No cracks! Japanese Roll Cake
Roll cakes. Notorious for cracking, peeling, and otherwise looking sloppy. If you’re on the hunt for a Japanese roll cake that’s as close to foolproof as possible, this is it.
What’s the difference between a Swiss roll and a Japanese roll?
Swiss rolls tend to be sweeter, a bit denser in structure, and carry a more robust flavor profile. The swirl is usually filled with a flavored buttercream or jam, which beautifully adds to the richness of the roll. In a Swiss Roll, the cake is the “star” and the filling, the accent.
Japanese Roll cakes are lighter in texture and structure, and a lot less sweet. The sponge cake is soft and fluffy with that melt-in-your-mouth kind of feel, and it’s usually paired with a simple whipped or Chantilly cream filling. In a Japanese roll cake, the cream is the “star,” and the cake is the accent. With it’s beautifully delicate, cloud-like texture, it’s the perfect complement to the lightness of the cream! Japanese roll cakes are only rolled once to give the cake that cute “teardrop” or “E” shape. If I had to choose between a Swiss roll and a Japanese roll. I’d pick the Japanese roll every time.
What Makes This Recipe So Close To Foolproof?
The biggest secret lies in the Tangzhong method. Which is the process of cooking the flour in some type of liquid found in the recipe. In this case, it will be the oil. Usually, when making cake, the flour is added after the liquid ingredients have been combined. But not this time! This recipe starts by stirring the flour in the hot oil until smooth before adding in the other ingredients. Doing this first makes for a much more pliable sponge cake! Which means, it will be a whole lot easier to roll in the end. In fact, I’ve made mistakes rolling the cake myself, and the sponge was so forgiving that after my unrolling and rolling again, it still. didn’t. crack.
You’re welcome.
Of course, nothing is truly foolproof. But I’d say it’s pretty darn close.
Pro Tips (For Utmost Success)
- Whip the meringue only to firm peaks. Very important! Firm peaks ensure that your cake batter is easier to fold without losing any lift in the oven, but not so soft that it’ll easily deflate. Firm peaks will also give you an even more pliable cake in the end. Big win.
- During the folding stage, mix only a third of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Use a whisk and don’t worry about being gentle. It’s much more important that all of the batter be smooth and combined. So after you’ve thoroughly mixed the first portion, go ahead and add the entire (yes, entire) rest of the meringue into the yolk mixture. Again, whisk well, breaking up any lumpy pieces of meringue until you’re sure that it’s all completely smooth and combined.
- Fold. Fold. Fold. Switch to a spatula and fold the batter until you reach the super-fast ribbon stage. And I mean, super fast. That batter should run off your spatula like it’s nobody’s business and quickly pile upon itself. This is crucial for creating a smooth, evenly baked cake.
- Pop. Those. Bubbles. Do not skip tapping the pan on the countertop/smacking the bottom of the pan with your hand. You want to pop any big air bubbles before you go sticking that cake in the oven. The less air bubbles, the smoother the top of the cake (AKA = the skin) will be.
- Roll the cake before it completely cools. The cake may still crack if it’s not rolled when warm to the touch. Warmth is a roll cake’s best friend. This is when the sponge is most pliable.
Ingredients
- Cake flour (To give the sponge its light and fluffy nature)
- Cornstarch (Adds to the delicacy of the cake, even rising, and volume retention)
- Oil (Plays an important role for Tangzhong)
- Whole milk (Contributes to the light, fluffy, and moist texture. Yes, it must be whole.)
- 4 eggs
- Granulated white sugar
- Honey (Optional, but adds extra moisture and a more balanced flavor to the cake)
- Vanilla extract
- Cream of tartar (To help stabilize the meringue)
- Heavy cream (For the chantilly cream)
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer (Optional, but helpful. You could also use a hand mixer)
- 2 large mixing bowls
- Balloon whisk
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
- 9×13 baking pan
- Serated knife
- Pallette knife (Or offset spatula)
Hospitality rating ***
Although, the Dojima Roll is incredibly delicious, it would not make an easy gift to pack up and hand off to a friend. Here’s where it shines…
Dinner Parties!
