Chocolate Swiss Roll

A soft and springy gluten free chocolate swiss roll (i made two) one with a smooth and chocolate butter cream filling, the other a sweet vanilla butter cream, both rolled in a sprinkle of sugar and finished with a dusting of icing sugar.

Making a swiss roll, or rolled cake in general was a really big deal to me. The first rolled cake I made was on June 11th 2009 and was my first food photograph and my first bake.... It was a complete disaster in every way!

I can not remember if it was supposed to be a lemon curd Swiss Roll or Roly-Poly but either way it looked and tasted sooo bad!!! Not even my eldest daughter who was one at the time and loved all things sweet (and still does) would not go anywhere near this thing!



That experience put me off rolled cakes for life! That was until *cakecrumbs posted a photo of a tasty looking Chocolate Roulade and I thought to myself maybe it's about time i conquer that fear of that first bake! After two years of baking on average twice weekly I felt maybe I now had a little more experience and knowledge to make it work.

So, 4 years on and I baked my second attempt ever at a rolled cake. I was so excited and nervous! As soon as I tasted it I did the happy dance! It was amazing, the best swiss roll I have ever tasted! Maybe even in my top 5 things I have ever baked! Well worth waiting 4 years to make! The appearance needs some work next time, yes there will be a next time! I need to buy a more suitable baking tray as I only had a square tin on hand so didn't get that wonderful big swirl in the center you would normally. The biggest thing I need to work on is trying to make it without it cracking when rolling but hey, for a second attempt I was pretty darn proud of myself as overall it was a huge success and i am so glad to have overcome my first baking fear and to see how much i have learned in both baking and photography since that very first photo 4 years ago.

My advice to you is that age old saying "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" (even if it is 4 years later!!!!) Those of you passionate about baking and cooking will understand just how amazing making a disaster a success feels.

Recipe from Cadburys [link]