A (Lemon) Zest for Life

 

By Emily Chavez / Photo by Luis Chavez

Swiss rolls are visually impressive and incredibly simple to make. But they can be intimidating for a first-timer who may fear the cake may break while rolling. Cracks will not form if the cake is gently rolled while warm. Let it cool down as the filling is made. That creates a memory in the sponge that makes the final roll easier. The soft yellow sponge contrasts strikingly with the creamy purple filling for a dessert as pleasing to the eye as it is refreshing to the palate. A mildly sweet and zesty lemon cake with blackberry jelly filling is tempered with cream cheese to make a perfectly balanced bite.  

 

Lemon blackberry swiss roll

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Yields: 8 servings

 

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

zest from one lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar, more to sprinkle during the cake rolling step

1 tablespoon blackberry jelly

1/4 cup heavy cream

 

Instructions

Beat together eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat in vegetable oil, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, milk, flour and baking powder until smooth.

Pour cake batter into a parchment-lined and nonstick sprayed baking pan and smooth out with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges start to golden.

Lay a clean dish towel on the countertop and generously sprinkle powdered sugar until fully covered.

Turn out baked cake onto the prepared towel, gently remove parchment paper, and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

Roll the cake up around the towel and set aside to cool.

Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, blackberry jelly and heavy cream.

Once the cake has cooled, unroll the cake, spread the filling, and gently roll the cake back up.

Wrap roll up in foil and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Cut into slices when ready to serve.