– Bake and fill it in advance and have it rolled up in the fridge until it’s time to serve. There’s little-to-no prep work involved, which means more time with guests! Cut 6-8 slices at the table and listen to the “ooo’s and ahhs’ over that adorable “teardrop” swirl. I guarantee they’ll be talking about the cake long after they leave. <3
Small Birthdays!
– Maybe you’re married with no kids and don’t want to make a whole cake that’ll just sit, taking up space in your fridge for a week. No problem! It’s just enough for you and your spouse, and way more delicious than that store-bought cake anyways.
Japanese Roll Cake
Ingredients
- 4 Large eggs Separated
- 85g (3/4cup) Cake flour Alternatively, you can use 60g pastry flour
- 2g (1/2tsp) Cornstarch
- 50ml (3tbsp+1tsp) Oil I use light-tasting olive oil
- 45ml (3tbsp) Whole milk I use Fairlife
- 75g (6tbsp) Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract Or bean paste
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1/4 tsp Cream of tartar
Chantilly Cream
- 250g (1cup+2tbsp) Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
Simple Syrup
- 30g (2tbsp+1tsp) Granulated Sugar
- 30g (2tbsp) Water
Instructions
Roll Cake
- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Separate egg whites from yolks, leaving yolks in a small bowl and whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl).
- Heat 50ml oil to 176 degrees F (80C), then pour into a medium sized glass bowl.
- Immediately sift the flour and cornstarch mixture into the hot oil and mix with a whisk until smooth.
- Pour the warm milk into the flour/oil mixture and mix until combined. It will look thick and separated. That's okay!
- Add 1tsp vanilla extract and 1tsp honey to the egg yolks, mix well, then pour the egg yolk mixture into the flour and milk mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Drop 1/4tsp cream of tartar into the egg whites and whip to firm peaks. About 7 minutes. Do not let it go to stiff peaks! It will be much harder to fold into a smooth batter afterwards. Dump the 75g sugar into the whites 1/3 at a time, starting when the egg whites begin to foam.
- Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk/flour mixture. Mix with a whisk to help break up the meringue until completely smooth. No need to be gentle. You want this to be as cohesive as possible. Once you've got it, dump this new egg yolk mixture into the rest of the meringue.
- Use a large balloon whisk to incorporate the batter until you have no more remaining lumps of meringue. Then, switch to a spatula and continue folding until the batter reaches a super-fast, ribbon-like consistency.
- Hold the bowl about a foot above the 9x13in parchment-lined pan and pour it in. (The distance helps eliminate excess air bubbles.) Smooth it out with either a bench scraper or by gently shaking the pan, so it reaches all four of the corners, then drop it lightly on the counter to break up any large bubbles. You can also carefully smack the bottom of the pan with your palm.
- Put it in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (depending on your oven), taking it out when the top is lightly browned and springs back when touched. Immediately grab two ends of the parchment paper and remove the cake from the pan, setting it on a cooling rack. Undo the parchment from the sides.
Chantilly Cream
- While the cake is in the oven, pour 250g of cold heavy cream into a medium bowl. Add 1tsp vanilla and 30g (2tbsp) granulated sugar, and whip to stiff peaks. You want the cream to be nice and thick to hold its shape in the roll cake. Leave in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Simple Syrup
- Warm equal parts 30g sugar and 30g water into a small bowl and heat for 30seconds in the microwave. Stir with a pastry brush until all the sugar has melted.
Assembly
- Lay a tea towel over the freshly baked cake and immediately invert the cake so the tea towel is on the bottom and the parchment paper is on top. Peel away the parchment paper.
- Take a serrated bread knife and cut off all four sides of the cake. Just the harder crispier parts. (This will help contribute to a much cleaner roll), then take your serrated knife and, very gently, cut long vertical notches in the cake. (This will also help contribute to a cleaner roll) But be careful not to cut all the way through the cake! The notches should be shallow.
- Dab the simple syrup all over the cake.
- Spread the Chantilly cream in an even layer across the cake using an offset spatula or palette knife, letting it thin out slightly towards the edges. This is to prevent the cream from oozing out while the cake is being rolled. (I like to add more cream near the beginning of the cake to give it that cute "teardrop" shape when cut.)
- Lift the tea towel to get a good grip on the cake, then begin to roll it up in the towel. Peek into one end to make sure the cake is sitting seam-side down, then place it in the fridge and let it set for 1-2 hours.
- Enjoy! 🙂
