Caramel Mocha Swiss Roll Cake

This cake is heavily inspired by the Great British Bake-Off (known in the US as The Great British Baking Show). The first episode I ever watched was all about cakes and one of the challenges was to design and make a roll cake. I like cake and really wanted to try this challenge for myself. I bought a jelly roll pan just to make this cake and I'm not disappointed.

This cake idea started out as a mocha roll cake and the caramel elements were added at the last minute. I saw a bit of caramel sauce in a jar in my fridge while I was digging for cake ingredients and decided to use it. I also bought stroopwafels (Dutch caramel filled wafer cookies) to serve all by themselves at the party I made this cake for, but decided they would also make the cake look extra fancy.

Notes:

• Since it is a chocolate cake, I sprinkled the towel that holds the rolled cake with cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar (this is primarily for looks).
• I used 1 tsp of espresso granules in the buttercream when I made it and the coffee flavor was very subtle, and not quite strong enough for my liking. I wrote 1 1/2 tsp in the recipe below but if you really like coffee flavor, 2 tsp might be better.
• Adding 1 tbsp of butter at a time to the buttercream = 24 additions = ain’t nobody got time for that. I added 3-4 tbsp at a time and it was fine.
• I initially used 3/4 of the buttercream inside the cake and 1/4 for decoration and it was a bit much. I might consider cutting the filling with plain whipped cream or using a slightly different filling next time.

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RECIPE:

Caramel Mocha Swiss Roll Cake

adapted from Hershey's (cake), The Pioneer Woman (filling), Minimalist Baker (caramel sauce)
Makes 1 cake, serves about 12-16

Chocolate cake:
1/4 cup cocoa powder plus 1/3 cup, divided
4 eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/3 cup, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup water

Espresso Swiss meringue buttercream:
4 egg whites, at room temperature (reserve yolks for another use)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into tablespoons
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso granules mixed with 1 tsp very hot water, cooled to room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch fine sea salt

Vanilla bourbon caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp bourbon whiskey
Pinch of salt (optional)

Decoration:
Chocolate covered espresso beans and/or mini stroopwafel cookies

Prepare cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a jelly roll pan (15.5 x 10.5 x 1 in) with foil, and generously grease the foil with butter. Set aside. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder onto a clean cotton or linen kitchen towel (preferably a dark colored one with no pile/loops) that is at least as large as the jelly roll pan. Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar in several additions, until stiff peaks form. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla extract for about 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in several additions, mixing briefly after each one, and beat for 2 more minutes. In another medium bowl, stir flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and water to the egg yolk mixture in several additions, just until the batter is smooth. Fold this batter into the egg whites gently until well blended. Transfer batter to jelly roll pan, distributing evenly, and place in oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back into place when touched lightly in the center. Remove from oven and immediately loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and invert cake onto the cocoa dusted towel. Carefully remove the foil from the cake, then roll cake and towel together from the short side. Transfer rolled cake to a wire rack to cool completely. While cake cools, prepare buttercream and caramel sauce.

Prepare buttercream: Find a medium saucepan that will allow your stand mixer bowl to sit atop it with at least 1 inch of room from the bottom. Fill saucepan with about 1/2 inch of water on high heat until it simmers, then turn heat to low. Put egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, then place the mixer bowl on top of the simmering pan of water, being careful that it does not touch the water's surface. Heat the egg whites and sugar to approximately 160°F, whisking constantly. If you do not have a thermometer, it is ready when and all the sugar is dissolved  (it is not grainy when you rub it between your fingers). The mixture will be hot to the touch. Immediately transfer the mixer bowl to the stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whip on high speed until the mixture is thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks. Once it has reached this stage, continue to whip until the bowl has cooled to room temperature. This process takes roughly 10 minutes. Remove whisk attachment and switch to the paddle attachment. Set mixer to low speed. Drop in 3 tablespoons of the butter and beat until smooth. Repeat this process until all the butter is incorporated. If it appears clumpy or curdled during this process, increase speed to medium-high and beat until it is smooth again. Mix in the espresso, vanilla, and salt on medium speed, beating until smooth.

