Vanilla Chiffon Roll
I’ve always wanted to roll up a vanilla chiffon cake. Now that I can cross that off of my bucket list it’s on to plate spinning! Okay, so let me tell you about this cake. It is a soft, sweet, vanilla-infused cake filled with the most deliciously light chocolate-walnut mousse. This cake is so yummy that it has easily become one of my favorites.
I made Julia Child’s vanilla chiffon cake to try my hand at chiffon cake baking. Chiffon cake is quite like making a angel food cake, but with the addition of egg yolks, oil, and sometimes baking powder or soda. The process is quick– sift the dry ingredients together, mix the egg yolks and wet ingredients together, then fold everything into the whisked egg whites. This particular cake is baked in a large sheet pan for only about 12 minutes.
There are two tablespoons worth of vanilla extract in this cake, which makes for big vanilla flavor. The cake is sweet and very easy to roll up. I noticed that it ballooned a bit at the surface while in the oven, but deflated once it was cooling. I don’t know if that was a mistake or not, but the end result looks and tastes really good, so I’m not going to worry about it. Once cooled, unmold the cake onto a parchment-lined, inverted baking sheet, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, and trim the edges.
Spread the absolutely delicious chocolate-walnut mousse (or a filling of your choice) on top of the cake.
Using the parchment underneath, gently roll the cake forward.
Center rolled cake on the inverted baking sheet and refrigerate for at least two hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cocoa powder, slice it up, and top with fresh mint.
- 1 1/2 cups (297 g) Sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 4 Large Eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup Vegetable or Safflower Oil
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 TBS Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- 1 2/3 cup (140 g) Walnuts, lightly toasted
- 2 TBS Walnut or Safflower Oil
- 5 oz. (142 g) Bittersweet Chocolate, melted
- 3 Large Egg Yolks
- 1/3 cup (71 g) Sugar
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Fresh Mint (optional)
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 17 1/2-inch by 12 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan with vegetable oil spray, line with parchment paper, and spray the paper lightly all over.
- Sift together 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, baking powder, and baking soda onto a sheet of parchment paper; add the salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks, oil, water, and vanilla until blended. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the yolk mixture, whisking all the while; set aside.
- Beat the 6 egg whites in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. At low speed, beat the whites until they're foamy with tiny bubbles. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until the whites are thick and shiny and hold peaks. Fold about one third of the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it, then turn the yolk mixture into the whites and fold it in gently but thoroughly.
- Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. Bake the cake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the cake just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
- Put the walnuts and walnut oil in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse, then process, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture forms a paste. Add the melted chocolate and process until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Put the yolks in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and whisk them lightly by hand; set the bowl aside close at hand. Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a saucepan that can be used as a double boiler in conjunction with the bowl holding the yolks; reduce the heat and keep the water at the simmer while you proceed.
- In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and very gradually add the boiling syrup to the egg yolks, whisking the yolks steadily and without stopping. Fit the bowl into the saucepan with the simmering water--your makeshift double boiler--and continue to whisk until the mixture is foamy and hot to the touch.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and fit it into the mixer. Working with the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed until it is pale, holds a soft ribbon, and is cool to the touch. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the reserved chocolate-walnut paste.
- Whip the heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Fold it delicately but thoroughly into the chocolate-walnut/egg yolk mixture. Refrigerate the mousse, tightly covered with plastic wrap, until needed. You can make the mousse a day ahead, and keep it well covered in the refrigerator; stir before using.
- When you're ready to unmold the cake, cut the cake around the perimeter to loosen it up on the sides. Sprinkle the top with a little powdered sugar and cover the cake with a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Place an inverted jelly-roll pan over the cake and turn the cake over, inverted pan and all. Remove the baking pan, peel off the paper the cake baked on, turn the paper over, and reposition it over the cake. Invert the baking pan, press it against the cake, and invert again so that the cake is right side up and resting on the inverted jelly-roll pan. With the cake on top of the pan, trim the edges of the cake with a long thin knife.
- Keeping a 17-inch side of the cake in front of you, spread the chilled mousse evenly over the cake, leaving an inch of cake bare along the side closest to you. Starting at the side closest to you, roll the cake up into a an even roll, using the paper to help you move it along. When you come to the end of the roll (it will have only rolled over on itself about one and a half times), the edges of the paper should meet. Grab the edges and use the paper to scoot the cake into the center of the jelly-roll pan.
- Cover and chill the cake, on the baking pan, for at least 2 hours. Wrapped well, the cake can stay in the refrigerator overnight.
- At serving time, dust with cocoa powder and a hint of powdered sugar. Using 2 spatulas, lift the cake onto a serving platter and, if desired, garnish with fresh mint.
- The mousse-filled cake can be kept in the refrigerator overnight or wrapped airtight and frozen for 2 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator in its wrapping.
- 2 jelly-roll pans (17 1/2-inch by 12 1/2-inch)
- Parchment paper
- Electric mixer
- Food processor
- 2 saucepans
- Offset spatula
- Hand held mixer
