The Daring Baker’s Club’s October challenge was to make a Chocolate Buttercream Swiss Cake Roll. These bakers are definitely in a different league, but I am determined to push my limits until I reach them. This challenge was not only about baking a Swiss Roll, but also about decorating it with a technique that is sweeping the baking world, particularly in Japan.
Swiss rolls decorated with intricate designs are beautiful. This involves designing a design on parchment paper and freezing it. Then baking the cake with the design over the top. This technique did not go according to plan, but it was still delicious. This is my experience with the Chocolate Buttercream Swiss Cake Roll.
After baking, I learned that the letters written on parchment paper to transfer end up backwards. It was a classic “duh” moment! The flip tool on my editing software was suggested by my husband, but the result still looked a little wonky.
The cake was still covered in luscious buttery chocolate frosting despite the mishap with the design. The cake ended up looking like the traditional Yule Log Cake, something I had always wanted to bake. In a sense, I’ve achieved a baking dream.
The delicious outcome: The cake was fluffy and soft, and the buttercream filled it beautifully. Due to the buttercream’s richness, this cake should be kept refrigerated. It will melt if it is left out at room temperature.
The experience was definitely a learning curve. I will try the recipe again and aim for a perfect design next time. The best part is that I found a recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting I will use often.
The Art of Transfer Design – Creating the design is a fascinating experience. You color part of the batter and draw the design on parchment paper. Then, you freeze the paper for 30 minutes before pouring the rest over the top. Korena and other talented bakers have shown that the result can be intricate. Although my first attempt was not perfect I believe it is worth learning the technique.