Prepare caramel sauce: Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally (not stirring) until the mixture turns a deep amber color. Once it starts to brown, it will darken quickly! Be careful not to let it burn. Remove pan from the heat, turn off the burner, and whisk in the cream, whisking while pouring. The mixture may expand a bit and release a lot of steam when this happens, so be careful. Once the cream is fully incorporated, place pan back on the burner and whisk in the vanilla and bourbon. Mix for about 1 minute, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a glass pint jar or other heat-safe container and let cool to room temperature.

Assemble and decorate cake: Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread half of the espresso buttercream evenly onto the inner surface, leaving a small border on all sides. Warm 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce in the microwave for about 20 seconds, then drizzle back and forth across the top of the buttercream. Reroll cake as tightly as you can manage without it cracking. Place on a serving plate with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the cake so they have a nice flat edge. Drizzle about 1/2 cup warmed caramel sauce in ribbons over the cake across the short side. Fit a piping bag with a medium sized star tip and fill bag with remaining espresso buttercream. Pipe rows of shells or stars along the top center of the cake (mine is shown with one big spiral drawn with a star tip). Decorate with chocolate covered espresso beans and/or mini stroopwafel cookies. Cover loosely with saran wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for several hours to firm up. Remove cake from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Store leftovers loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

One of my favorite things about August is the absolute abundance of tomatoes. This is a complete flip from when I was a child. I grew up thinking raw tomatoes were disgusting. Cooked ones were fine as long as they were totally smooth -- chunky tomato sauce was a no-no. Then I went to college and stopped having time to pick things I didn't like out of the cafeteria food, so sometimes I ate chunks of tomato even when I didn't want to. There was a bit of a breakthrough when my sister-in-law took me out for my first burrito and I actively enjoyed the pico de gallo salsa in it despite the fact that it was mostly raw tomatoes. Then when I went to Japan for study abroad, my host mom would put raw tomato wedges in salad and I decided to eat them to be polite, but here's the thing: the tomatoes were actually tasty. Turns out I was just eating crappy tomatoes up until then. Fast forward to now and here I am growing them in my garden (like my mom does) and getting excited about receiving them in my CSA haul. A fresh in-season tomato is a joy.

Sometimes, though, you have more than you can eat raw, and so even though it's August, you want to cook them. I stumbled upon this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and since I had lots of big tomatoes to eat up, and I love risotto and it uses the same type of rice, I set to work. I served it with potato gnocchi tossed with some leftover spinach-hazelnut pesto from this recipe.

Verdict: It was good, but kind of a lot of work. I don't know if I'd go out of my way to make it again but I'm glad I tried it!

RECIPE: Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry Sauce

I received an ice cream maker as a wedding gift, and while I probably never would have bought one on my own, I have found it fun and useful to experiment with. The instruction booklet also came with a whole bunch of delicious looking recipes in the back, and since we were having a gathering in August and it'd probably be hot outside, I chose the cheesecake ice cream recipe from the booklet. Sarah was surprised that it did not involve any eggs or stove cooking. She ended up making the mix in the food processor rather than a stand mixer because it was occupied with other cooking projects, something that also worked surprisingly well.

I will never forget when she opened it up to taste the mixture before freezing it. She dipped a finger in, tasted it, and said "well, that doesn't suck." I have since incorporated these words into my regular vocabulary.

Notes:

• The mix can be made in a food processor instead of a stand mixer.
• The original fruit sauce recipe called for raspberries instead of strawberries and orange zest instead of lemon, which I think would also taste great. We skipped straining out the strawberry seeds because they're quite small, but if you make it with raspberries I highly recommend straining out the seeds.
• Other substitutions: we used 2% milk instead of whole and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and it worked quite nicely.
• We additionally served this with lemon curd and crushed graham crackers, though both of those things are 100% optional. The book also suggests chocolate sauce as a topping.

Verdict: I still don't make ice cream that much but I really loved this one, and would absolutely consider making it again.

