Caramel. That word usually gets me in BUT this Date Swiss Roll is the perfect vehicle for caramel. This is a Swiss Roll on steroids!
Whats a Swiss Roll?
“A Swiss roll, jelly roll, roll cake, or cream roll, or Swiss log, is a type of sponge cake roll filled with whipped cream or jam or icing” No body really knows why it’s called a Swiss roll and it is thought to have originated in Austria.
Not long back I had to teach my students to make a swiss roll. This old fashioned dessert is so lovely if its made well. Light fluffy sponge rolled with jam and cream. Wow just imagine that for afternoon tea?
Unfortunately, the recipe in the text book I used was NOT very lovely. It was heavy and dry. I could have dug up another one for them but I decided to go with this Sticky Date Swiss roll with caramel cream and sauce. (Well, who wants the date cake without caramel sauce? )
I thought this Date Swiss roll would go down well knowing how much Australians love Sticky Date Pudding. Replacing a plain sponge cake with this date one had a bit more of an Australian feel, I mean Austria- Australia we could be twins.
I think I have found your excuse to eat sticky date for morning and afternoon tea instead of waiting till dinner time! The caramel flavour in dates is just as good in this swiss roll as it is in the famous “Sticky Date Pudding “.
The centre is full of fresh caramel cream and the outside has a light dusting of caster sugar. It’s completely optional whether you add caramel sauce but I am going to advise that you will want it.
Roll it up and enjoy all day!
Heres some pictures to get you started on how to make Sticky Date Swiss roll.
How to make a Date Swiss Roll
- Cut up the dates. This ensures there aren’t any seeds and helps the dates break down to a puree more easily. Once the dates come to a boil with water, add the bicarb and stir. Take off the heat and crush with a fork. Cool
2. Mixing the base of your date sponge includes creaming the butter and sugar. Adding eggs and part of the flour (dry ingredients). Add the cooled date puree and the rest of the flour mixture
The sponge roll works best with a nice big flat tray. Mine is 40 cm x 30 cm (12 x 16 in)
3. You’ll need a large lined tray. Spread the mixture onto the tray right to the corners
4. Bake the sponge at 180C for about 12-15 minutes or till it springs back when touched in the middle with the tips of the fingers. Take it out and rest for several minutes
5. You need to work while the sponge is still warm so that it can be rolled easily. I put a tray on top and flip over so that I can remove the paper easily. Roll the cake in baking paper and let sit till just warm.
6. Unwrap and open up the cake when it is only just warm. It will crack a bit. Don’t panic just push it together a bit, the cream will stick it together. I trim off any very crunchy bits around the edges here too.
7. Spread a nice thin layer of cream and roll up again. Chill until cold. (1 hour to overnight)
Try these date recipes too:
Date Tray cake. Stir together.
Date and Caramel Tart-gluten free
Sticky date swiss roll
Ingredients
- 180 gm dates, chopped
- 250 ml water 1 Aust cup
- 80 gm butter, chopped softened
- 160 gm brown sugar
- 190 gm flour 1 1/2 cups (AUS)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 whole eggs
filling
- 300 ml cream
- 30 gm brown sugar 2 Tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
caramel sauce
- 80 gm brown sugar
- 30 gm butter
- 125 ml cream
Instructions
Sponge
- You'll need a large flat tray. Preferably about 40 cm x cm. Set the oven to 180 C
- Chop the dates and put them into a small pot with the water. Bring up to a boil and add the bi carb . When it fizzes turn off the heat. Break up the dates with a fork until they are a smoothish puree.
- Set aside to cool
- Beat the softened butter with brown sugar together till light and creamy. Add an egg and mix well scraping down the bowl. Sift flour and baking powder together. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir
- Add the second egg and mix well. Add the cooled date puree and the rest of the flour. The mixture will be smooth and creamy.
- Spread the mixture onto the sprayed and paper lined tray right to the edges evenly right across the tray.
- Bake the sponge for 10 to 15 minutes or until it springs back when touched with the tips of the fingers. Set aside fior several minutes.
- Sprinkle the sponge generously with caster sugar and put a piece of baking paper ( or a clean teatowel) on top. Top this with another tray and flip over so that the sugared side is now at the bottom. Roll up the warm sponge using the paper (or tea towel) and leave rolled for about 15 minutes or until it is just barely warm. The sponge may possibly crack when rolling. Don't worry too much this does happen. Be gentle but firm.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream with the brown sugar and vanilla till stiff peak. (This means till it is quite firm and spoonable)
- Unroll the cake and spread thinly with cream and roll up again. Push any cracked bits together and secure the ends tightly. Put it onto a tray and refrigerate for several hours or overnight
Caramel Sauce
- Chop the butter into smaller pieces. Put the butter, cream and brown sugar into a small saucepan and melt slowly. Stir frequently. bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute
- Serve the Swiss roll sliced with a little caramel sauce.
Recipe doesn’t tell you where to put the baking powder in. I went through all the steps and left that out and had to incorporate it in at the very end.
My apologies Sue. You will find the recipe adds baking powder with flour. When baking as a general rule dry ingredients are mixed together. Here though the baking soda is added to dates to break them up.
Hello Tania, I have just 3 words to say for this recipe and those are; “Yum! Yum! Yum!” Thanks so much for it 🙂
Of course I wouldn’t want date cake without caramel sauce…well, maybe I would but it has to be delicious with the sauce.
What a unique Swiss roll! It looks so soft, tender and yummy with caramel sauce and cream filling.