I have to admit there was a sharp intake of breath as I checked out the Daring Bakers’ challenge for July. A “Swiss Swirl Icecream Cake” inspired by this:
(photo courtesy of the Taste of Home website)
I was kind of half expecting there to be a Jello layer in there somewhere! And weirdly, it reminded me of a wig.
The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.
Mandatory:
1. You must make the Swiss rolls, a filling for them, two ice creams and a fudge sauce, from scratch.
2. You must set the dessert in a bowl/pan etc in the order given in the recipe-Swiss roll, first ice-cream, the fudge topping and, finally, the second ice cream.
Ok, you probably know already that I am all about the challenge. The challenge of learning new techniques, that is, and for me, the technique I decided to focus on out of this five-part challenge was the actual swiss roll.
A Swiss Roll? Never made that and always wanted to = perfect. I searched high and low for a “no fail” sponge cake and finally settled on a recipe from Gourmet (January 2001). My notes in red below.
Gourmet | January 2001
Inspired by Dionne Lucas’s recipe for roulade léontine, this easy flourless chocolate cake will delight your guests with its airy texture and intense chocolate flavor. Here we filled it with Grand Marnier whipped cream (see Cooks’ notes, below, for other flavor ideas). We tried several brands of chocolate and found that Lindt and Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolates produced the best flavor and texture for this particular cake. This cake depends on separated eggs for its lightness and airy texture.
Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr
Yield: Makes 12 servings
For cake layer
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
3 tablespoons water (did not use this)
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
For filling
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
Garnish: unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioners sugar
Make cake layer:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a 15- by 10- by 1-inch shallow baking pan and line bottom lengthwise | with a large piece of wax or parchment paper, letting paper hang over ends by 2 inches.
Melt chocolate with water in a small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring. Cool to lukewarm. (The first time I did this, the chocolate went all crumbly. I left it out the next time when I had to use a chocolate Inukshuk that was a student gift to make up the quantity in chocolate. It was not Lindt but it worked!)
Beat yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 5 minutes in a standing mixer or about 8 minutes with a hand-held mixer. (In the actual recipe, they do not mention the cocoa. I added it in to the beaten yolk mixture). Fold in melted chocolate until blended. Beat whites with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into melted-chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until puffed and top is dry to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes.
Transfer pan to a rack. Cover top with 2 layers of damp paper towels and let stand 5 minutes, then remove towels and cool completely. Loosen edges with a sharp knife. Sift cocoa powder over top of cake layer (I did not) and overlap 2 layers of wax paper lengthwise over cake. Place a baking sheet over paper and invert cake onto it, gently peeling off wax paper lining. (Don’t worry if cake layer breaks; it will hold together when rolled.) (At this point, I rolled and wrapped the cake in a clean teatowel and left it a few hours. If you are going to do this, make sure the cake is fairly warm to avoid cracks and breakages).
Make filling: Beat cream with confectioners sugar and Grand Marnier with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in zest.
Fill and roll cake: (I spread a very thin layer of marmalade on the cake before I filled with cream – thought it would go well with the Grand Marnier – it did!). Spread filling evenly over cake. Put a long platter next to a long side of cake. Using wax paper as an aid, roll up cake jelly roll–style, beginning with a long side. Carefully transfer, seam side down, to platter, using wax paper to help slide cake. (Cake will crack but will still hold together.) Dust cake generously with cocoa powder and confectioners sugar (again I did not because I started to have an idea of how to make this baby look pretty!)
Cooks’ notes:
·Cake may be rolled 1 day ahead and chilled in a cake keeper or loosely covered with plastic wrap.
·You can substitute the following for Grand Marnier and orange zest: 2 tablespoons Cognac and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; 2 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; or 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder or instant-coffee granules dissolved in 2 teaspoons water plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
·This batter can also be baked in an unoiled 91/2-inch springform pan. Bake until cake is set but still moist in center, 35 to 40 minutes (cake will rise and then sink as it cools). Top with Grand Marnier whipped cream.
Ahem, yes, there are no step-by-step pics of this one because it was SO hot when I was baking it and I was in a bit of a fluster wondering whether I was doing it right. Thanks Jen for being there on Twitter for me throughout the process! And yes, my cake cracked – only a little but enough to mean that I needed a quick fix – ganache to the rescue!
I found this easy glaze at the Food and Wine website.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Raspberries, for garnish
Method:
Put the chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, stir the cream, milk and sugar over moderate heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate; let stand until the chocolate is melted, 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the butter and let cool slightly.