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RECIPE:

Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry Sauce

adapted from the recipe book that came with my Cuisinart ice cream maker

Makes about 5 cups ice cream and 1 1/4 cups strawberry sauce

For the ice cream:

12 oz (1.5 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

¼ cup mascarpone, room temperature

1 cup whole or 2% milk, room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temperature

For the strawberry sauce:

12 oz frozen strawberries, thawed

¼ cup granulated sugar
 

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch grated lemon zest

Ice cream: Place cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until very smooth. Gradually add the sugar and salt with the mixer running until thoroughly incorporated. Add mascarpone and continue to mix until well combined. Slowly add the milk and vanilla. Mix. Fold or gently mix in the sour cream. Cover mixture and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight, until well chilled. Once the mixture is fully chilled, prepare and turn on the ice cream maker. Pour the ice cream mix into the frozen freezer bowl and mix until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours for a firmer texture. Let soften for about 15 minutes before serving. Top with strawberry sauce.

Strawberry sauce: Put fruit, sugar, salt, and lemon zest into the blender jar and place the lid on top. Blend on high speed for about 15 seconds or until smooth. Pass through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, if desired. Store leftovers in a glass jar. It will keep in the refrigerator for 7-10 days, or in the freezer for 6-8 months.

Lentil and Rice Balls

These are a vegan alternative to meatballs. Caroline lived in a remote area of Costa Rica for field research during graduate school, and this was one of the recipes her team would take turns making for the group.

Notes:

• Caroline usually made this without walnuts or oats since they were expensive and hard to source where she lived. If you have allergies to either, just leave them out.
• This recipe makes a large batch (a full serving for about 12 people). We cut it in half to serve at a party for 7 where there was a bunch of other food to eat, and we had a bunch left over. We served them with flatbread, hummus, and a chopped vegetable salad.
• For variation, you can try different herbs instead of the basil.
• I made these once with cooked wild rice instead of long grain white rice and they were tasty. I served them with egg noodles and a vegetarian mushroom gravy for a stroganoff-type dish.
• These can also be pan fried in oil on the stove, but for large batches I think baking them is much, much easier.

Verdict: I like them best when Caroline makes them, but if I make them a few times I'm sure I'll figure out how to make them how I like them.

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RECIPE:

Lentil and Rice Balls

Unknown source; serves 12-16

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

2 cups cooked long grain white or brown rice
3 cups cooked brown lentils

2 cups walnut pieces, toasted and then ground OR 2 cups oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon or lime juice to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add onions and garlic and saute until onion softens and becomes translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add onions and garlic to the bowl with everything else. Mix well. With your hands, shape into small balls about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Place on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until heated through and outside is lightly crisped. Serve warm.

Tea Parties Vol. 3: An End of Summer Feast

This meal was heavily inspired by Sarah, Caroline, and me all finding our way to the Great British Baking Show / The Great British Bake-Off separately but around the same time and then raving about it (thanks Netflix). It's so refreshing to see a cooking show that focuses primarily on the creativity and growth of the participants and the beautiful food they make, rather than relying on manufactured cattiness, drama, and shock value for entertainment. The hosts are silly and own it. I love the dad jokes. I have also learned a lot about culinary traditions of cultures and countries other than my own and made mental notes of new flavor combinations I'd never heard of that sound amazing.

A lot of the savory part of the menu was inspired by this particular dish I saw, to which Sarah said we should deconstruct it a bit. All the elements are there in various configurations.

One of the first episodes of the Great British Baking Show I ever watched was the one where they made roll cakes, and I loved it so much I wanted to design my own! I came up with a caramel mocha roll cake. It turned out reasonably well for my first attempt, if a bit literally and figuratively rough around the edges.

I created a drink recipe especially for this party, inspired by a drink I had at adults summer camp with one of my best friends and with my own fancy addition of peach green tea.

