Swiss Roll

When coming to Martha's recipes, I'm quite confident to try it out as it never fails. Her cookery show was amongst my first time favourites which guided me through my baking journey. Triple chocolate mousse cake & Tiramisu cupcake are a few among them. She explains her recipe so well with detailed instructions that it is easy for any beginner to bake. (so i copied her recipe as it is)Swiss roll is also one among her diary and we just loved it. I was always afraid of baking this fearing that it would break while rolling; but never knew that when handled it right, this is one of the easiest dessert or cake recipe.

Ingredients:

For Cake:

Vegetable oil for greasing
1/4 cup Cocoa plus more for pan
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp sifted cake flour, plus more for pan *
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs
Egg yolks 2
Sugar 1/2 cup
Butter 4 tbsp, melted and cooled completely

For Filling:

Water 1/4 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
Heavy cream 1 1/4 cups

Method:

1. Prepare oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 270 c, with rack in bottom half. Coat a 12 1/2 by 17 inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with baking sheet, coat with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.

2. Combine dry ingredients; Whisk together cocoa powder, flour and salt in a bowl.

3. Combine eggs and sugar. Bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (not in) simmering water, whisk eggs, yolks and granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to touch.

4.Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment; beat on medium- high speed for 2 minutes. Raise speed to high; beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.

5.Add dry ingredients: Sift cocoa mixture over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold. When almost incorporated, pour melted butter down side of bowl; gently fold to combine.

6.Bake: Using an offset spatula, spread batter evenly into prepared sheet. Bake until golden brown and springy to the touch ,6-7 minutes. Meanwhile ,dust a clean kitchen towel with cocoa powder. Run a knife around sides of cake.

7. Invert onto prepared towel, and remove the baking sheet.

8. Roll into log and cool : While the sheet cake is still warm, gently roll, starting from one short side, into a log, incorporating the kitchen towel. Let the cake cool completely rolled. ( This will give the cake a 'shape memory' so it will be easier to roll again with filling.)

9.Meanwhile, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add rum, then let cool completely.

10. Fill the cake and reroll: Unroll cake. Brush entire surface generously with cooled rum syrup. Whip cream and remaining tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form; spread over cake leaving a 1/2 inch border all around . Roll cake to enclose filling (without towel), starting at a short end. Wrap the towel around rolled cake, securing with clips or clothespins to help retain the shape.

Chill and serve. Refrigerate 30 mts or upto 3 hrs. Dust with cocoa powder, cut into slices with a serratd knife and serve.