Roll Up, Roll Up - It's Swiss Roll Time :-)

Swiss Rolls were on my baking bucket list. They've been there for a considerable amount of time. Many other things get added.... and scored off... but swiss rolls remained.

Ok - I can bake. Like anyone, I have the occasional kitchen disaster - but few things are inedible even if they don't look that pretty. I don't know what held me back so much from attempting swiss rolls. The fear of cracking it I suppose. A crack should not be the end of the world though. That bit is simply cosmetic.

Those that really know me however will know that I don't take failure lightly. I LIKE good results and I like visions to be realised. I guess lack of time to make the same thing 20 times and get that result was what was holding me back.

Recently, Ann Low of Anncoo Journal has made some terrific looking swiss rolls and it really inspired me to have a go.

I've adapted Ann's recipe to fit our new Tray Bake / Swiss Roll Silicone bakeware mould. we've had this  mould in for a month or so, but I had not got round to using it. Ann uses a bigger square tray. I tried everywhere, to get a big square tin tray like Ann's - but failed miserably. They don't seem to exist in the UK. I wanted to make my swiss rolls look like Ann's....

Anyway. This roll is a really good size. I start at the narrow end and roll down the length. This mould is just under 11 x 9" inside and a more common size for tray bakes or swiss rolls in the UK.

RECIPE

note - digital scales required !

55g plain flour

15g icing sugar

25ml oil (vegetable or sunflower are fine)

25ml water

3 egg yolks

1tsp of vanilla or almond extract

3 egg whites

40g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 160deg C

Line the base of the silicone mould with some baking paper and oil the surface of the paper. You need this to lift it easily out of the mould for rolling.

Mix the first set of ingredients together.

Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl to soft peaks. Add the 40g of sifted icing sugar and continue to whisk to stiff peaks.

If you want to make a pretty pattern like Ann's Swiss rolls, take a couple of teaspoons of each mix. Put them in a cup and mix together with some food colouring. 

This can be put in a piping bag and piped directly on to the baking paper lined tray.

Ann's blog tells you to PUT THIS IN THE OVEN for a minute or two to set it. Stupid me didn't read that bit and smudged it up when I made my stripey roll... The second roll I made, Oliver helped. Instead of nicely spaced spots we ended up with pink splats. Hey - it tasted just great anyway !

Fold the rest of the egg white mix and egg yolk mix together

Carefully put the plain mix on top of your design...

Bake in 160deg C oven for approx 15 minutes

Remove from oven. Allow to cool.

Remove from mould and invert on to a plastic sheet on top of a towel. I skipped that and used a silicone baking tray liner. Carefully peel away baking paper. Turn back over and trim the edges off the short ends at a 45 deg angle, then spread the cake with a layer of good quality jam (I used cherry).

Start to roll up the cake from one of the short ends.

I rolled mine up and then kept going to roll the mat right round the outside of the rolled cake. This photo shows my roll inside my silicone baking tray liner.

Put in the fridge for an hour or so. This helps it hold and not unroll like a spring when you unwrap it !

As you can see, my first attempt looked like an edible paint roller ! So maybe diagonal stripes isn't the best choice of pattern. lol

The lines were a little out of true though as I didn't read to bake for a minute or two to set the stripes before adding the rest of the mix. I thought my second attempt would turn out really pretty - but it turned into splat markings with a little help from Oliver !

We've been out most of the day today. It was Emma's 4th birthday party. Emma is Oliver's best buddy and her mummy is a very very good friend of mine :-)

Victoria has been busy baking too this week - making loads of cupcakes with Emma for the party and also the kitkat cake I posted a week or two ago. Happy Birthday Emma !

Sarah-Jane Nash, August 2011 - www.siliconemoulds.com