Rainbow Swiss Roll

So it is our 7th Anniversary today. Seven years of togetherness, love, laughter, desperation, anxiety, enthusiasm and much more. While I have known him for 14 years now, it only seems like yesterday when we first met and even though our definition of love has changed with time, I still get perplexed and anxious whenever he is not around me. We may not be the perfect partners but we love to spend our lives together and enjoy the little joys of life , including our munchkin!

He often complains that I do not love him anymore and so do I. But at the end of the day, both of us know that however we might fight and argue over petty things, our love will sail us through and keep us together for all times to come. 

And as the rainbow depicts the seven colors of life and how, even though different, all the different colors contribute equally to make the rainbow look as beautiful as it looks, I dedicate this Rainbow Swiss Roll to our 7 years of togetherness and many more to come! Love you! 

Ingredients

4 large eggs separated (it is best to separate eggs when they are fresh and cold out of the refrigerator; once separated, bring them to room temperature before starting the procedure)

1/4 tsp salt

A pinch of cream of tartar (optional)

3/4 cup castor sugar

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanila extract

5-6 different gel based colors or food coloring powder (it is advisable to avoid using liquid food colors as they will liquify the batter. However, if using, then add in moderate qty so that the batter does not lose its texture)

Piping bags

For the filling

4 cups icing sugar 

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tbsp butter (preferably unsalted) cut into squares

120 ml milk at room temperature

P.S.: This is a standard chocolate sauce recipe. The excess sauce you can store in the fridge for later use. You can also use any filling as you wish like fresh fruit jam, whipped cream, etc. 

Direction

Take a 32x23 cm flat baking dish and grease it. Line the dish with parchment paper in a way that there are no bubbles or raised edges. It should be as smooth as possible. This will help you get a smooth wrinkle-free base once baked. The greasing of the bottom of the pan before lining helps keep the parchment paper in place. 

Now, take the bowl of egg whites (which you had separated while the egg was still cold from the fridge and brought to room temperature) and ensure that there are no drops of yolk or dirt in it. Add the salt and cream of tartar (if using) and beat them to stiff peaks but not dry. Takes about 10 minutes in the electric beater with the paddle attachment. To test if your egg whites are done, simply turn the bowl upside down and the entire mixture will still hold together without any spillage!

Now beat the egg yolks till creamy. Add the sugar little at a time and beat till a pale thick and creamy batter is formed. This will take another 5-10 minutes. I usually first beat the egg whites till stiff and then use the same attachment for the yolks. It is okay to have whites mixed in the yolk but strictly no for the reverse. Hence, if you intend to use the same attachment for both the whites and the yolks, you must always beat the whites first. 

Now sift the flour and baking powder. Add the vanilla extract to the batter and beat for a second until combined. Now, add the sifted flour to the batter in two batches and mix till smooth and no lumps remain. 

Now add this mixture into the egg whites and start folding in a single direction till the batter is well combined but not over mixed or deflated. You can also do the reverse and add the egg whites into the batter. Either way, we need to achieve a smooth batter. 

Now divide this batter equally into five bowls and add the food coloring of your choice. Take care to use different spoons for each bowl and not to mix and match any of them. That will spoil the color of the batter. The amount of coloring used will depend on how deep and distinct you want your rainbow to be. However, care must be taken while using liquid (water-based) coloring which might liquify the batter more than required. 

Now, fill the various colored batter into individual piping bags and keep them ready. 

Meanwhile, start pre-heating the oven at 180 degree celsius for 10 minutes. 

Make a small cut at the tip of the piping bag and start piping out a straight line kind of bar onto the prepared baking dish, one color at a time. Repeat till all the colored batter is used up. Do a double lining when you are done with a single layering. Take care not to overlap though. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Check at 10 minutes and then again in 2-3 minutes. A minute over baked and you are sure to get cracks on top while rolling as well as hard edges. 

Immediately remove from the baking dish and onto another parchment paper of the same size. Roll the swiss roll along with this parchment paper and let it cool. This will help gain its shape. When just warm, unroll it gently and spread the filling without spoiling the bend and roll up again.

 This time without the parchment paper. Once rolled, cover it up with the paper loosely and let it cool completely on a wire rack. 

Slice when cooled. You can also chill it and bring it slightly back to room temperature before serving.

For the filling

Melt the butter and mix all the ingredients together till smooth and creamy. 

The American Sponge Cake

Some recipes tend to surprise you and this is one of it. I had never made a Sponge cake but always loved to have one. Recently, I had this strong urge to take up the task and so quickly looked up a recipe from Joy of Baking. However, I had just finished a big batch of muffins and cookies that I had made for my daughter's birthday and there weren't many interested people (read husband) to eat more cakes at home. But opportunity did come in the shape of a sudden dinner plan at my place with some friends. I immediately got together the main ingredients (eggs!) and was happily making it. What made me more happy was the discovery that the recipe did not require any butter/oil and just a little flour than what a regular cake recipe calls for. So get ready for a slightly guilt-free indulgence!

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

6 large eggs separated

1 cup fine granulated sugar divided

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla essence

Zest of 1 orange/lemon (outer covering)

1 tsp almond essence (optional)

2 tbsp water

Direction

In two separate bowls, take out the egg yolks and the egg whites. Beat the egg yolks and 2/3 cup sugar until light in color and creamy. Now add the essences, zest, and water and beat to a smooth creamy texture. When you hold the batter up with a spoon, it should fall back like a smooth ribbon. 

Now, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat further. This ensures the moistness of the cake. Now add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until soft white peaks are formed. 

Sift the flour with the baking powder and add it to the yolk mixture, 1/3 cup at a time. Gently fold with the help of a spatula. Now add a little of the egg white and fold in without mixing too much. Add the remaining egg whites and fold in gently just until incorporated. Over mixing will deflate the batter. 

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius and grease a spring form pan or any regular cake tin. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smoothen the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Monitor the temperature in between to ensure no over browning on the top. Cool on a wire rack. You can garnish the cake by sprinkling some icing sugar through a sieve or with the favorite icing and fruit topping of your choice.

                                         

                                         

                                         

Note:

1. Tastes best if refrigerated overnight.

2. The secret to a soft and fluffy sponge cake lies in how best you beat the egg whites.

3. Initially it may taste a little dry and have a strong eggy smell. Refrigerate overnight and the smell would be no more.

4. You can add an extra teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Whole Wheat Custard Almond Eggless Cake

Just back from a long long holiday and after so much of eating and indulging, I wanted to bake something healthy for my hunger pangs. I had a pack of custard powder open for long along with some ground almonds. A quick Google search landed me with a nice and easy custard marble cake recipe which can be put together in less than 15 minutes, if you have all the ingredients ready. However, I felt a little lazy to separate the batter and so changed the recipe to make it a Custard Almond cake. The result was a soft and delicious crusty tea time cake which can be relished without any guilt!

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour/atta

2 tbsp all purpose flour/maida

1/2 cup custard powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp oil

1/4 cup ground almonds

Silvered almond slices for the topping

Direction

Sift together the flour, custard powder, salt, and baking soda. Keep aside.

In a bowl, mix milk, sugar, vanilla essence, and oil. Fold in the dry ingredients little at a time and mix everything well till no lumps remain. Add the ground almond powder and mix again. 

Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree celsius. Line a rectangular baking tin with butter paper or grease the tin. Pour the cake batter into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Take out from the oven and let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Later, cool completely on a wire rack and serve. It can be refrigerated for up to 1 week in air tight containers.