Transfer the cake to a rack. Pour half of the chocolate glaze all over the top and sides and spread it evenly with an offset spatula. Spread the remaining glaze all over the cake and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
This was delicious but I had to coat the roll three times (each time letting the glaze harden slightly in the fridge) before I got a shiny solid surface all over the cake. This also makes A LOT of glaze. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing.
But then I still thought it looked a little, shall we say, naked so I went ahead and made some candied orange peel that I thought I would decorate it with in some way. The recipe is from Bon Appétit (December 2008).
It takes a day or two for the peel to dry, so plan ahead.
Yield: Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
2 large oranges, 1/4 inch of top and bottom cut off
4 cups sugar, divided
3 cups water
Method
Cut peel on each orange into 4 vertical segments. Remove each segment (including white pith) in 1 piece. Cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Cook in large pot of boiling water 15 minutes; drain, rinse, and drain again.
Bring 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel. Return to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is very soft, about 45 minutes. Drain.
Toss peel and 1 cup sugar on rimmed baking sheet, separating strips. Lift peel from sugar; transfer to sheet of foil. Let stand until coating is dry, 1 to 2 days. DO AHEAD: Wrap and freeze up to 2 months.
I got into a HUGE mess making this (again, no pics!) – how are you supposed to drain the peel from the boiling sugar syrup without it all hardening on the spoon or the strainer. In any case, I ended up with some lovely long strips of candied peel and also some big lumps of it. I decided to grind the big lumps up in the spice/ coffee grinder and sprinkle it on top of the roll for some added colour.
Finally, I was satisfied. I might not have made the 5 part proper challenge recipe but I had my own multi-part challenge of my own. I learned three techniques that I have never tried before (the cake, the peel and the glaze to coat a cake) so I would say it was a successful personal challenge! Very happy with the result – tasted SO good – as were our friends who got to taste the fruits of my labour on the weekend!
(yes, it’s nearly the same picture as the one above. I was playing with light and dark backgrounds!)
Amazing Mardi !!!! Definitely a time consuming challenge but the finished product looks delicious !
Yes I was glad I had a presentable dessert after all the work!
Gorgeous gorgeous job!!! Simply beautiful Swiss rolls…. I should learn how to make these sometime 🙂
They’re not so hard but it’s all in the timing (of rolling the cake so it doesn’t crack)
Your swiss rolls look stunning.
Especially the last pic is mouth watering!
MMMH! Marmelade, great idea! Love it!
Well done Mardi. Great take on the challenge. For a minute I thought the dome fm Taste of Home was yours… Love your scribblings and commentary through the post…fun and a beautifully set platter. Love the pairings…
Deeb a- as IF that one would be mine!!! No way would I ever have been able to make that. I know my limits!
Your commentary made me LOL. Great challenge.
Glad to oblige!
I adore swiss rolls and love your orange twist!!
LOVE your swiss roll… It looks great. I can imagine how great the candied orange peel was. I’ve always wanted to try that (or lemon, perhaps), but never have. It’s a beautiful pairing!
Oooh yes, lemon would be good too – must try that once I figure out how not to make a huge mess in the kitchen!
Your swiss roll turned out just beautifully, love the candied orange peal! Great job!
You should have *seen* my kitchen when I was making that candied peel!
Nice Yule Log!! 🙂 Delish! We’ve already finished the one you made for us – soo good!
I am so glad you enjoyed it Heather!!
Your swiss roll makes mine look like an ugly step child! Your flavors sound fabulous and the roll is beautiful! well done 🙂
Yes I was very pleased with the flavours!
I’m envious of those Swiss rolls! They are absolutely gorgeous!!!
Beginner’s luck my dear!!!
Yes, this was yummy — though certainly seemed to be too much work.
As a side note, “we” [ahem] used Filfar as a sub for Grand Marnier. (Translation: Mr. Neil supplied bottle from drinks cabinet, and replaced after Mardi had finished. No other credit can be taken in the creation of this dessert.)
Oh right yes, the Filfar!!
Well done mardi! Mine brokeeeee when I tried making it.. Next time.
So did mine – hence the chocolate glaze!
Wow, quite a bit of work. Seems worth it though…
Jason
I might make this again for a special occasion but yes, a lot of work for not a whole lot of cake!
LOL reminded you of a wig?! I must admit, once that was out there, I felt inclined to agree too.. great take on the challenge!
just a fabulous job. Your version looks so elegant. A lot of work.
Yes, funnily enough, I thought I was avoiding a lot of work!!
Great job! Looks beautiful! Love the candied orange peel on top!
It looks very pretty Mardi. The cake was thin and you managed to get alot of “rolls” as well! GOod job 🙂
Great job on the swiss roll! It almost looks like it is glowing with the way you photographed it with the grated candied orange peel on top. Looks lovely! Nice job on your challenge.
