Sponge Cake Roll
This lovely sponge cake roll, filled with apricot jam and dusted with sugar, is one of the specialties at this traditional Viennese bakery. Demel/K.u.K. Hofzuckerbacker was first opened in 1786, and still uses its old recipes: Chef Franz Augustin trained in 12 stations in the bakery before specializing in his particular pastries.
Ingredients
- Eggs - 8
- Egg Yolks - 2
- Sugar - 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons
- Flour - 1-1/2 cups
- Confectioner's sugar - 1/2 cup
- Apricot jam - 2 cups
- Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm. Remove from heat and put in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until the mixture has cooled and is pale and foamy. Fold in the flour in three additions, preserving the volume of the eggs as you work. Spread the batter 5/8-inch thick in the pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back when touched. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Dust the cake lightly with confectioner's sugar. Cover the cake with a second piece of parchment paper and turn out onto a work surface. Pull off the parchment on which the cake was baked. Trim the edges to make it even; save the trimmings. Stir the jam to make it easier to spread; thin with a little bit of warm water if necessary to obtain spreading consistency. Spread the jam evenly over the cake. Place a single line of trimmed pieces along a long edge of the cake to help start the rolling. Lift the parchment under that side of the cake and use it to evenly lift and roll the cake over the extra pieces, creating a tight spiral roll. Tuck the cake into place securely. Again using the parchment to evenly lift the cake, continue to roll it up into a tight spiral, lifting away the parchment at the end; do not roll up the parchment IN the cake! Place the cake seam-side down and let rest at least 30 minutes.
To serve: Line a long serving platter with paper doilies. Lay a 1-inch wide strip of parchment lengthwise along the top of the roll. Dust the cake roll with confectioner's sugar, then lift off the parchment strip, leaving a bare line along the top of the roll. Lift the parchment, keeping the bare strip on the top of the cake. Place the cake on the prepared serving platter and remove the parchment. Slice at a slight angle into individual rolls, making 7 or 8 slices, depending on desired thickness. Separate slightly, and lay the pieces on their sides.
