Classic Swiss roll

I was nervous about making these – specifically the rolling stage - but they couldn’t have been easier. I made four and recommend that you concentrate on them one at a time as they are quick to make but you have to do things at certain times and to have more than one on the go might get confusing. I made four in quick succession and it didn’t even take 2 hours.

Here is one Swiss roll rolled up and cooling but not yet filled. I found that clothes pegs keep all the paper in place and make it easy to lift:


Rolling the Swiss roll straight from the oven, but without the filling really helps. When you unroll it, you can see that there is a natural lip that makes the re-rolling with the filling a doddle:


Here’s one rolled and filled but not tidied up yet:


Why did I make four? Oh, I have plans for them....updates to follow...watch this space!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
125g caster sugar
90g self raising flour
Icing sugar for dusting
160g jam, whichever flavour you wish. I used raspberry

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
- Lightly grease a Swiss roll tin (30cm x 25cm and 2cm deep) and line with baking paper. NB. I tried non-stick foil but it didn’t work as well.
- Beat the eggs until they are thick and pale. This will take several minutes and you mustn’t be tempted to rush as this is how the air and lightness gets into the sponge.
- Continuing to beat the eggs, gradually spoon in the sugar. Beat until the mixture looks puffy and light.
- Sieve the flour into the batter and fold in.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the sponge is light golden and springy to the touch. Mine took 12 minutes. It is important not to overcook the sponge.
- While the sponge is cooking, lay a clean tea towel on the work top. Also cut a sheet of baking paper to tip the Swiss roll onto and dust this with icing sugar.
- As soon as you remove the Swiss roll from the oven turn it out onto the clean piece of baking papery and remove the backing paper.
- Carefully roll the sponge up from the short end, rolling the paper inside the roll. Use clothes pegs to secure the ends.
- Leave for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
- After 5 minutes, unroll the sponge and leave to cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Spread with the jam and re-roll. The jam is much easier to spread if you beat it with a spoon and soften it up.
- If you’re serving it as a Swiss roll trim the ends to tidy it up.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.