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Swiss roll

Light & Moist Swiss Roll

5 from 23 votes
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If you’re looking for a Swiss roll recipe that is as light as a cloud, moist and literally melts in your mouth, then this recipe is it!
It’s probably one of my proudest recipes to date. A super soft sponge is filled with a homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream – a flavour combo that can’t go wrong! 
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Cooling Time: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour 18 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Author: Cakes by MK

IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.

Ingredients
 

Swiss Roll

  • cups (80 g) all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch - also known as cornflour in some countries
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) milk - full fat, room temperature
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
  • 6 large eggs - whites and yolks separated, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp warm water - not boiling
  • cup (66 g) white granulated sugar (for the egg yolk mixture)
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
  • ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar (for egg whites)
  • 1 tsp unflavoured vegetable oil - for lightly greasing the baking paper after the sponge is cooked.

Raspberry Jam

Whipped Cream

  • cups (400 g) cold whipping cream - minimum fat percentage of 34%
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar - also known as powdered or confectioners sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla essence/extract

Instructions

Swiss Roll

  • Preheat oven to 170 °C (340°F) with the fan on/convection mode (see note 1 if you don't have a fan function) and line an 18x13 inch (half-sheet) baking tray. Only line the tray longways, leaving two of the edges of the pan exposed (see video for demonstration).
  • In a bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined (there's no need to sift it just yet). Set aside for now.
  • In a small bowl combine the milk and oil. Give it a mix and then set aside for now as well.
  • Next separate the yolks and whites from your eggs. Ensure no egg yolks get into the egg whites. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl add in 1 tbsp of warm water, and a ⅓ cup (66g) of white sugar (the portion of sugar assigned for the egg yolks) and mix so that the sugar is coated in the water. Next add in the 6 egg yolks and vanilla, and using a hand or stand mixer on a medium speed, whip until the mixture is thick and pale. You should be able to create ribbons with it that settle on the top of the mixture for a few seconds before being absorbed back in. This should roughly take 5 minutes but will vary depending on your mixer. Once done set aside for now.
  • In another large bowl add in the 6 egg whites. Using a hand or stand mixer (with clean attachments - see note 2), whip for 30 seconds until it's frothy, and then gradually add in ½ cup (100g) of white sugar while continuously mixing. Once the sugar is mixed in, continue to whip until you reach soft peaks. This should take about 7 minutes, but will vary depending on your mixer. We don't want stiff peaks so keep checking the egg whites to check they aren't being overwhipped (see video demonstration).
  • Add half of the whipped egg whites into your egg yolk mixture and using a spatula, gently fold until it's just combined. Fold gently as we want to try and retain as much air in the batter as possible. Next sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and fold until just combined. Once done, add in the remaining egg whites and fold until just combined.
  • To finish off, add in the milk/oil mixture and fold until just combined. Your mixture should be thick and flowy once done (see video demonstration).
  • Distribute the batter evenly into the lined baking tray and using an offset spatula (or anything that has a straight edge), even out the batter as much as possible. Once done, shake the tray to even out the batter further, and then drop the tray on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles. I also like to tap the bottom of the tray with my hands a few times.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and the sponge slowly springs back when you touch the top. Allow to cool in the tray for 15 minutes.
  • While it's cooling, prepare some baking paper that we are going to be using to roll the Swiss roll. If your baking paper isn't large enough, then overlap two sheets. Lightly grease the baking paper with unflavoured vegetable oil, by dabbing your fingers into some unflavoured vegetable oil and then spreading it onto the baking paper. We only want a very thin layer (see note 3).
  • After 15 minutes, run a knife along the edges of the sponge that are stuck to the baking tray to help release the sponge, and then turn the sponge out onto the baking paper (golden side down).
  • Roll the sponge up using the baker paper while its still slightly warm. Set aside to cool (we will unroll it again later).

Raspberry Jam Filling

  • While the sponge is baking, prepare the raspberry jam. Once done, place the jam onto a wide saucer and spread it out to allow it to cool quicker. You can also place it into the fridge to speed up the process, but it needs to be at room temperature when spreading it onto the Swiss roll so just make sure it doesn't get too cold.

Whipped Cream

  • 10 minutes before assembling the Swiss roll, whip the cream.
  • In a large bowl add in the cream, icing sugar and vanilla. Whip on a medium speed until you reach stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip the cream, so keep a close eye on it once it starts to thicken up.

Assembly

  • Once the Swiss roll is cool, unroll it gently. Using a serrated knife, trim off the short edges at an angle (see video demonstration).
  • Spread a thin layer of the cooled raspberry jam on the sponge.
  • Next spread a layer of the cream on the sponge, leaving a small gap at one of the short ends of the sponge, only covering it with a very thin layer of cream (see note 4).
  • To roll, lift up the edge of the sponge (that is opposite to the end with the thin layer of the whipped cream) with the baking paper, and push the top edge of the sponge into the cream to create an initial tight roll, and then using the baking paper, continue to roll the sponge until you reach the end. You want to push gently while rolling so you have a tight roll, but don't push too hard otherwise you may push too much of the cream out.
  • Once you get to the end, tighten the roll by holding the bottom sheet of baking paper, and then using the long edge of a knife or off set spatula to push the top sheet of baking paper into the bottom of the Swiss roll (see video demonstration).
  • Allow to set in the fridge for 1 hour before slicing. Once ready, slice a small piece off of each edge to reveal a wonderful clean Swiss roll. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Note 1. In this recipe I use an oven with the fan function turned on. The fan forced function cooks food faster, so if your oven doesn't have a fan option, then you will need to increase the baking temperature to 190°C (375°F) so that the sponge cake bakes at the same rate as mine 🙂
Note 2. There should be no fat residue on the attachments of your mixer or in the bowl you mix the egg whites in as any fat will prevent the meringue from whipping up properly. 
Note 3. Greasing the baking paper is so that the golden side of the Swiss roll doesn't stick to it when we come to rolling the sponge. By using your fingers to grease the baking paper, it helps with achieving only a very thin layer of oil, which is harder to achieve when using a pastry brush.  
Note 4. Leaving a small gap at the end of the Swiss roll will ensure that the cream doesn't seep out the Swiss roll when you're rolling it. 

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 817IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.

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