CAKES - STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ROLL

 

Serves 8.

CAKE

4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

¼ cup plus ¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash of cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

FILLING

1 cup whipping cream

1 pint box fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 1 ½ cups)

2 teaspoon instant coffee powder or crystals

4 to 6 teaspoons milk

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING AND GARNISH

½ cup whipping cream

¼ cup strawberries, mashed with a fork

½ cup whipping cream (optional)

4 to 6 fresh whole strawberries, sliced

Coffee candy beans, for garnish (optional)

Baking pan - 15 12/ x 10 12/ x 1-inch jelly-roll pan

Preheat oven to 375F.  Grease jelly-roll pan.  Line with parchment or wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on each narrow end, as pictured.  Grease bottom and sides of the paper.

CAKE

Beat egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar in small mixing bowl with electric mixer on high speed until thick and lemon-colored, aboutu 5 minutes. 

Beat egg whites in separate large bowl with mixer on low speed until frothy.  Add salt and cream of tartar and beat on high speed until soft peaks begin to form.  Beat in remaining ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms stiff but moist peaks.  Beat in vanilla. 

Pour yolks, flour, and nuts over whites.  Gently fold together until incorporated.  Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top evenly with a spatula.  Bake in 375F oven for 8 to 12 minutes or top evenly with a spatula.  Bake in 375F oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until top is lightly browned and spring back when pressed with fingertips and cake pulls away from the sides of pan.  While cake bakes, place a clean dish towel on counter.  Spray with vegetable cooking spray, or dush with sifted powdered sugar.  Remove cake from oven and invert onto towel.  Remove pan and gently pull off the paper.  Starting at narrow end, roll cake and towel together as tightly as possible.  Set aside seam-side down and cool completely.  The towel-wrapped roll may be held at room temperature overnight.

FILLING

As close to serving as possible, but no more than 4 hours ahead, beat cream in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until thick.  Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold in the sliced strawberries.  In a small saucepan, bring coffee and 4 teaspoons milk to a boil, stirring until coffee is dissolved.  Stir into powdered sugar in a medium-size bowl.  Slowly stir in enough additional milk to obtain a spreading consistency.  Stir in vanilla.
 Unroll cooled cake.  Spread coffee icing over cake to the edges.  (If icing is too firm, thin with additional drop or two of milk.)  Spread cream mixture evenly over icing, leaving a 1-inch border all around.  Reroll cake, trim ends and place seam-side down on serving platter.

FROSTING AND GARNISH

Beat ½ cup cream in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until spreading consistency.  Fold in mashed strawberries. 

OPTIONAL

Beat remaining ½ cup cream and pipe onto top and sides of cake.  Garnish with strawberry slices and coffee candy beans, if desired.  Refrigerate until serving.

From Dessert Lover’s Cookbook by Marlene Sorosky.