Swiss roll

ASwiss roll,jelly roll(United States),roll cake,cream roll,rouladeorSwiss logorswiss cake —is a type of rolledsponge cakefilled withwhipped cream,jam,icing, or any type of filling. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake is believed to have originated elsewhere inCentral Europe, possiblyAustriaorSlovenia.It appears to have been invented in the nineteenth century, along withBattenberg cake,doughnuts, andVictoria sponge.In the U.S., commercial snack-sized versions of the cake are sold with the brand namesHo Hos,Yodels,Swiss Cake Rolls, and others. A type of roll cake calledYule logis traditionally served at Christmas.
The spiral layered shape of the Swiss roll has inspired usage as a descriptive term in other fields, such as thejelly roll fold, aprotein fold, the"Swiss roll" metamaterialin optics, and the termjelly rollin science, quilting and other fields.
The earliest published reference for a rolled cake spread with jelly was in theNorthern Farmer, a journal published inUtica, New York, in December 1852. Called "To Make Jelly Cake", the recipe describes a modern "jelly roll" and reads: "Bake quick and while hot spread with jelly. Roll carefully, and wrap it in a cloth. When cold cut in slices for the table."
The terminology evolved in America for many years. From 1852 to 1877 such a dessert was called: Jelly Cake (1852), Roll Jelly Cake (1860), Swiss Roll (1872), Jelly Roll (1873), and Rolled Jelly Cake (1876). The name "Jelly Roll" was eventually adopted.
Roll Sandwich or Swiss Puddingappears in the second edition ofThe complete biscuit and gingerbread baker's assistantin 1854.
The origin of the term "Swiss roll" is unknown. The earliest British reference to a baked item by that name appeared in the Birmingham Journal for Saturday 10 May 1856, page 8, in an advert for Thomas Richards of 71 New Street, Birmingham, where he had '... the patronage bestowed on him for the last fourteen years as the maker of the celebrated Pork Pies, Swiss Rolls, French Pies, German & Genoa Cakes, Grantham and other Ginger Bread for which he defies competition ...' The inference is that Swiss rolls may date to 1842 in England.
A rolled cake appeared on a bill of fare dated 18 June 1871, published in the 1872 bookA Voyage from Southampton to Cape Town, in the Union Company’s Mail Steamer "Syria"(London). A recipe for "Swiss roll" also appeared in the US that same year inThe American Home Cook Book, published inDetroit, Michigan, in 1872.
Several 1880s to 1890s cookbooks from London, England, used the name Swiss roll exclusively.
TheAmerican Pastry Cook, published in Chicago in 1894, presented a basic "Jelly Roll Mixture" then listed variants made from it that included a Swiss roll, Venice roll, Paris roll, chocolate roll, jelly roll cotelettes, and decorated jelly rolls.
TheBûche de Noëlis a traditional Christmas cake ofFrenchorigin. It is a rolled cake, usually chocolate cake, filled with chocolate whipped cream and decorated with icing sugar to resemble a snow-covered tree log. There are many variations of this cake, including some that are not cakes but are made ofsorbet, ice cream, or elaborate creations, offering a multitude of flavor combinations.
In Germany, it is calledBiskuitrolle, which means "sponge cake roll". It can also be named after its filling (e.g.Zitronenrolle– lemon roll,Erdbeerrolle– strawberry roll).
This type of cake was probably introduced in the late 19th or early 20th century, when Hong Kong was anintegral British territory, and it has been sold in Hong Kong well before the existence of Western-style Asian bakeries such asMaxim. Popular variations include
Most USChinatownbakeries sell the basic Hong KongSwiss rollversion. It essentially looks and tastes identical to the one sold in Hong Kong. A popular type of Swiss roll in Chinese bakeries in the US is thetiger roll(Chinese:虎皮蛋糕卷), which has a golden, striped outer appearance derived from its outermost layer (egg yolk). It has traditional white cream inside, and is similar in appearance totiger bread.
InIndia, Swiss rolls are called "jam rolls". They are sold across regional bakeries along with cream rolls and other local delicacies.
InIndonesia, the Swiss roll cake is calledbolu gulung. Most bakeries sell Swiss rolls daily, and they are filled with butter cream, cheese or fruit jam. It is also very common for Swiss rolls to be sold by the slice, but some shops sell by both slice and roll.
InSicilyaroundCaltanissetta(Italy), there is a cake made with chocolate sponge,ricotta, andmarzipancalled therollò(fromFrenchroulé).
