Easter Pattern Swiss Roll
This delightful dessert features a light and fluffy lemon cake filled with a creamy mascarpone whipped cream and tangy lemon curd. Truly impress your guests with this show stopper dessert!
Servings: 1 roll
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pattern
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- 80 g icing sugar sifted
- 4 egg whites
- 100 g cake flour sifted
- ¼ tsp lemon extract
For the cake batter
- 5 egg yolks
- 40 g caster sugar
- 30 ml milk
- 40 ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 zest of lemon
- 100 g cake flour sifted
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the meringue
- 5 egg whites
- 30 g caster sugar
- a few drops lemon juice
For the mascarpone whipped cream
- 150 ml double cream chilled
- 150 g mascarpone cheese chilled
- 50 g icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the lemon curd
- 2 eggs
- 5 egg yolks
- 118 ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 zest of lemon
- 115 g caster sugar
- 60 g salted butter cold
Instructions
Prepare the baking pan
- Spray cake release spray onto the baking pan and place the printed design in the middle of the pan.
- Line with parchment paper on top of the design.
- Spray cake release spray again on top of the parchment paper to prevent the pattern sticking onto it after the cake has been baked.
Prepare the pattern batter
- Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl, add the softened butter and beat them until the mix becomes lighter.
- Gradually add egg whites and continue to beat for about a minute or two.
- Add lemon extract and mix it well.
- Sift in the cake flour and continue to beat the mixture until it becomes smooth.
- Roughly divide the mixture into eight portions.
- Add each portion a few drops of different gel food colouring. I use white, orange, soft pink, teal, regal purple, leaf green, chocolate brown and black. You can use any colour of your liking.
- Pour each coloured batter into a separate piping bag and secure each with a silicone rubber band.
- Pipe the design onto the prepared parchment paper.
- Once you are happy with the design, place the pan in the freezer to let the pattern go firm.
Prepare the Swiss roll cake batter
- Separate the eggs, place the whites into a large mixing bowl and the yolks into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar in the yolks. Beat at medium speed with a hand-held mixer until it doubles in volume.
- Add milk, lemon juice, vegetable oil and lemon extract. Give the mixture a quick mix.
- Sift in flour and salt. Mix with a spatula first followed by a hand-held mixer at medium speed until it becomes a smooth batter.
- Add in zest of lemon and mix the batter using a spatula until everything is well combined.
- Preheat the oven at 170℃.
Prepare the meringue
- Add a few drops of lemon juice into the egg whites. Whisk at medium speed until a layer of foam is formed on the surface.
- Gradually add in sugar, around one-third at a time. Allow a minuter in between each portion to let the sugar dissolve before adding the next portion.
- Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to medium high speed and continue to whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (meaning there is a firm pea when you pull the meringue out using the whisk).
- Scoop a small amount of meringue into the cake batter to loosen it for easier mixing.
- Scoop one-third of meringue at a time and gently fold into the cake batter using a whisk.
- Gently fold each portion in completely (you can’t see any white blobs) before adding the next portion.
- When all the meringue is folded in, use a spatula for a final gently mix to make sure everything is well combined.
Bake and roll the cake
- Take the firmed pattern from the freezer and remove the original design template from under the parchment paper.
- Pour the cake batter onto the pattern. Use an offset spatula to even out the surface. Drop the pan (from the height of a few inches) a few times against the work surface to get rid of any big air bubbles trapped inside the batter.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Once the cake is done, take it out from the oven immediately. Remove the cake from the pan when you can handle it by hand (be careful) and peel off the parchment paper on the sides.
- Place a new sheet of parchment paper on top and flip it over. Peel off the baked parchment paper and review the pattern.
- Get a clean tea towel ready on the side. Place a new sheet of parchment paper on top of the patterned side. Flip the cake over again.
- With the help of the parchment paper, start rolling the cake into a log. Wrap it with the tea towel which will keep the cake moist and soft. Cool it on a wire rack completely with the seam down.
Prepare the filling
- Before whipping, chill the mixing bowl in advance.
- Add mascarpone cheese and icing sugar in the mixing bowl. Start whisking them at medium speed using a whisk.
- Gradually add in double cream and vanilla extract.
- Whisk at medium speed until it reaches a thick, firm and a spreadable consistency.
- Cover it with a lid or cling film and pop it back to the fridge until needed.
Assemble and serve the cake
- Unroll the cooled cake and peel off the parchment paper inside.
- Scoop a generous amount of mascarpone whipped cream in the centre followed by a layer of it on the surface of the cake using an offset spatula.
- Spread a layer of lemon curd on top of the whipped cream using a clean spatula.
- Use the parchment paper to help roll the cake back and wrap it with the parchment paper and the tea towel. Place the filled roll cake in the fridge to set for around one to two hours.
- Take the cake out from the fridge and unroll it. Use a sharp knife to slice off both ends to make it look neat.
- Serve on your desired serving plate and enjoy. Happy Easter!
Video
Notes
- Watch my video tutorial to see how this Easter pattern Swiss roll is made.
- You can dye the pattern to the colour of your liking.
- Watch my Shorts video to see how I make lemon curd.
- Swiss roll cake is best to consume on the same day. You can place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.