Roulade – you’ve got to roll with it (2024)

FAQs

Should I roll a roulade hot or cold? ›

While the cake is still warm, roll it up from one short side, using the baking paper as a guide.

A roulade is any type of rolled delicacy with a filling in the middle and can be either sweet and cake- or pastry-based or savory and meat-based. A roulade cake in particular is a light and airy rolled sponge cake with a filling in the middle, usually composed of jam or whipped cream.

Don't spread filling too thick and don't take it quite up to the edge of the sponge (leave a gap of a couple of centimetres). This will avoid too much squidging out when you roll the cake up again!

Roll it while it's hot.

For a traditional roulade, roll from the longer side. For my vertical roulade, roll from the shorter end. Let the roulade cool completely, rolled up in its own parchment, before filling and finishing.

Mixing the batter too vigorously at the end will force a lot of the air bubbles out and the cake may come out flat and rubbery. Be sure to use a light hand to gently fold the flour into the egg mixture. Keep an eye on the baking time - set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check for doneness.

Sugars are hygroscopic, meaning they attract water. Within baked goods, sugars help maintain a moist and tender crumb. Sugar on the exposed tops, however, will grab water from humid air, creating a wet or sticky top.

Americans typically refer to rolled cakes as jelly rolls, while British bakers refer to rolled cakes as Swiss rolls. In Switzerland, people use the French name for rolled meats and pastries, roulade.

Check that the eggs are within their "best before" date and that they have been stored correctly. If there were some beads of syrup on the meringue, particularly near the base, then that is an indication that the sugar was not fully dissolved and can sometimes make the egg flavour more prominent, though this is rare.

Even with a perfect cake formula, overcooking it will make it too brittle to roll. So, heed those baking times and rotate your pan to ensure even baking. A cold cake will probably crack when it's time to roll. So, Masterclass recommends giving the cake a head start and rolling it up while still warm but not filled.

A roulade (/ruːˈlɑːd/) is a dish of filled rolled meat or pastry. Roulade can be savory or sweet. Swiss roll is an example of a sweet roulade. Traditionally found in various European cuisines, the term roulade originates from the French word rouler, meaning "to roll".

What is a rectangular cake called? ›

A sheet cake or slab cake is a cake baked in a large, flat, rectangular cake pan.

DEFROST TO SERVE

It is very important to remove the dessert from all packaging and place on a serving dish whilst it's still frozen. You'll find it much easier to handle. Defrost for 6 hours at room temperature or 10-11 hours in the fridge. Eat as soon as possible once thawed.

It is normal for cakes to crack slightly when you are rolling up a Swiss roll after filling it. This can happen due to the weight of the filling, or because the cakes get stuck to the surface they are placed on.

Cooking Instructions

Once defrosted, store at 4°C and consume within 2 days. Do not refreeze. Do not thaw in the microwave. Due to the delicate nature of the product, there may be a small quantity of meringue fragments in the box.

Starting at the shorter edge of the cake, roll the cake and greaseproof paper up together, making sure that it is especially tight at the beginning. It's important that the cake is warm so it can set in the right shape. If it's too cold, it won't roll properly. Once rolled, leave it to cool completely.

When the cake is ready, tip it onto the parchment, peel off the lining paper, then roll the cake up from its longest edge with the paper inside. Leave to cool.

To prevent a Swiss roll cracking when rolled, trim off its crusty edges then, while it is still warm, put it on greaseproof paper dusted with caster sugar.