InJapan, Swiss rolls are called "roll cake". They are filled with whipped cream and sometimes with fruits likestrawberries.
In Colombia, a Swiss roll is called eitherpiononoorbrazo de reina("queen's arm"), and it is filled withdulce de guayaba(guavajam) orarequipe. In Argentina, Uruguay and Peru, it is also calledpionono, and it is filled withdulce de lecheormanjar blanco(which are a more caramelized and thicker version of condensed milk). In Chile it is calledbrazo de reina, filled withdulce de lecheonly, and sprinkled withpowdered sugar. It is calledarrolladoin Costa Rica.
In Puerto Ricoand Venezuela it is known asbrazo de gitano, but there is a vast array of fillings that include cream,chocolate truffle,dulce de guayaba,dulce de leche manjar blanco, often combined with fruits. In Brazil, it is calledrocambole. In Mexico it is calledniño envuelto("wrapped child"). In Ecuador, Guatemala and Uruguay it is known as abrazo gitano("gypsy's arm").
Varieties produced inSoutheast Asiaincludekaya,pandan,blueberry,strawberry,sweet potato,taro,vanilla, orange, chocolate,raspberry, and even local fruits likedurian,cempedak, andmango.
In thePhilippines, the most similar traditional pastry is thepiononowhich is part of the regular offerings of neighborhood bakeries since theSpanish colonial period. It is a rolled variant of the traditional Filipino sponge cakes (mamón) and similarly originally has a very simple filling of sugar and butter (or margarine). Modern versions, however, are commonly frosted and can include a variety of fillings. A very popular variant is thepianonoversion of theube cakegenerally known as "ube rolls". It is flavored withube(purple yam) andmacapuno, giving it a characteristic vivid purple color. Mangopianonoor "mango roll", a variant of themango cake, are also popular and are made with ripeCarabao mangoesand cream. Another notable traditionalpianonois thebrazo de Mercedes("arm of Our Lady of Mercy"), composed of a softmeringuebody and a custard core. Due to American influence,pianonosare more commonly called "cake rolls" in modern times.
In Portugal, desserts calledtortasare commonly found on restaurant menus. Such desserts are not tarts, nor are they similar to Germantorte. They are simply Swiss rolls with jam filling.
InDenmark,Norway, andSwedenthe Swiss roll is calledroulade,rullade, orrulltårta. An alternative Norwegian name isrullekakeor, in some parts of the country,swissrull.
InSwedenandFinland, the Swiss roll is calledrulltårta, respectivelykääretorttu(both meaning "roll-cake"), and it is commonly served with coffee. The filling often consists of butter cream and strawberry jam. The base of a chocolate version, calleddrömrulltårta("dream roll-cake"), is made mostly ofpotato flour, instead of the typicalwheat flour, and it is filled with butter cream. More elaborate versions of the Swiss roll can be found in bakeries, with, for example, whipped cream and a crushed banana rolled in the middle, or with a thinmarzipancoating that resembles abirchlog.
In Spain, the dessert is calledbrazo de gitano(literally translated as "gypsy's arm")and is commonly filled with cream, jam (such as peach or apricot), powdered cocoa and nuts.
Despite its name, the Swiss roll appears not to have originated inSwitzerland. Swiss rolls are calledBiskuitrouladeorRouladeinSwiss Standard German,gâteau rouléorrouladein French,rotoloorbiscotto arrotolatoin Italian andrulladainRumantsch.
In the UK, Swiss rolls are popular at teatime or as a dessert. A variety of Swiss rolls are sold in supermarkets in the United Kingdom, such as chocolate, lemon or jam (the last being the most popular). Jam Swiss rolls will be filled with jam and sometimes cream, with a sugar or chocolate-drizzled outer coating.Jam roly-polyis a similar dessert, but made as asuet puddingrather than a cake, filled with jam and served hot with custard.
"Caterpillar cakes" are Swiss rolls decorated to look likecaterpillars, one popular commercial example being Marks and Spencer'sColin the Caterpillar.
American pastry chefs and menus in fine dining restaurants often use the French termroulade. The chocolate Swiss roll, sometimes referred as "chocolate log",is a popular cake or dessert. Produced by many commercial bakeries, common brands includeHo HosandYodels, which are smaller-sized rolls for individual consumption. When the filling is ice cream, it is commonly referred to as an "ice cream cake roll", and although they can vary, these often consist of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.