Sponge Roll with Jam and Cream Recipe

An old-fashioned favourite, the jam roll has been taken to a new level with the addition of whipped cream. A slice of the soft, delicate sponge encasing a jam and cream filling is perfect with a cup of tea. It is best eaten within one day of baking.

For accuracy, we use digital scales to weigh ingredients. Volume measurements are given in Australian Standard cups (250ml) and spoons (20ml tablespoon, 5ml teaspoon). We use eggs that weigh at least 60 grams (including shell).

Preparation time: about 20 minutes (excluding baking and cooling times)

75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
25g (2 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5ml) vanilla extract
150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
20ml (1 tablespoon) boiling water
10g (2 teaspoons) butter, melted
27g (1 1/2 tablespoons) caster sugar, extra
About 150g (scant 1/2 cup) strawberry jam
300ml thickened cream (35–40 percent fat)

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Put the oven rack in the middle shelf position.

You'll need a pan that's 37cm long by 24.5cm wide by 2.5cm deep. A little larger is okay, but don't use one that's much smaller or the sponge will be too thick when baked, making it more difficult to roll. Grease the pan with butter, line the base and sides with baking paper, and then grease the baking paper.

Put a sheet of greaseproof paper on your kitchen bench and sift the flour and cornflour onto the paper. Sit the sifter in a bowl and return flour to the sifter. Repeat the sifting onto paper another two times. Then return flour to the sifter (resting in the bowl) until it's time to add the flour to the batter.

Using an electric mixer or electric beaters, beat eggs, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed for about 8 minutes.

The mixture should be thick and pale. When you lift the beaters, the mixture that falls from the beaters should sit on top of the egg mixture rather than sinking in.

Combine boiling water and melted butter.

Sift half the flour over the egg mixture. Using a large spoon or spatula, gently but quickly fold the flour into the egg mixture until almost combined.

Pour the water/butter mixture around the edge of the bowl. Sift the remaining flour over the egg mixture.

Fold the ingredients together, making sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl so the liquid combines with the other ingredients and doesn't remain in a pool at the base of the bowl. Don't mix any more than is necessary to combine the ingredients – if you knock too much air out of the mixture the sponge won't be light and tender.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.

Place pan on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cake is a golden colour and springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Be careful not to overbake.

While the sponge is baking, place a piece of baking paper that's slightly larger than the pan size on your kitchen bench. Sprinkle paper evenly with the extra sugar. When you turn the cake out onto the paper, the sugar will help prevent the cake from sticking.

Immediately turn the sponge out onto the sugared paper, remove pan, and quickly but gently peel away the lining paper.

Place a clean piece of baking paper over the sponge, cover loosely with a tea towel, and allow to cool completely.

When ready to fill the sponge, whip the cream until firm peaks form. Spread the jam evenly over the sponge.

Spread the cream over the jam, stopping 2cm from the edge on one of the short sides. This cream-free border helps prevent cream oozing out the seam of the rolled cake.

Position the cake so the border is furthest from you and the other short side of the cake is directly in front of you. Roll the sponge away from you by lifting the baking paper and using it to guide the roll into shape.

Place roll seam side down on your serving plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to slice the roll neatly. The roll can be assembled and refrigerated a few hours before required.

Cut a thin slice off each end of the roll to give a neat appearance. Slice cake and serve. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au