Roll Cake (ロールケーキ, Rōru Kēki)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •30 by 25 cm roll-cake pan, or a similar rimmed baking sheet
• •Parchment paper
• •Hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Offset spatula
• •Sharp slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pan

   Heat the oven to 180 C. Line a 30 by 25 cm roll-cake pan with parchment, leaving a little overhang on two sides. The parchment is not decoration here. It lets you lift the thin sponge without tearing it, and thin cakes are honest about rough handling.

2. 2

   Mix the yolks

   Whisk the egg yolks with 30g of the granulated sugar until pale and thick. Whisk in the milk, oil, vanilla, and salt, then sift in the cake flour and mix just until smooth. Cake flour keeps the crumb tender, and sifting prevents dry pockets that would show up as heavy streaks in the roll.

3. 3

   Whip the whites

   Beat the egg whites until foamy, then add the remaining 50g sugar in three additions and beat to glossy medium peaks. Stop when the meringue bends softly at the tip. Stiff peaks look impressive, but they fold in badly and can make the sponge dry and brittle.

4. 4

   Fold the batter

   Fold one third of the meringue into the yolk mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest with a wide spatula. Turn the bowl as you fold so you don't beat out the air you just worked in. The batter should flow slowly, thick but not lumpy.

   This sponge gets its lift mostly from eggs, not chemical leavening. Gentle folding is what keeps the sheet light enough to roll.
5. 5

   Bake the sheet

   Spread the batter evenly into the lined pan, nudging it into the corners with the spatula. Tap the pan once on the counter to break large bubbles. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the top is pale gold, springy, and dry to the touch. Overbake it and the sponge loses the moisture that lets it bend.

6. 6

   Roll while warm

   Lift the sponge out by the parchment and set it on the counter. Cover the top with a fresh sheet of parchment, turn it over, and peel away the baking parchment. While the cake is still warm, roll it up from the short side with the clean parchment inside the roll. This trains the crumb before it sets, which is why the final roll will curve instead of crack.

7. 7

   Cool and whip

   Let the rolled sponge cool completely, seam-side down, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and kirsch or vanilla, if using, until it holds soft peaks. Soft cream spreads without tearing the cake and settles into the spiral rather than squeezing out the sides.

8. 8

   Fill the cake

   Unroll the cooled sponge gently. Spread the cream in an even layer, leaving 2 cm bare at the far edge so the filling has somewhere to move when you roll. If using strawberries, set them in one neat row near the starting edge. A single row gives you clean slices. A scattered handful gives you arguments with the knife.

9. 9

   Reroll and chill

   Roll the cake back up, using the parchment to lift and guide it rather than squeezing with your hands. Set it seam-side down, wrap it in the parchment, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling firms the cream and lets the sponge settle around it, so the spiral cuts cleanly.

10. 10

    Slice cleanly

    Trim the ends with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, then cut into slices the same way. Heat, wipe, cut. The warm blade passes through the cream and sponge without dragging, and the spiral shows itself cleanly.

Chef Tips

• •Use the freshest cream you can buy and keep it cold until the moment you whip it. This cake has nowhere to hide stale dairy, and heavy sugar won't rescue it.
• •A roll-cake pan gives the neatest thickness, but a rimmed baking sheet close to the same size works. Keep the batter level, because a thick end rolls like a folded towel.
• •Do not fill the cake while warm. The first roll is for shaping; the second is for the cream. Confuse the two and the cake will teach you, without kindness.
• •For a seasonal table, strawberries are right in spring and early summer. In autumn, a thin line of chestnut cream is proper, but keep it restrained so the sponge still reads as the main thing.

Advance Preparation

• •The filled roll can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept wrapped in the refrigerator. Slice it shortly before serving so the cut face stays clean.
• •The sponge can be baked, rolled warm, cooled, and kept wrapped at room temperature for 2 hours before filling.
• •Chill the bowl and beaters for the cream for 10 minutes before whipping. Cold tools help the cream thicken before it turns grainy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)