream until stiff.
Spread on to cooled meringue and scatter with granadilla pulp.
Use the paper as your guide and roll up from the long side.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for no more than 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Note: I use a medium-size cooking bag and cut open the one side and base which will give you a large enough size to line your tray.
Sunday Tribune