Key Lime Roll Cake

[Matthew21]

OK, i'm trying to put together something that I will probably make next summer, Key Lime Roll Cake. I'm looking into Roll cakes right now, in preparation for a potential Buche De Noel around Christmas. I have a recipe for Chocolate Roulade that should probably work, both for Christmas, and to reverse engineer for the Key lime roll, by removing the chocolate, but how to place the Key Lime flavoring in? Zest and Juice would be the obvious way, but in the cake itself? Or perhaps just the filling?

Thought that i'd run it through here

 

[Becky]

If it were me, I'd probably keep the cake plain and concentrate on the filling. You could make a really tangy lime curd, and top it with Italian meringue. Yummy! If you don't think the lime curd will being enough lime to the party, then maybe add lime zest to the cake. I wouldn't add lime juice, the acidity will upset the balance of the cake recipe.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

OK, i'm trying to put together something that I will probably make next summer, Key Lime Roll Cake. I'm looking into Roll cakes right now, in preparation for a potential Buche De Noel around Christmas. I have a recipe for Chocolate Roulade that should probably work, both for Christmas, and to reverse engineer for the Key lime roll, by removing the chocolate, but how to place the Key Lime flavoring in? Zest and Juice would be the obvious way, but in the cake itself? Or perhaps just the filling?

Thought that i'd run it through here

Converting a chocolate cake into a vanilla cake isn’t straight forward. Chocolate cake is usually made with cocoa powder. Cocoa powder sholud be bloomed before adding to the batter. So the chocolate batter is going to have water, but a vanilla roulade will not contain water. Cocoa powder is highly hygroscopic, which can produce a very dry cake. To avoid a dry cake the formula for chocolate cake usually contains more fat. Roulades are best made with cake flour. Cake flour has a low absorption rate, much lower than cocoa powder. So if you convert the chocolate cake to a vanilla cake you have to calculate the reduction in fat and liquid in the formula, taking into consideration of the absorption rate of the type of flour used.

It’s probably a lot simpler to find separate roulade recipes for chocolate and vanilla cake.

In so far as adding juice and zest, it is the zest that will provide the flavor. Juice adds very little flavor in baked goods. If I were going to make such a cake, I would add the zest to the roulade batter, and make a simple syrup with the lime juice. Apply some of that simple syrup to the cake just before assembly. Your filling can also be a key lime flavor. Do be careful with Key lime as it is bitter compared to Persian limes. I actually use Persian limes for my “Key” lime pie and I have yet to find anyone who could tell the difference.

 

[Matthew21]

Thanks alot for the help. I've looked up another roulade recipe, this one not chocolate that will hopefully work. I like putting the zest in the cake, and I like the idea of using the juice with a simple syrup. For filling, I would probably use either a whipped cream, or light vanilla Buttercream (which I believe I have a recipe for). Key Lime curd seems a bit more heavy than I would like really.

 

[Apocalypso]

This is my go-to Swiss roll recipe. It's something I looked for, based on the Asian-style roll cakes I've gotten, with a light oil making it very pliable, and eggy but not too egg-rich like some I tried. It's also metric, which has made it very easy for me to scale up or down in size in a spreadsheet based on the number of eggs.

Ingredients for the cake

5 eggs, separated
150 g caster sugar
40 ml oil (I use grapeseed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
80 g flour

Beat egg whites, adding 1/2 the sugar, to stiff peaks but not dry. Set aside.
Mix the egg yolks, remaining half of the sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the oil and vanilla.
Sift the flour into the egg mixture and fold with a whisk until no dry flour is visible.
Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Spread evenly in a parchment lined jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet.
Bake at 160 C / 320F for about 23 minutes in a water bath (I use an extra large baking sheet lined with a
linen towel and filled halfway up the side of the cake pan with water. Keeps the cake from getting too well
done along the bottom.)
Remove from the pan when done, and cool on the parchment on a wire rack. No real need to pre-roll the swiss
roll, this cake is extremely pliable and forgiving. Fill as desired.

Variations I've made: substitute 35g of the flour for cocoa powder. I sift them together three times before adding.
Add grated lemon, lime or orange zest and either juice or extract for the small quantity of vanilla.

I agree that lime curd would be amazing in the cake, maybe even a thinly spread layer of pure lime zest plus a generous layer of lime curd folded into some stabilized whipped cream.

My task for a holiday party tomorrow with an Italian theme is to make this into a tiramisu yule log. I have made the meringue mushrooms in advance but I might have to re-do them, it's so rainy and humid today.

 

[Becky]

I agree that lime curd would be amazing in the cake, maybe even a thinly spread layer of pure lime zest plus a generous layer of lime curd folded into some stabilized whipped cream.

My task for a holiday party tomorrow with an Italian theme is to make this into a tiramisu yule log. I have made the meringue mushrooms in advance but I might have to re-do them, it's so rainy and humid today.

Those both sound delicious! Sorry to hear about the rain and humidity, I hope the yule log goes well. Please do let us see a photo of it when it's done!

 

[Matthew21]

Hhmm...Lime curd folded into stabilized whipped cream maybe a great way of avoiding too much "heavyness" in the cake. I always see citrus flavors as rather light, really, especially in a roll cake. I also might try to do some of those "pictures" on the outside, like you see on some roll cakes, I have a 4 year old niece, and a 2 year old nephew, so they might like those.