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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sponge Roll with Dulce De Leche Cream, Strawberries & Cocoa Nibs

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Oh look it's another sponge cake. I'm a lost cause! I don't want to make anything but sponge/chiffon cakes at the moment. You're just lucky that I stopped myself from adding malt to it, or I'd have to rename my blog Malty Spongecakes. Which somehow sounds kinda dirty even though it isn't.
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So I made another sponge cake. But this is the first time I've ever made a sponge roll! Plus I had all these lovely fresh small strawberries and lots of cream. And then I added cocoa nibs to the sponge. And dulce de leche to the cream. Ohhhh so good. There was a total harmony between all the different textures and flavours in this cake.
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The small chunks of fresh tart strawberries are mixed in with this beautiful caramel cream to make the most delicious filling. I love dulce de leche. I've never had an exploding can of condensed milk in all the times I've made it, so I am a firm believer in making it by boiling the whole can. Those of you who might have looked in my archives would know that I've already tried dulce de leche and cocoa nibs together with huge success (and now I really want to make these cookies again, they are ridiculously good). But who knew that mixing dulce de leche with some whipped cream would help mellow out the intense sweetness of the caramel, making you wish you could slurp it all up with a giant straw.
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I made a simple vanilla sponge by adapting this tried and tested chocolate sponge roll recipe, the same one I used for my Tim Tam & Mint Slice cakes. I didn't have a proper Swiss roll pan, but I used a cookie sheet lined with baking paper and it worked perfectly. I did have some issues rolling up the thing, my caramel cream was super runny and I way overfilled my sponge roll, so it started oozing out everywhere (I've adjusted the recipe below with tips so hopefully it won't happen to you). But I'm so used to disasterous messes in my kitchen these days, so I just wrapped the whole thing up and stuck it in the freezer over night, scraped the excess filling into a bowl and ate it with a spoon for dessert ;) I highly recommend it.
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Sponge Roll with Dulce De Leche Cream, Strawberries & Cocoa Nibs
(adapted from this Gourmet Traveller recipe, serves 6)
4 eggs
110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
65g cornflour
45 gm (1/4 cup) plain flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsbp cocoa nibs
250ml (1 cup)thickened cream
250ml (1 cup) dulce de leche (See here for a method to make it)
1 punnet fresh strawberries

Prepare the dulce de leche ahead of time (see above for method), cool can under tap water and then measure 1 cup of dulce de leche into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Whisk eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until thick and pale (5-6 minutes). Add vanilla and sift over cornflour, flour, cream of tartar and bicarb soda, fold in with spatula. Fold in butter, spoon into a baking paper-lined 30cm x 42cm swiss roll tin (I used a medium cookie sheet), smoothing top. Sprinkle cocoa nibs over the surface of the batter. Bake in centre of oven until light golden and cake springs back when lightly pressed (10-12 minutes). Turn onto a tea towel lined with baking paper. Peel paper from sponge and, with short side facing you, roll in tea towel to form a log. Stand until just cool (8-10 minutes).
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Hull strawberries and dice. Whisk cream until soft peaks form, then (if you want to make dulce de leche cream) take one large dollop of the cream and fold into the cooled dulce de leche. Then take this dulce mixture and fold it into the rest of the whipped cream. If you prefer to keep the dulce de leche and cream as two separate fillings (this will stop it from going runny), skip this step. Refrigerate until required. Unroll sponge, spread over fillings. Reroll, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately. (If your mixture was too runny like mine, wrap in baking paper and freeze overnight. Then slice and defrost before serving)
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21 comments:

  1. i like how you just roll with it when stuff doesn't quite work out. heh roll with it. heh Malty Spongecakes.

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  2. Looks so delicious - and I especially love the idea of the dulce de leche cream. Am plotting a variation with ricotta, now! Malty Spongecakes makes me think that your preferred baked good and flavour should be combined to create some sort of alternative pornstar name...

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  3. Such a pretty cake for the pretty plate :D And lol, malty spongecakes...

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  4. I think it's fine to make whatever you want even though you've made it plenty o'times, coz I totally enjoy reading whatever you make! =D
    This sponge looks awesome, I once mixed nutella with whipped cream to bring down the sweetness for a macaron filling, and it was so good! how about a nutella cream sponge cake with malt next time?! OMG!

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  5. Om nom nom. What a great combination. I love creamy dulce (making lots of creamy dulce stuff at the moment, recipes soon!). Never thought of the cocoa nib pair though.

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  6. This looks delightful! and your photography is so beautiful. I love sponge rolls, they have a nostalgic touch about them that makes me feel like a kid again :) lovelylovely recipe that i might give a whirl if im feeling adventurous some time!

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  7. Wow, so many awesome flavors, my head is exploding just contemplating it - strawberries, cocoa nibs, dulce de leche!! Plus no one could tell from the pictures that you had a mini-disaster with this cake. Will have to try the boiling the can trick - never knew that's how one makes dulce de leche.

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  8. That's such a beautiful cake! I can't believe you made it at home! I am a little impressed :D

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  9. Looks so good! Perfect for summer. That plate is really wonderful too.

    http://mandycrandell.blogspot.com/

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  10. I've never make a sponge (swiss) roll either, i'm so ashamed. it looks lovely <3

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  11. you never disappoint. Love it.

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  12. Sponge rolls are pretty fabulous and so versatile, I really love the white background in all these photos. That plate is adorable.

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  13. Goodness...!!! This looks delicious! :)

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  14. Chicago Cuisine Critique - Thank you!

    chocolatesuze - LOLs. I see what you did there :D

    Sticky Penguin - Oooh ricotta, that's an interesting twist! Bahaha baking porn names, awesome!

    Karen | Citrus and Candy - :) I'm the same with my props as I am with clothes, must show them of ASAP!

    LucyL - Heehee thanks! Aww that sounds awesome, too bad I can't eat nutella!

    Poires au Chocolat - Fantastic! Great minds ;)

    The Procrastobaker - Thanks so much! I agree, especially the small jam sponge rolls, they always remind me of school recesses :)

    bakingepiphanies - Thanks! It's one of the ways, it's always worked great for me though!

    vegiebug - thanks! haha it was pretty easy except for the mess!

    Mandy Crandell - Thanks! Just bought the plate :)

    KitchenTherapy - Don't be! But you should totally try ;)

    Jennifurla - <3 thank you!

    myFudo - I agree, they are! Thanks!

    Sarah - Thanks so much!

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  15. We've done it again - this time dulce de leche! Love your cake. Adore the cake plate. I am insanely jealous of your styling skills!

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  16. this looks to-die-for. I am also IN LOVE with your kitchen accessories that make appearances in the photos. That plate is amazing!

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  17. Yum!! I'm so dying to make dulce du leche but i'm sooo scared of boiling the can cos I'll forget to top up the water or something..

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  18. Di-licious - Haha I think I'm still very much a novice in the styling area but thank you!

    Krystie - Thanks so much! I love my props :)

    Christine - Tryy it! Just set a timer to go off every 15 mins to top up the water :)

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  19. The recipe looks unbelievable!!!! Plus it's made with cacao nibs one of my favorite food (and one of the healthiest on the planet!)

    Peace
    Mike

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