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RECIPES

• Roasted Carrot and Curry Hummus (Kristin Donnelly, via Design Sponge) -- Sarah's pick. I loved the sweetness of the curry + carrot combination.
• Spiced Beef Meatballs -- Sarah's recipe. She may have made it up herself.
• Lentil and Rice Balls -- Caroline brought this recipe for a vegetarian meatball alternative.
• Hummus Heaped with Cucumbers and Tomatoes (Smitten Kitchen) -- straightforward and lovely. I picked this recipe because I'd seen it and could not forget it because it looked so good. We made only the salad part, and served it with store-bought white bean hummus.
• Crisp Rosemary Flatbread (Smitten Kitchen) -- Sarah's pick, to eat with the hummus. A total keeper. These were one of the first things to get completely eaten, and I promptly made more to eat with the rest of the leftovers.
• Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Spinach-Hazelnut Pesto
• Cheesy Potatoes (no link) -- Andrea made these and brought them! Not sure where her recipe came from but they were yummy.
• Caramel Mocha Swiss Roll Cake -- one of the most challenging cakes I've ever attempted to make, and I was pleased with the result. I think it's a great start but it needs some tweaking so as to not be so incredibly rich.
• Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry Sauce
• Peach Rosemary Tea Collins
• Watermelon Lemonade (Smitten Kitchen)

Other things we served that were not made from scratch:

• White bean hummus (Lantana makes a great one)
• Various fancy cheeses
• Wine

THE TEA PARTIES

• Vol. 2: Spring Up Speed Up
• Vol. 1: A Birthday Party, and Being Unapologetically Yourself

Peach Rosemary Tea Collins

This is a recipe I developed for my third tea party, and it is inspired by a vacation earlier in the summer. I went to a weekend summer camp for adults for my best friend's bachelorette party. It included nice food and drinks. My very favorite adult beverage served during this weekend camp was called a Rishi Tea Collins, a Tom Collins made with vodka and brewed tea from Rishi (a company that sells excellent tea and you should check them out). They had a black tea version and green tea version, and while both were good, I thought the green tea one was incredible. It was served with a rosemary sprig in the top of the cup and this really elevated the whole thing.

I needed to learn to make it or at least try before it faded from memory, so I needed to give myself a goal time to have it done, and the tea party seemed like a good excuse. Also, since it was for a fancy summer tea party, I wanted to try to add a summer fruit flavor to the mix and decided on peach since it goes well with both lemon and rosemary.

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RECIPE:

Peach Rosemary Tea Collins

adapted from Liquor Control Board of Ontario (lol)

makes about 4 1/2 cups mix, enough for 6-8 servings

Tea concentrate:
1 1/8 cups water
4 bags peach flavored green tea (if loose leaf, about 3-4 tbsp leaves)

Rosemary simple syrup:
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups vodka (the bartenders at the camp recommend Tito's)
Sparkling water (plain or lemon flavor) to taste
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

To make tea concentrate: Bring 1 ⅛ cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep for 12-15 minutes. Strain out and discard tea leaves/tea bags. Let cool to room temperature.

To make rosemary simple syrup: Place water and sugar in a saucepan on the stove and heat on medium-high, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Gently bruise the rosemary (roll gently between your fingers) and add to the hot sugar water mixture. Let stand until cooled to room temperature. Strain rosemary stems and leaves out of the mixture.

Mix together all ingredients except sparkling water and chill. (It can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.) Pour desired amount over ice into a glass. Top with a bit of sparkling water and stir briefly. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprig. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice is an absolute must here. Sometimes I cut it with bottled juice since lemons can get expensive where I live, but make sure at least half of the lemon juice is freshly squeezed or it's just not right.
• Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish are also a must. Being able to smell it while you drink heightens the experience considerably.
• Possibly unpopular opinion: the quality of the tea is not super important so long as you like the flavor. Bigelow's peach green tea (which I wouldn't buy to drink straight all by itself) happened to be what I was looking for in this case.
• Ideas for variations:
• I think you could make it with just about any kind of green (or other) tea you want, though my vote would be for a neutral or fruit flavored type.
• A standard Tom Collins is made with gin, so depending on the type of tea you choose (a particularly herbal flavored one perhaps), gin might taste nice instead. I also encourage you to experiment with other neutral flavored spirits; I've used Korean soju in this before and I think it works nicely with the tea.
• Varying the fresh herb used might also be interesting. For example, sage might be tasty with a blackberry or black currant flavored tea, or mint with a blueberry tea.