When Do I Roll my Swiss Cake?

[jlwquilter]

I've made 2 or 3 Swiss Rolls using the Cocoa Souflle Cake from the Cake Bible. The first one I did following the directions exactly and while I did get a small crack in the cake while rolling, overall I was pretty damn impressed with my efforts.

The 2nd time I made the cake but split the batter into 2 smaller pans. I feel I overbaked the cake a tad but nothing crazy. This time, in an effort to not get any cracks, I rolled the cakes while slightly warm. Disaster! Cake just fell apart. I mooshed it all back together and at least it still tasted great. I don't know if it also had an effect but this cake, I filled with much more frosting than I did the cake that rolled pretty well.

I now need to make a Swiss Roll to sell. Should I go back to waiting until the cake it totally cold (cooled flat) to roll and hope for no cracks? The recipe claims the cake practically can't crack but I managed to prove that wrong

Should I try rolling the cake warm (or cold??) but WITHOUT the filling, then let it cool, unroll, fill with filling and re-roll? I saw a FoodNetwork program (On the Road with the Neely's) where the featured bakery seemed to do it this way. Except I don't really know if the unfilled cake was rolled warm or cold, now that I think on it. The showcase cake was filled massively with filling as well.... too much filling to my mind but as I thought maybe one issue with my disaster roll was too much filling, I wonder how the amount of filling effects rolling/cracking...?

I am also wondering if I can stick with splitting the batter between 2 cake pans (which I like the idea of as it makes for more manageable sized cakes for my usage)

In case it matters, I am filling the cake with a cocoa cream cheese frosting, then dusting with powdered sugar.

Oh, any tips on keeping the rolled cake as round as possible? My cakes went oval, from their own weight. I can live with it but heck, I can at least try for a rounder end result.

Thanks!

[tmriga]

We were taught in school to roll the cake in a clean, lint-free towel, immediately upon removal from the oven.

Theresa

[SuzySushi]

Swiss roll cakes are usually removed from their pans immediately and rolled up snugly in a tea-towel sprinkled with confectioners' sugar or cocoa. They're then allowed to cool completely before being unrolled, filled, and rolled up again. You can use the towel to help roll the filled cake to achieve a rounded shape.

[JeanneCake]

The biscuit recipe I use is pretty flexible, and I don't have to roll it until I'm ready. I sugar the top when it is done baking, put a bun pan bag over it (because I make full sheet pan sizes), keep it at rm temp until I'm ready to fill/roll. Usually I am doing this later the same day I've baked it, or if I am doing it the last thing, then it stays on the covered rack overnight and I finish them in the morning. I have never tried to roll this after it has chilled (this is an all purpose kind of thing for me - I use it for swiss rolls, for the base of cheesecakes, mousse desserts...)

For one full sheet: 5 whole eggs and 5 yolks in one mixer bowl; 5 whites in a second mixer bowl. I start whipping the whites first.... add 75 gm of granulated sugar when the whites hold a definite shape and beat until medium peaks. Then use the same whip, and start whipping the whole eggs/yolks. Add 250 gm sugar and 1 tbl vanilla, beat to ribbon. Sift 125 gm all purpose flour over the beaten eggs, fold in gently, add beaten whites til incorporated. Spread over a full sheet or two half sheet pans that have been sprayed, papered and sprayed again. Bake at 300 in a convection oven or 400 in a conventional oven for about 13 mins. Top will spring back when done, but don't overbake or it will be rubbery. Throw some sugar on the top, wrap when cool.

For a chocolate version, add 50 gms good quality cocoa with the flour.

[alanamoana]

i think proper baking time is the key. if you don't overbake your sponge, you should be fine rolling whenever you're ready (as JeanneCake mentioned above) cool or warm.

wrapping is also a good tip as you would otherwise lose moisture which might cause cracking.