Swiss roll
Serves 8
You will need:
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
For the Swiss roll, you will need:
• 4 eggs
• 110g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• Half-teaspoon vanilla extract
• 110g plain flour
• A few tablespoons caster sugar
• 6 tablespoons warmed raspberry jam
• 300ml whipped cream (optional)
1 You’ll also need a 25cm x 38cm Swiss-roll tin. Preheat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, Gas 5.
2 Line the Swiss-roll tin with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the tin exactly. Brush the paper and sides of the tin with the melted butter, then dust with the plain flour, shaking out any excess.
3 Start to make the Swiss roll. Put the eggs, the caster sugar, the warm water and the vanilla extract into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk the mixture until it is very light, pale and fluffy — this should take about 4-5 minutes.
4 Sift in about one-third of the plain flour at a time, and use a spatula to fold it into the egg, sugar, water and vanilla mixture. Once you’ve folded in all the flour and there are no lumps, tip the mixture gently into the tin.
5 Bake the Swiss roll in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until it feels lightly springy to the touch in the centre. The edges will have shrunk in slightly from the sides of the tin.
6 Take the tin out of the oven and let the sponge sit, in the tin, for five minutes. Sprinkle the top of the sponge generously with caster sugar, then place another piece of parchment paper over the sponge and turn it out of the tin. Remove the tin and the parchment paper from the bottom of the sponge, which will now be facing up.
7 While the sponge is still warm, spread it sparingly with the slightly warm raspberry jam (warming the jam will make it easier to spread). If you are using the whipped cream, allow the sponge to cool and spread the cream on top of the jam.
8 Now, with the short (25cm) end of the sponge facing you, roll up the sponge, using the paper to help you roll it nice and tightly. Sprinkle the Swiss roll with a little more caster sugar if it needs it, transfer it to a long plate and cut it into slices to serve.