Mango and Cream Swiss Roll

Despite being on summer break from uni at the moment, I don't have nearly as much time to spend on baking and pastry-making as I would like. Yesterday evening provided a rare opportunity for me to carry out two wishes I've had for a while now: 1) try out my flashy new KitchenAid stand mixer and 2) make a Swiss roll.

I've made a Swiss cake roll only one time previously, around a year ago, and the result was not very good. There were visible lumps of flour in the cake part, and the filling made everything soggy. I am pleased to say that this Swiss roll turned out very well. Due to either a superior recipe for the sponge cake, or the use of gelatine-stabilised whipped cream for the filling, or the assistance I received from my KitchenAid, or a combination of the three, this Mango and Cream Swiss Roll had it all in terms of flavour and looks. Okay, almost had it all in terms of looks. But it tasted great, and when baking for friends and family, flavour trumps appearance, yes?

Before I forget - allow me to show off my KitchenAid! Which I've already formed an emotional attachment to xD Whenever I feel depressed about having to go to work, I look to it as a reminder that only some of the good things in life are for free, lol :D

Apart from a minor incident in which I managed to electrocute myself when I touched the mixer bowl because I'd plugged the KitchenAid into an extension cord socket (which wasn't properly grounded), my first baking project involving the mixer went very smoothly. Prior to this, I've always used a hand mixer to make the meringue base for a sponge cake, whip cream for frosting, mix the batter, etc., and I was so surprised at how much effort I was saving myself by using the stand mixer. In fact, I felt kinda guilty and lazy just standing by the sidelines and watching, while my Yellow Pepper-hued beauty did all the work for me. All I had to do was clean the bowl and the whisk intermittently! And assemble the cake roll, of course.

Now, some key pointers when making the sponge cake sheet: 

• Firstly, make sure you have the correct sized pan for the recipe you're using. I've made the mistake of spreading the batter too thinly before, and I ended up with a toffee-coloured sheet which shattered when I tried to manipulate it into some semblance of a roll. I used the sponge cake recipe I found at What's For Dessert Today!, which was perfect for a 9" x 12" (23 x 30cm) pan. 

• Secondly, roll up your cake fresh out of the oven, being careful not to burn your hands. The reason for this is that, if you allow your cake to cool before trying to roll it up, you'll end up with cracks all over. So roll it up while it's still warm. Without the filling, of course. Keep it rolled up while it cools slightly, then unroll, spread out the filling, roll it back up, and put it in the fridge to chill for a few hours.

• Thirdly (and this is a general tip for all sponge cakes), I find that flour lumps are easily avoided by using the "chiffon method" when making the batter. This is where you mix the flour and other dry ingredients with the egg yolks, whip the egg whites and sugar into a meringue separately, then combine the two. This is in contrast to what I did before, which was to sift in the dry ingredients into the wet. 

I mentioned that I used gelatine-stabilised cream for the filling. This is simply a fancy name for cream whipped after gelatine had been added to it. After chilling for a bit in the fridge, it takes on a mousse-like consistency which is perfect for spreading or piping. The gelatine helps it to hold its shape, and stops the moisture from the cream from leeching into the surrounding cake. 

The whipped cream filling holding its shape, thanks to the addition of gelatine

Next time, I may puree whatever fruit I choose to use and mix it with the cream to form a pretty, uniformly-coloured filling. I do quite like the distinct chunks of mango in this roll, though :D 

Here's the recipe!

Recipe for Mango and Cream Swiss Roll

Adapted from What's For Dessert Today!

Makes one 23cm long swiss roll

Ingredients

For the sponge cake:

4 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites

70g caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)

10g corn flour (sifted)

70g all-purpose/plain flour

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

40ml canola oil

40g milk

For the gelatine-stabilised whipped cream:

1 cup whipping cream

3 tablespoons confectioner's/icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (again, I used vanilla bean paste)

1 teaspoon powdered gelatine

1 tablespoon cold water

And, of course...:

Flesh of half a large mango, sliced into 5cm sticks

Method

To make the gelatine-stabilised whipped cream (do this first):

1. Combine the cold water and powdered gelatine, stir together, and set aside until the gelatine has absorbed the water to make a goo. Microwave this goo for 15 seconds or until liquid. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine whipping cream, confectioner's/icing sugar, and vanilla extract. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, start whipping the cream. When soft peaks start to form, add in the liquid gelatine mixture. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Do not over-beat or cream will separate and curdle. Transfer into a container, and refrigerate until needed.

To make the sponge cake sheet:

1. Preheat oven at 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Line a 9" x 12" (23 x 30cm) sheet pan or baking tray with non-stick parchment paper, and place the baking rack towards the middle of the oven, closer to the bottom. 

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 35g of the caster sugar until light and creamy. Sift in the all-purpose/plain flour, corn flour, and baking soda and whisk until smooth and lumps-free. Add in the vanilla extract, and whisk it in well.

