One of the great mysteries of the culinary world, is that the Chocolate Swiss Roll did not originate from Switzerland, regardless of its name. It is originally from Austria, according to the ever knowing Mr Google. Maybe, the one who named this cake wasn’t very good with Geography and confused Swiss from Austria. This is only my theory mind you, but if you look at the map, they are neighbours, so it’s a possibility. At any rate, this is now more British than anything else.

No big deal! What’s important to know here is that Swiss Roll is a thin sponge cake filled with whipped cream and jam and is then rolled into a log. Then you slice it to reveal the delightful spiral pattern of sponge and cream. For something that looks complicated, it is actually quite straightforward to make, as long as you follow the recipe with Swiss precision.

Make it your own…

If you omit the cocoa powder, in case you’re one of the few who does not like chocolate (like my son in law JL), you then have a Vanilla Swiss Roll. In which case you don’t even have to bother with the buttercream icing and just dust the log with icing sugar. Or do the buttercream but omit the cocoa powder and you have vanilla buttercream for icing.

In this recipe I’ve included juicy berries in the filling. I love the surprise pop of flavour when you bite into the berries. It also look extra special when you slice the cake and the colour of the berries show through. Of course the berries can be omitted entirely if you prefer.

This cake, also makes an appearance in our Christmas table as the Buche de Noel or the Yule Log. A few Christmas touches like evergreen leaves and holly, and it is reborn as a different cake altogether.

Why you’ll love this Chocolate Swiss Roll..

The sponge base is light and fluffy but not dry
It is filled with whipped cream which complements the chocolate sponge perfectly
The filling has fresh juicy berries, which is like a surprise pop of freshness when you bite into it
Cake is finished off with chocolate buttercream icing

What you need to make Chocolate Log

Eggs – Room temperature
Caster Sugar- This is also known as granulated or superfine sugar. It has finer grains and is ideal for baking, because it dissolves easily.
Icing Sugar – for dusting the cake, to prevent cake from sticking to the baking paper.
Vanilla Essence ,instant coffee powder or granules for extra flavour
Jam or Raspberry Coulis – Any jam will do, preferably strawberry or raspberry mainly for its colour . This keeps the sponge from drying up.
Pantry Staples – Self Raising Flour, Butter, Cocoa Powder
Berries- Strawberries, Raspberries or Blueberries or even a combination

Tips

As soon as the sponge cake comes out of the oven, flip it into a baking paper that is generously covered with icing sugar. Roll the cake while it is still warm to avoid cracking.
Do not over bake the sponge or it will be dry and tasteless . It is cooked when the top is touch dry.
Cool down the sponge in it’s rolled form before filling it with cream.
Don’t overfill the sponge or it might split or burst.
If it does crack, don’t fret too much as it will be covered with buttercream icing anyway.
No love for buttercream? Just dust the top generously with combined icing sugar and cocoa powder.