Thanks! The crushed candies peel does photograph a bit strangely!
Great idea to add the marmalade to the roll. I love chocolate and orange together. It looks delicious.
Tasted a bit like a Terry’s chocolate orange 🙂
That looks amazing! I must try making a swiss roll sometime – the icecream bombe part looks a bit… too much, if you know what I mean. I am confused about the swiss roll recipe to melt the chocolate WITH the 3 tbsp water, though – isn’t that exactly what you try to avoid when you’re using a double-boiler? If any water drops into chocolate while it’s melting, it’ll seize! So you made the right decision to leave it out.
I was confused too and should have just followed my instincts which told me NOT to put the water in. Then I wouldn’t have had to resort to using a chocolate Inukshuk because I already used all my real chocolate!
That looks very elegant! I wish I’d had room in my freezer to make mine.
Well you don’t need a freezer for my version!
I have never been brave enough to even think about candying citrus peel…! Well done! While there is no ice cream in your challenge, you certainly did challenge yourself, and I think that is the whole point of the Daring Kitchen. Congratulations on a job VERY well done!
Challenge myself I did!!!
Absolutely tunning job Mardi! I love the shot of the cake from the outside with all of those beautiful swirls! 😀
I was pretty happy with mine but I think you are referring to the one I *didn’t* make 😉
VERY well done !! Congratulations !!!!!
Love the candied orange…urs looks so beautiful..
Wow, this looks amazing Mardi! Swiss Rolls scare me to death, I have yet to try one but something tells me mine will never turn out as good as yours has. I am a huge chocolate lover and this recipe is right up my alley. Thanks for sharing.
I think it was beginner’s luck!
Oh Mardi! I laughed so hard at your opening lines! You are very funny my dear… And I dare say your Swiss Roll looks FANTASTIC. I bet it was super-delicious to boot. & I vote for the light background photo!
Well wouldn’t you have thought the same thing??? 😉 And yes, I loved the lighter background too!
A perfect looking cake! Very well done!
Cheers,
Rosa
Mardi – this is beautiful! It’s on my list of things I want to make but it looks so time consuming! Excellent work!
VERY time consuming! I can check it off my list for now!
Really loved your Swiss roll. It seems delicious.
Your idea of grinding the big lumps of candied peel and use it as a decoration was great.
Btw, you wrote the swiss roll picture at Taste of Home website reminded you a wig. For me it looks like a turtle! LOL
Ah yes I see a turtle in there now too! Yes, when life hands you ugly lumps of candied peel, you make candied peel “dust” for sprinkling!
It does look a little like a wig…too funny 🙂 I love the orange you added to your take on the recipe. Looks delicious!
I love the orange and chocolate combination, especially with the marmalade.
Had to make mine vanilla and chocolate (not that that wasn’t good) because my daughter wanted it that way. 🙂
I just used what I had on hand and it worked out beautifully!
oh that taste of home cake is something else, isn’t it? are those slices of hostess ding-dongs covering it? and wig-like? um, yes.
yours, now, on the other hand, yours looks lovely and delicious and like something i need to remember to come back to your archives to find come december 20th. with a few sugared cranberries, this should be on my holiday dinner table.
“Little Debbie” infact!!!
First of all: too funny about the dessert looking like a wig. Second of all: I made a flourless chocolate roll, too! Not the same recipe as yours (although I have also made the leontine roll before and it really is fab).
Nice job with the swiss roll. I also was too hot and rushed to bother with step by step pics. But your final result speaks for itself.
Yes isn’t not a recipe that lends itself to step-by-step pictures, that’s for sure.
This whole situation is just too funny. A wigish swiss roll mound. It is BEGGING for jello. And some of those paper things you stick on racks of lamb (not sure where they’d go but they somehow seem to fit with the theme).
Your roll looks lovely. Not at all wigish.
Now I kinda wish I had made it with jello….
That candied orange peel adds a really nice decorative touch and delicious flavor too.
Lovely work, it was so many steps and so much time for this challenge. By the way I like the picture at the bottom a little better.
Yes, funny, I thought I was making the easier of the options but it turned out to be just as much work!
I love that shot with the slice taken out of it! What a job, congrats!
Grand Marnier whipped cream!!! That sounds fantastic! I’d ask for a slice, but it was probably all gobbled up within the first 10minutes of presentation. Congrats on a great DB challenge 🙂
Thanks so much!
Wow. Just…Wow. I am so in awe by the time and effort and skill you put into making this cake, when I can’t even make a simple swiss roll without it cracking in 20 places.
I bow to your prowess!