3. In a separate bowl (here's where my KitchenAid came to the rescue), add the cream of tartar to the egg whites, and whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the remaining 35g of caster sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon, and beat until stiff peaks form. 

4. Add 1/3 of the beaten egg white mixture from step 3 to the egg yolk mixture from step 2. Stir in with whisk, so that the batter is more liquid. Pour this batter into the remaining egg whites, and fold in gently with a rubber spatula. Be careful as to not deflate the batter.

5. Pour batter into the lined sheet pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Place in oven, and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the surface is a light, golden brown. 

6. Remove from oven, and straight away, cover the top with a pieces of parchment paper and roll up the cake. Allow to cool slightly, for around 5 minutes, then unroll and fill with the whipped cream and mango. Roll back up, wrap with cling wrap, and put in the fridge to chill for a few hours before slicing and serving.

Vanilla bean ice cream: a tangible (and delectable) proof that homemade is best.

Is it really December? It sure doesn't feel like December. I have yet to venture outdoors without a jacket, and I still require two, thick quilts at night to keep my toesies warm.

So, my questions are:

1) Is summer really here?

2) Should I retrieve my long-sleeved pyjama tops from the back of the closet?

3) Is it too early to crank out quart after quart of homemade ice cream as a pre-emptive measure against the January heatwaves?

Not sure about 1) and 2), but 3) I can answer with ease: definitely not! Especially since an iced dessert aficionado like myself enjoys eating ice cream so much that cold weather rarely factors into the equation.

Usually, when the craving for something sweet, creamy and chilled strikes, I promptly drag my greedy behind to the nearest gelato/ice cream store and order the richest-looking flavours on offer (with an internal pledge to eat healthy for the next few days). It's usually a scoop of some permutation of chocolate, paired with a dessert-based one like tiramisu, boysenberry cheesecake, or cookies 'n' cream. Or, if I happen to be within the vicinity of Passionflower, or a similar store carrying Asian flavours, I'd invariably pick the black sesame. Vanilla - boring, old, artificial-tasting vanilla - is usually dismissed without a second thought.

I don't know what compelled me to choose vanilla ice cream when I decided to test out the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that my friends gifted me for my 21st birthday (I also got a food processor! My friends know me too well xD). Maybe it was the fact that I had a few vanilla beans to use up. Or because my siblings happen to like vanilla ice cream. Or perhaps some part of me instinctively knew that the fact that I would be using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients I could get my hands on would make this vanilla ice cream anything but boring, old, and artificial-tasting.

One lesson learned: always trust your instincts! This vanilla bean ice cream was amazing. I mean, just looking at that picture below...it would look right at home on a Blue Ribbon ad, wouldn't you agree? ;D I love the visible specks of the vanilla bean seeds. And did I mention how creamy and smooth this was? Totally worth the money- and calorie-splurge on Pura Double Thick Cream, with a minimum milk fat content of 48%. No wonder it tasted like spoonfuls of paradise.

 Recipe for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Adapted from David Lebovitz


Makes 1 litre (1 quart)

Ingredients

1 cup (250ml) full cream milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (150g) white granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 cups (500ml) double cream (I recommend minimum 48% milk fat), chilled in fridge until needed.
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used Queen's Natural Vanilla Extract)


Method

1. Heat the milk, salt and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a low flame. Do not boil the milk; the aim is to dissolve the sugar in the liquid.

2. Split the vanilla bean pod length-ways and scrape the seeds into the milk. Give the milk a gentle whisk to disperse the vanilla seeds. Add the bean pod to the milk. Cover the saucepan, remove from heat, and allow to infuse for one hour.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. After an hour of infusing the milk with the vanilla bean, remove the bean pods. Rewarm the infused milk over a low flame. Pour a third of the milk into the egg yolks gradually, whisking constantly. This is to stop the egg yolks from cooking from the added heat. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan containing the remaining two-thirds of the milk.

4. Cook the egg yolk and milk mixture over low heat, stirring constantly. Use a heat-resistant spatula, as this will allow you to scrape the bottom of the saucepan. Do not stop stirring and scraping, as the mixture at the bottom of the pan will scramble like that! if unattended (talking from experience here).

5. Once the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of the spatula, remove from heat. Taking it off the heat at the right time is a science in itself, and takes a bit of experience, guesswork and luck. Haha, practice makes perfect :D Allow to cool slightly.

6. Take the double cream out of the fridge and pour/scrape into yet another bowl. Set a strainer over the top of the bowl containing the cream. Strain the cooked eggs and milk (now known as a "custard) into the cream. Stir together until completely incorporated. Then strain the entire mixture for guaranteed smoothness.

7. Stir in the teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into an air-tight container, and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours. I left mine in the fridge for 12 hours.

8. Once mixture has chilled sufficiently, pour it into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.