Erdbeerroulade
When strawberries are in season, time is of the essence. Once picked, these thin-skinned berries are at their peak for what seems like mere hours at most.
We have two kinds of strawberry in our garden: ‘summer breeze’, and ‘mara des bois’. The former is a nice garden strawberry and slightly hardier than the latter, a flavour-packed variety from France that is absolutely delicious, but goes to mush almost as soon as it’s picked.
Most of the time our strawberries are enjoyed while we’re in the garden, with my daughter simply opting to take her z’Vieri, afternoon snack, directly from the patch each day. However, last week we were away and when we came back the glut of rapidly decomposing strawberries necessitated jamming and baking.
I opted for a strawberry roulade, or Swiss roll as it is known in some parts of the English-speaking world, which is a great choice for any berries past their prime. Despite the English name, these cakes don’t seem to have originated in Switzerland, however you will find roulade on the menu at home or in restaurants throughout the country. It’s something that ticks all the boxes for the Swiss, who love a fruity dessert and also produce some of the finest cream in the world.
It might seem a little daunting, but actually a roulade is quite simple to make. The sponge recipe I have here is one I have been making since pastry school and it never lets me down. It has a nice slight chewiness and as long as you remember to roll it up once as soon as it comes out of the oven to give it its shape, it’s easy to fill.
The filling here is just whipped cream mixed with berry puree and chopped berries. Although strawberry might be the classic, it works well with any summer berry.
For the sponge cake:
4 eggs, room temperature, separated
pinch salt
80 g sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
80 g flour, sifted
For the filling:
350 ml whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
200 g strawberries, pureed
200 g strawberries, chopped
For the assembly and garnish:
3-4 tbsp strawberry jam
whipped cream
strawberries
Make the sponge cake:
Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6.
Line a large baking sheet (35 x 40 cm / 13 x 15 inches) with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt until frothy. Keep whisking and add about half the sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Remove and set aside.
In the same bowl, whisk together the yolks, the rest of the sugar and the lemon zest. Keep whipping until it is thick and pale and the whisk makes ribbons in the mixture.
Sift in the flour, folding it in gently, then fold in the whipped egg whites.
Gently spread a large rectangle on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 6-8 minutes or until the top springs back when you (gently) press it.
As soon as the cake is out of the oven, you will need to roll it up so it will keep its shape later. Flip it over and remove the parchment paper, then roll it up (from its short side). It’s ok if the edges crack a little, you can simply trim them later. Wrap the rolled up cake in parchment and leave to cool.
Make the filling:
Whip the cream , sugar and vanilla until stiff. If desired, reserve about 50 g of whipped cream to do the decorative piping on top.
Fold in the strawberry puree and chopped strawberries. Check for sweetness and add more sugar as necessary (it will really depend on how sweet your strawberries are).
Assemble and garnish:
Unroll the sponge, spread with strawberry jam, then the filling. Roll up tightly and place on a serving plate with the seam side down.
Decorate with whipped cream piping and strawberries. Alternatively you can just dust with a little powdered sugar.
Make sure your eggs for the sponge are room temperature.
Roll the cake up immediately when it comes out of the oven and is still warm and pliable. If it is humid, or the sponge feels a bit sticky to the touch, you can roll it up with a piece of parchment on the inside.
More strawberries?
Erdbeertortli
