Rolkoek (Swiss Roll)
Rolkoek
Rolkoek always felt like the star of any birthday table — not because it was fancy, but because it looked like something only clever hands could make. As a child, the magic started long before the jam appeared. The sponge came out of the oven soft and warm, so light it almost felt hollow when you lifted the edge. There was always that moment of holding your breath as it was turned out onto sugared paper, the steam rising in a soft cloud that smelled like vanilla and warm afternoons.
The real thrill came with the rolling. You'd watch the sponge curl gently, the jam spreading in a thin, glossy layer that promised sweetness in every bite. The first slice was always a small celebration — the spiral neat and bright, the jam catching the light, the sponge springy under the knife. It tasted like childhood parties, paper plates, and the quiet pride of seeing something simple turn into something beautiful.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 50 g caster sugar
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g plain flour, sifted
- 100 g jam (for filling), warmed slightly
- Extra caster sugar for dusting
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a Swiss roll tin (about 16 × 28 cm).
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until thick, pale and fluffy.
- Fold in the flour very gently with a metal spoon to keep the air in.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden and springy. Do not overbake or the sponge will crack.
- Sprinkle caster sugar over a sheet of baking parchment.
- Turn out the sponge onto the sugared paper and peel off the lining.
- Spread with warmed jam.
- Roll up tightly from the short edge using the paper to guide you.
- Cool seam-side down on a wire rack.