Japanese decorative roll birthday cake

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 egg white
• 30 g sugar
• 40 g flour
• 20 g butter, room temperature
• Food coloring or syrup
• 4 egg whites
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 pinch of salt
• 100 g sugar
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 60 g butter, melted and cooled
• 60 g flour, sifted
• 30 g cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 cup strawberries, halved
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 1 pack of cream stiffener
• 200 g chocolate, white or dark
• Vanilla flavor

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 55 minutes

Dark sponge roll with strawberry-chocolate ganache, also available in a light version

The cup used as a measure holds 150 ml. Filling: Prepare the cream for the filling first. Pour the white chocolate into a bowl and mix with the hot cream, or melt both in a bain-marie. When the mixture is smooth, cover the bowl and refrigerate. A rather runny consistency is normal. While the pattern is in the freezer, beat the cream with a hand mixer on medium speed; the cream should thicken. Contingency plan if the cream doesn’t thicken: Make a very thick vanilla pudding from 250 ml milk, 10 g sugar, and 1/2 a package of vanilla pudding, let it cool, and fold it in. Pattern: Cut baking paper to exactly fill the bottom of a 27 x 40 cm baking sheet (no sticking up at the edges). On a piece of paper the same size as the baking paper, draw the pattern you want to see on the cake. These can be patterns (dots, hearts), individual motifs (dinosaurs), or even names – with the latter, make sure to write in mirror writing! Now place the pattern on the baking tray and cover with baking paper. Ideally, the pattern will show through the baking paper. In a small bowl, mix the egg whites, sugar, flour, and butter with a spoon. If necessary, divide the batter mixture into several bowls and color it brightly if desired. Fill the colored mixture into piping bags. Make sure the nozzle opening is small enough. Pipe the pattern onto the baking paper. Place the tray in the freezer, ensuring it is level and nothing smudges. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Sponge cake: Beat the egg whites, add a pinch of salt, and sprinkle in half of the sugar. The egg whites are at the right consistency when they form peaks. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, add the butter, and continue beating until a foamy consistency is reached. Fold in the egg whites. Fold in the dry ingredients. Remove the baking tray from the freezer. Remove the pattern sheet from under the baking paper. Pour the batter onto the baking paper with the frozen dough pattern, spread it out in the tray, and smooth it down. Shake the tray a few times to release any air bubbles. Run your finger along the edge, leaving about 1 cm free. Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Do not overbake the sponge cake, otherwise it will become brittle when rolled out! Depending on the oven, the baking time will only be a few minutes! When no batter sticks to your finger when you press on the cake with your finger and it has a spongy consistency, the sponge cake should be ready. While the sponge cake is baking, sift icing sugar onto a large piece of baking paper. Turn the sponge cake out of the tray, cake side down, onto the icing sugar baking paper. Peel back the baking paper on the underside. Replace the removed baking paper and turn the sponge cake over so that the pattern side is down. Let the sponge cool for 1 minute under a damp tea towel. Remove the cream from the refrigerator and spread it over the sponge. When rolling, some cream will ooze out of the sides, so be careful not to apply too much cream. Arrange the strawberries in two rows on the cream. To ensure the strawberries are in the center when rolling, place them at the end of the cake where you begin rolling. Carefully roll up the sponge. Trim the edges cleanly with a sharp knife. Place on a cake plate to serve. Variation with a light sponge: If you prefer a light Swiss roll with a chocolate pattern, replace half of the 40g of flour with cocoa powder and half of the 1/4 cup of cocoa powder with flour. This recipe comes from a friend in Japan, where the cakes are very popular, especially in Hello Kitty shapes.