Black Sesame Swiss Roll

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Black Sesame Seeds

I have always liked BLACK SESAME SEEDS: black sesame desserts, black sesame ice cream, black sesame biscuits and of course, the recipe that I am going to share with you – BLACK SESAME SWISS ROLL.

I like the rich nutty flavour and every dessert made from black sesame always gives me a sense that it’s healthy (ignoring some of the other ingredients)…so it just persuades me that I can keep eating more and more …   Hahaha ….

Actually, it is true … if you google it, you can find a lot of articles talking about the benefits from black sesame … for example, it may help lower blood pressure, it’s high in fibre, can decrease the risk of cancer and so on. So, eating luscious desserts can also give your body some goodies, GREAT!!! Two birds with one stone, why not? 

Why this Black Sesame Swiss Roll?

I don’t particularly like things that are too sweet.  I like to taste the basic flavour of what I’m making or buying; coffee cake that tastes like coffee, brownies that taste like eating rich dark chocolate, lemon cupcakes that taste of real lemons. This BLACK SESAME SWISS ROLL, I can confidently say to you that you can truly taste the black sesame coming through. It’s wonderful.

Let the good times Roll!

Watch the video tutorial

Sifting Black Sesame Powder

Using a hand crank sifter is a better way to sift black sesame powder. I find it’s quite lumpy and not a fine powder, like cocoa powder for instance.  It didn’t go well using a normal sifter when I first tried to incorporate black sesame powder into my cake batter. I found that I needed to use a spoon to slightly press the black sesame powder through the sifter.  It took a bit of effort to sift the whole portion (better excuse to eat more cake of course). That’s why I highly recommend using a hand crank sifter to do the job. But if you don’t you just need to allow more preparation time and a bit more effort to get it done. 

How to make the BEST Swiss Roll

A Swiss Roll is a very light and fluffy sponge cake filled with jam, whipped cream or any icing you like.  The lightness and the fluffiness all come from the air bubbles that you generate when beating the egg whites. Therefore beating the egg whites is a very important step for a successful outcome. How do you make sure that this goes well? I’ll tell you a little secret…

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The two-step SECRET of beating egg whites

‘GREASE FREE’ is one of the secrets of beating egg whites successfully.  The reason for this is because egg whites contain 90% water and about 10% protein, while the egg yolks contain most of the fat.   When you beat the egg whites, the protein in the whites forms a kind of protection that surrounds the air bubbles.  If there is any fat in the whites, the protection can’t form, and it means that the air leaks away: the egg whites will never achieve that firm and glossy texture you need, no matter how long you beat them.

How to achieve ‘GREASE FREE’ – step one

Separate the egg yolks and the egg whites being super careful not to allow any yolk into the whites as the fat in them will damage the process of  beating.  So, cleanly separating the whites and the yolks is the first key to success.  There are a few ways to do this.

You can crack the eggs and use the shell to separate them. This is the most common way and I use it a lot. However, the problem is there is always a risk that some of the yolk will mix with the whites. 

So a safer way is to use the magic of the three bowl trick!

Prepare one small and two medium bowls.  Crack an egg into the small bowl, taking care that the yolk doesn’t break. Then place your hand, palm face up, over one of the medium bowls and pour the contents of the small bowl into your open hand. Allow the white to drain through your fingers into the bowl. When all that is left in your hand is the unbroken yolk, place that into the third bowl.  Doing this significantly decreases the risk of getting any yolk into the whites. If any broken yolk gets into the small bowl, clean it out before you try again. Yahoooo….. one step closer of having perfectly beaten egg whites.

Now onto ‘GREASE FREE’ step two – yes it’s another magic trick!

Now you need to deal with the mixing bowl and the whisk.  We need to make sure that they, too, are free from every speck of fat if we are going to hit those white stiff peaks that we need for the perfect sponge.

You’d think the mixing bowl and the whisk would be clean having been washed by dishwashing liquid. They should be clean with no grease at all.  But, you never know, maybe not. If there is any grease or even residue left on them from the washing up liquid, your egg white beating could still be ruined. To make sure that they are 100% guaranteed grease free, use distilled white vinegar to wipe both the bowl and the whisk. Now, they are good to go and the magic can happen. 

Want some insurance? Adding an acid can also help.

Adding an acid, like Cream of Tartar or lemon juice to the egg whites can also help for successfully beating. What is Cream of Tartar? Well, I am not a food scientist but I know that this strange white powder is an egg white stabilizer and will help the beaten egg whites to reach their full volume and hold their stiffness really well.

Good Swiss Rolls don’t crack.

If yours do, a great tip is to shape the cake before it cools. With the cake still warm to the touch, flip it out of the baking tin, face down onto a sheet of parchment paper.  Peel off the baked parchment paper from the bottom of the cake. Then take a clean sheet of parchment paper and roll it up inside the cake as tightly as you can.  Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.  By doing this, you will already have a perfect log roll – with no cracks!.  Most importantly, whenever you roll or unroll the cake,  you need to be gentle because the sponge cake is very light and delicate. Save the aggression for when you have a delicious slice of filled roll and a fork in your hand! 

