The History
The Vanilla Sponge
The Swiss Roll, contrary to its name, did not originate in Switzerland, but most likely in Austria. Whomsoever created it I’ve always been a big fan! What I love most about it is that It allows for a lot of creative license. One can play around with various combinations of flavor by changing just one element. Spain gets the credit for the original sponge cake, although it’s the popular Victorian Sponge that we’re most familiar with. The fillings for the sponge come in many varieties. From creams to jams and fruit purees, the possibilities are limitless.
The Mango Lemon Curd
As per barkers.com.au, the original lemon curd of early 19th century England was essentially a lemon flavored custard. Eaten as a spread on toast with afternoon tea it was very different from what we are familiar with today. The recipes we use and prepare today don’t have any milk or cream and have a much stronger lemon flavor.
THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
So far we’ve traveled through Austria and England in creating this recipe; our last and final leg takes us to Paris, where the ever popular Ganache originated. The first known record of this recipe is from 1862. Made by confectioner Maison Siraudin and named after a popular vaudeville comedy “Les Ganaches”. Butter, oil and corn syrup are often used to add more shine to a ganache. If you plan to use it as a glaze then this may be the best option for you. Various flavors of alcohol are also commonly used to accentuate the taste as needed for a particular recipe. The key thing to remember is to have the ideal ratio of chocolate to cream depending on how you plan to use the Ganache. For a standard ganache the ideal ratio is 1 part cream to 1 part chocolate, for the purpose of pouring 1 part chocolate and 2 parts cream and for a thicker fudge like consistency, as icing on a cake, for example, 2 parts chocolate and 1 part cream is ideal.
MY STORY
My husband loves everything lemon and for his birthday I wanted to bake a cake that had lemon in it in some form or other. A light sponge layered with lemon curd sounded amazing! Of course, being from Pakistan where we spend the entire summer eating mangoes I couldn’t resist adding my favorite fruit to this curd. Since a birthday warrants a truly special cake I thought a rich glossy Ganache would be perfect.
Voila! This Mango Lemon Swiss Roll was born! This is definitely a recipe I’ll be using again! If you’re not comfortable making a Swiss roll follow the recipe and bake the sponge in a regular cake tin, slice into thin layers, sandwich with the mango lemon filling and top with ganache. You’ll get all of the flavor with a lot less effort!
THE RECIPE
The Key to a good Swiss Roll is having the right tools and materials and following the recipe and technique very precisely. I recommend investing in a good Swiss Roll tin, one that is raised ¾ -1 Inches on all four sides. Although this may look like a cookie tray, the raised sides allow for the sponge to rise and bake perfectly, which is critical to it being rolled out without any cracks. The next key step is not to spread the filling too close to the edges as it will ooze out the sides and make a mess (Leave about an Inch on all four sides). Chilling the filling properly helps fill and roll the sponge. I often make the curd a day ahead of time for this reason. In this recipe I’ve used a very basic version of the Ganache which is Heavy Whipping Cream and Dark Chocolate Chips. There are many variations to this basic recipe so feel free to use a favorite that you’ve already worked with before.
TIP:
I often end up with extra mango lemon curd and chocolate ganache. Fortunately, both store well in jars in the fridge and can be used for other desserts, like my easy-lemon-icebox-pie
