Cakes like these don’t last very long. Full of fresh cream and rose-scented raspberries, it might be worth making two of these at a time just so it can last a little longer. The super-light, fatless sponge is studded with desiccated coconut, which also adds a little texture. Once you get the hang of baking and rolling the sponge, you’ll soon realise how quick and easy it is to put together.
For a completely different look, you can cover the rolled cake in the whipped cream, also covering both ends. Then press on some toasted coconut flakes to cover the entire cake.
Makes: 1 roulade
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes, plus cooling
Styling: Benjamina Ebuehi
Photography: Holly Wulff-Petersen
Season: Summer
Ingredients
For the sponge:
5 medium eggs
150g caster sugar
95g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
50g desiccated coconut
30g granulated sugar
For the filling:
240ml double cream
50g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g fresh raspberries
½ tsp rosewater
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
Icing Sugar, to dust
Method
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Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan. Line a 9×13 inch (23x33cm) swiss roll pan with baking paper.
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Add the desiccated coconut to a food processor and pulse until it you have a finer mixture.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric whisk, beat together the eggs and sugar for 3-5 minutes until very pale and doubled in size.
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Sift the flour, coconut and baking powder on top of the eggs and very gently fold to combine being careful not to knock out too much air. Gently pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and just firm to the touch. If the cake overbakes, it may crack when it comes to rolling.
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Place a sheet of baking paper slightly bigger than the swiss roll pan onto the counter top and sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar. Turn the sponge out onto the sugared paper and peel off the baking paper that was on the bottom of the sponge. Using a sharp knife, score a line along one of the shorter edges about half of the cakes depth.
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Roll the warm cake up tightly in the baking paper starting from the side that you scored. Leave the rolled cake to cool completely.
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Make the filling by whipping the cream with the sugar and vanilla until you have soft peaks.
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Slice the raspberries in half and toss them in a bowl with the rosewater. Break them down a little by lightly pressing with a fork. Stir three quarters of the raspberries into the cream allowing the raspberries to create a ripple effect.
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Once the sponge is completely cool, gently unroll, and flatten the sponge lightly with your hand. Spread the raspberry filling thickly and evenly across the cake, leaving about half an inch from the edges before sprinkling on some more desiccated coconut and the remaining quarter of raspberries.
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Reroll the sponge and try to keep as much of the filling inside as possible. Slice off both ends of the cake with a serrated knife to give a clean cut and reveal the swirl inside. Dust the cake with a little icing sugar before serving.
Read more: A New Way To Cake
There’s definitely more than one way to cake – a simple loaf cake enjoyed with a cuppa, or a lavishly decorated chocolate cake layered with and slathered in rich chocolate buttercream for a celebration. Benji’s book has got you for both, and more.
— about the author
