The Orange Swiss roll is a delightful dessert that balances the vibrant, tangy flavor of fresh orange with the light, fluffy texture of a sponge cake. Its refreshing taste and soft texture make it best served chilled, perfect for any occasion. However, one of the most challenging aspects of making a Swiss roll is ensuring that the cake rolls up smoothly without cracking. Achieving this perfect roll requires careful attention to detail and a few key techniques.
The foundation of a successful Swiss roll is a soft and moist sponge cake. The cake needs to be pliable enough to roll without breaking, and to achieve this, the baking process must be precise. One effective trick to enhance the moisture of the sponge is to place a tray of water in the oven while baking. The steam generated from the water creates a humid environment, which helps prevent the cake from drying out. This technique ensures that the sponge remains tender and easy to work with when it’s time to roll it up.
Before baking, it’s essential to preheat the oven to the correct temperature. Starting with a properly heated oven ensures that the cake bakes evenly and develops a nice, golden-brown crust on top. The golden crust is crucial because if the top of the cake remains pale, it can become sticky as it cools, which makes it difficult to handle later on.
Once the cake has finished baking, another key step in preventing shrinkage is to drop the baking pan from about one foot high onto the countertop immediately after removing it from the oven. This may seem unusual, but it serves a valuable purpose: the drop releases built-up steam and reduces the cake’s tendency to shrink as it cools.
After this, transfer the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Allowing the cake to cool on a wire rack helps air circulate around it, preventing the bottom from becoming soggy. Once the cake has cooled completely, it is ready to be rolled. If you try to roll the cake while it is still warm, the delicate sponge is more prone to cracking. A completely cooled cake will hold its shape better and be easier to work with.
Once the cake is rolled up, wrap the orange Swiss roll with cling wrap and refrigerate it for at least one hour before slicing. Chilling the cake allows the flavors to meld together, and it helps the Swiss roll maintain its form when sliced. It also gives the filling, whether it’s whipped cream, jam, or a combination of both, a chance to firm up, making for cleaner, neater slices. Serving the orange Swiss roll chilled not only enhances its tangy orange flavor but also provides a refreshing dessert experience, especially on warm days.
CHINESE VERSION: 香橙瑞士卷蛋糕
Orange Swiss Roll Cake | MyKitchen101en
Yield: 10 slices
Ingredients:
- 3 egg yolks (grade A, room temperature)
- 10 g fine sugar
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 45 g corn oil
- 40 ml freshly squeezed orange juice (filtered)
- grated orange zest (of 2 oranges)
- 65 g low protein flour (cake flour)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¹⁄₁₆ tsp baking soda
- ½ tbsp milk powder
Ingredients for meringue:
- 3 egg whites (grade A, room temperature)
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 60 g fine sugar
Other ingredient:
- 80 g non-dairy whipping cream (sweetened) (a.k.a. non-dairy whip topping cream)
Instructions:
1 Add a tray of water in the oven (to yield a moister cake), preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.
2 Mix together egg yolks, sugar, salt, corn oil, fresh orange juice and grated orange zest. (Reminder: Wash the skin of oranges thoroughly before grating the zest. Mix 1 part of distilled vinegar and 3 parts of water in a plastic basin, soak the oranges for 20 minutes. Gently brush using a clean fishnet washer or dishwasher brush, then rinse thoroughly with running water. )
3 Mix and sieve together low protein flour, baking powder, baking soda and milk powder.
4 Sieve the dry flour mixture again into the wet ingredients, mix until just combined (do not overmix).
5 In another clean and dry mixing bowl, whisk egg whites over low speed until foamy. Add in cream of tartar, continue whisking over low speed until soft peak. Add in sugar gradually, continue whisking until stiff peak. At stiff peak: the peaks will point straight up and hold.
6 Add meringue into batter in 3 batches, mix gently using balloon whisk.
7 Fold gently using rubber spatula until well mixed.
8 Tap mixing bowl on countertop for a few times (to burst large bubbles), then pour the batter slowly into 10″ x 14″ (25 cm x 36 cm) rectangle baking pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the batter evenly with spatula, then drop the baking pan onto countertop for a few times (to burst large bubbles).
9 Bake at 190°C/375°F for 15-17 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. (Reminder: The heat for different oven is different, the suggested time is only for reference, adjust the baking time base on your oven if necessary.)
10 Drop the baking pan from 1 foot high onto countertop after removing from oven (to minimize shrinkage). Transfer the cake to wire rack, set aside to cool completely.
11 Whip non-dairy whipping cream until stiff, keep refrigerated for later use. (Reminder: Use stainless mixing bowl for whipping. Keep both mixing bowl and whisk in freezer for 30 minutes to chill them up before using.)
12 Invert fully cooled cake onto another piece of parchment paper, then remove the paper at the bottom of the cake.
13 Make 2 shallow cuts on the end where rolling starts (about 1 inch apart, do not cut through).
14 Spread non-dairy whipped cream onto cake.
15 Gently roll the orange swiss roll up.
16 Wrap the orange swiss roll cake with cling wrap, keep refrigerated for 1 hour before slicing.
17 A tangy, refreshing, and beautiful Orange Swiss roll that is as delightful to look at as it is to eat.
Orange Swiss Roll Cake
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Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks grade A, room temperature
- 10 g fine sugar
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 45 g corn oil
- 40 ml freshly squeezed orange juice filtered
- grated orange zest of 2 oranges
- 65 g low protein flour cake flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1/16 tsp baking soda
- ½ tbsp milk powder
For meringue:
- 3 egg whites grade A, room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 60 g fine sugar
Other ingredient:
- 80 g non-dairy whipping cream sweetened(a.k.a.non-dairy whip topping cream)
Instructions
- Add a tray of water in the oven (to yield a moister cake), preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.
- Mix together egg yolks, sugar, salt, corn oil, fresh orange juice and grated orange zest. Mix and sieve together low protein flour, baking powder, baking soda and milk powder. Sieve the dry flour mixture again into the wet ingredients, mix until just combined (do not overmix).
- In another clean and dry mixing bowl, whisk egg whites over low speed until foamy. Add in cream of tartar, continue whisking over low speed until soft peak. Add in sugar gradually, continue whisking until stiff peak. At stiff peak: the peaks will point straight up and hold.
- Add meringue into batter in 3 batches, mix gently using balloon whisk. Fold gently using rubber spatula until well mixed.
- Tap mixing bowl on countertop for a few times (to burst large bubbles), then pour the batter slowly into 10″ x 14″ (25 cm x 36 cm) rectangle baking pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the batter evenly with spatula, then drop the baking pan onto countertop for a few times (to burst large bubbles).
- Bake at 190°C/375°F for 15-17 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. (Reminder: The heat for different oven is different, the suggested time is only for reference, adjust the baking time base on your oven if necessary.)
- Drop the baking pan from 1 foot high onto countertop after removing from oven (to minimize shrinkage). Transfer the cake to wire rack, set aside to cool completely.
- Whip non-dairy whipping cream until stiff, keep refrigerated for later use. (Reminder: Use stainless mixing bowl for whipping. Keep both mixing bowl and whisk in freezer for 30 minutes to chill them up before using.)
- Invert fully cooled cake onto another piece of parchment paper, then remove the paper at the bottom of the cake. Make 2 shallow cuts on the end where rolling starts (about 1 inch apart, do not cut through).
- Spread non-dairy whipped cream onto cake.
- Gently roll the cake up.
- Wrap the cake roll with cling wrap, keep refrigerated for 1 hour before slicing.
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