What is the best filling for a Swiss Roll

Anything you fancy! You can fill it with jam, whipped cream with/without fruit, ganache, lemon curd, or any icing with or without chocolate chips as you like. The main limit is your imagination but I just keep it simple with this particular recipe because the sesame seeds are the star of the show and they need a simple backdrop – best choice for me is whipped cream.  It has a little bit of sweetness and perfectly complements the subtle black sesame flavour. It is a personal favourite (although I do have a lot of favourites…)

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Wise whipping for the cream

First the whipped cream has to contain at least 35% fat.  Don’t try a low fat or nonfat option, it won’t whip. Remember to take the cream out from the fridge just before you start to whip it.

Second, make sure the mixing bowl and the whisk are chilled.  It will help the whole whipping process to stay cool and to get the cream whipped easily into shape (I wish it was that easy for me to keep in shape).

Finally, if you don’t use the whipped cream straight away after whipping, refrigerate it until you need it.  

Other little details you need to know before you start

This recipe is for a 15” x 9” shallow pan.  If you use a different size, please adjust the amount of the ingredients proportionately.  Otherwise, the cake layer may turn out too thin or too thick. As a result, the swirls may not have the right thickness or the rolling could be a problem.

Choose your desired serving plate, place the roll onto the serving plate after rolling back into the log, filled with cream.  You can’t really transfer it onto another plate after this stage, so think ahead about the final plate before you start the final roll.   I chose a rectangle mat-black serving plate for mine, I think it makes my Black Sesame Swiss Roll look very stylish and elegant, don’t you agree?  Always eat with your eyes first … 🙂

Black Sesame Swiss Roll

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Bakabee
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Yield: 7 slices 1x
• Category: cakes, desserts
• Cuisine: American, Asian

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Description

An easy to make but really striking black sesame Swiss Roll that offers something elegantly different from the norm. Tempting, light and mysteriously dark sponge cake filled with luxurious vanilla cream, topped with a vanilla cream piping and a decorative sprinkle of black sesame seeds. This is just the treat for those days when you feel like something not too sweet to reward yourself for all that hard work that you do!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the cake

• 6 pc eggs (separated)
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 90 g granulated white sugar (divided into 45g and 45g)
• 60 ml milk
• 45 ml vegetable oil
• 6 tbsp black sesame powder (sifted)
• 45 g all-purpose flour (sifted)
• 45 g cornstarch (sifted)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

For the filling

• 1 1/2 cup double cream (35%)
• 94 g powdered sugar (sifted)
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 165℃. Grease the Swiss Roll pan 15″ x 9″ by butter and line with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Chill a metal mixing bowl in the fridge to cool for preparing the filling later.
3. In two separate bowls, separate the egg whites and the egg yolks. Be careful, do not mix any egg yolks into the egg whites.
4. In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 45g of sugar until thicken in texture.
5. Add pure vanilla extract, milk and vegetable oil to the egg mixture and mix them well.
6. Add the sifted sesame powder, all-purpose flour and cornstarch to the egg mixture and mix them well.
7. In the stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy at low speed. Add the cream of tartar. Then add the sugar spoonful by spoonful. After that, continue to beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff peak form. It takes around 6-8 minutes.
8. Use a spatula to add a little of egg white into the egg yolk mixture to loosen up the texture.
9. Fold the egg white into the mixture gently until all well combined in 3 portions. Be gentle and be patient at this stage, you do not want to beat all the air out.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. Bake it for around 13-15 minutes, until top springs back when lightly pressed.
11. Prepare a sheet of parchment paper, spread it onto a flat surface. Invert the warm cake onto the parchment paper. Peel off the baked parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut the edges to make it look neat.
12. Starting at the short side, use the parchment paper to tightly roll the cake. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
13. Make the filling, take the chilled mixing bowl out from the fridge. Whisk together double cream, powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, and salt, until stiff peak form. Refrigerate it until ready to use.
14. When the cake is cool, unroll it and spread the filling evenly over the cake. Leave around 1 cm at the end. Roll the cake back into a roll, this time without the parchment paper. Place the seam side down on a serving plate and refrigerate it until well chilled, 1 hour.
15. Decorate the Swiss Roll by piping the rest of the filling and sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top. (Optional)
16. Cut a slice and have it with a cup of tea! Delicious! Happy Baking!

Notes

• This recipe is for a baking pan 15″ x 9″.  If your pan is in different sizes, please adjust the quantity of the ingredients proportionally.
• Make sure the mixing bowl and the whisk for beating egg whites are grease free.
• Watch my video tutorial to see the whole process.
• Leave me comments if you have any questions.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 361kcal
• Sugar: 27.1g
• Sodium: 142mg
• Fat: 11.5g
• Saturated Fat: 8.5g
• Carbohydrates: 38.9g
• Fiber: 0.2g
• Protein: 6.9g
• Cholesterol: 195mg

Bake it – Black Sesame Swiss Roll

Watch my video tutorial before you start, I show you exactly how I made this in my own baking studio.  If I can bake it, so can you! Let me know how it turns out. 😄 I love connecting and seeing your pictures. It really makes my day.

More tasty recipes for your next bakes

• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free) (video tutorial)
• Healthy Savoury Sweetcorn and Carrot Muffins (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)
• Banana Walnut Cake (video tutorial)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you will enjoy this recipe.

If you’ve tried my Black Sesame Swiss Roll recipe, please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you thought. The more we chat the more I know what recipes I should be making and sharing. If you have any recipe suggestions I would also love to hear them.

Rating the recipe once you’ve made this Black Sesame Swiss Roll may also help other readers decide whether to make my bakes, so I would love it if you could come back and let everyone know what you think.

Happy baking!

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