Citrus Season
It’s winter, which in our baking minds means…it’s citrus season! We just love the addition of sharp citrus to baked goods, whether it’s in the form of oranges, lemons, or limes. Our blog already features several sharp and citrusy recipes, like this heavenly orange chocolate cake or these delicious lemon squares. And while we love the combination of orange and chocolate, the zing and tartness that lemon adds to a recipe is simply unmatched!
Tart & Sweet: A Perfect Balance
On that note, today’s recipe is for a citronroulade, or lemon swiss roll. It consists of a fluffy and airy fatless sponge rolled up with super tart lemon curd and sweet whipped cream. Slice it up and serve with a cup of tea or coffee – it’s just unreal! Each bite simply melts in your mouth and the balance of flavors is just right. We love making our own lemon curd, but feel free to use storebought if that’s easier! We definitely like our homemade curd to be very tart, so keep that in mind if you do prefer sweeter lemon flavors! Or use any other citrus curd if that’s what you like.
The Recipe
Parts of this recipe can be a little tricky if it’s the first time you are making any kind of rolled cake! After making the cake batter, be sure to spread evenly across a baking sheet. This cake is very quick to bake, so check for done-ness right after 6 minutes! After the cake has cooled for about 5 minutes, generously coat a piece of parchment paper in granulated sugar (or powdered sugar works too!) and roll up the sponge, letting it cool while rolled up. This will help keep the cake from cracking after it is filled! Then you just unroll the sponge when it has cooled, spread the fillings on the sponge, and roll it back up! You can decorate the top however you would like! It is best enjoyed the day you make it, but can keep in the fridge for a a few days after. Let us know in the comments below if you make this recipe!
Citronroulade (Lemon Roulade)
Ingredients
SPONGE
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 130 grams (2/3 cup) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 130 grams (a little under 1 cup) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
LEMON CURD
- 3 egg yolks
- Lemon zest from 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 200 ml (2/3 cup + 1 tbsp) lemon juice (juice from about 3 large lemons – please note that if your lemons are on the smaller side or don't have as much juice, you may need up to six lemons!)
- 42 grams (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
WHIPPED CREAM
- 160 ml (2/3 cup) heavy cream
- 2 tsp sugar
- Splash of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make your lemon curd up to 1 day ahead of time, or a few hours before baking the sponge. To make lemon curd, combine egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together well to combine.
- Add in lemon juice and whisk well.
- Transfer the mixture to a pot over medium low heat. Heat the mixture until it thickens, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. It should reach the consistency of a thick custard. Add in the three tablespoons of butter and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a bowl and place plastic wrap so that it touches the surface of the curd, preventing it from forming a skin. Put in the fridge and let cool completely.
- Preheat your oven to 390 F (200 C).
- Add your eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy and tripled in size (about 5 minutes). Add your vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Meanwhile, measure out your flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
- Sift your dry ingredients into your egg mixture in two parts, folding gently to combine. You can also sift in the ingredients and run the mixer on very low speed to incorporate gently without knocking air out. We would still recommend folding a few times at the end to make sure the dry ingredients are fully incorporated!
- Spread your batter onto a parchment lined rectangular baking sheet, aiming for about half an inch thickness.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes – make sure not to overbake! Check it right after 6 minutes by poking a knife or toothpick into the sponge and making sure it comes out clean. Overbaking will make this sponge tough.
- Once your sponge is baked, let it cool for just a few minutes and then turn out onto a piece of parchment paper dusted with icing sugar or granulated sugar.
- You want to do this while the sponge is still warm, so it doesn’t crack later!
- Roll up your sponge and sugared parchment paper along the short edge of the sponge.
- Let it cool completely in its rolled up shape.
- (This step is optional if you would like to skip the whipped cream!) While the sponge is cooling, make whipped cream by combining heavy cream, sugar, and a splash of vanilla extract in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whipping until it reaches stiff peaks. You can also whip by hand, or using a handheld whisk.
- Once it has cooled completely, unroll and spread lemon curd across the sponge all the way to the edge.
- (Optional) Spread whipped cream over the lemon curd.
- Gently roll up the sponge the same way that it was rolled when cooling. It's okay if some of the filling falls out at the very end!
- Place the roll seam side down on a cutting board/serving platter. Decorate the top with any leftover whipped cream and lemon zest. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
