Sakura Cherry Blossom Roll Cake

Sakura Cherry Blossom Roll Cake

"you eat with your eyes first" is my belief when it comes to baking so i always aim to make pretty looking (of coz delicious) desserts and cakes. ever since knowing the existence of pickled cherry blossoms and how the japanese use it extensively in their beautiful wagashi and sweets, that came top of my most-wanted baking ingredient. so when i made the shiro-an white bean paste, i actually had this in mind already. this sakura roll uses the shiro-an both in the sponge and mousseline filling which i find it a really novel idea. having made sponges which require the use of almond or pistachio paste, i really liked the taste so i wonder what it'll be like to use white bean paste instead.

the cherry blossoms are pickled in salt so you'll hv to rinse and soak them prior to use. when i got myself a pack of this from rakuten.jp, an online japanese ebay-like site, i was surprised at its taste. it wasn't floral as i expected it to be but more like pickled plums with a sourish tang. i also used the cherry blossom essence which dear felicia so generously gave to me.

tastewise, i must say i'm really not such a big fan of the sponge coz it was way too eggy for me. it did taste better upon chilling but still. the saving grace was perhaps the mousseline filling. it was really really good, very smooth and creamy. i would think its a cross between creme patissiere and creme anglaise and i could really taste the shiro-an in there but not in the sponge. the mousseline is definitely a keeper though i would go with a different sponge in future.



recipe source : 孟老师的美味蛋糕卷

ingredients (makes one 36x26cm/14x10in sponge sheet) :

for the sponge :

40g unsalted butter, melted & cooled

50g shiro-an (japanese white bean paste), recipe here

25ml milk

80g egg yolks

15g caster sugar

150g egg whites

75g caster sugar

50g cake flour, sifted

for the shiro-an mousseline filling :

80g unsalted butter, softened

30g egg yolks

30g caster sugar

15g cake flour

160ml milk

1/2 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped

60g shiro-an

directions :

1. rinse off the salt on the pickled cherry blossoms, soak them in water for 2 hrs and pat dry with paper towels. place them on 1/2 side of the baking tray lined with baking paper.

2. place egg yolks and 30g sugar in a bowl over a pan of hot water and whisk until pale & fluffy. combine shiro-an and milk together then add in the yolk mixture.

3. in another bowl whisk egg whites and 75g caster sugar until stiff peaks then fold the whites into yolks in 3 additions. sift cake flour over, mix well and fold in melted butter.

4. pour mixture onto the baking tray, level with a spatula and bake in a preheated oven of 180C for 12 mins or until golden. leave to cool then peel off paper carefully.

5. to make the filling, place softened butter in a bowl. in another bowl whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cake flour, milk & vanilla bean then whisk in the shiro-an.

6.cook mixture on stove until 84C then leave to cool over an ice water bath. whisk butter until homogenous then add in the above anglaise mixture in 2-3 additions.

7. spread a thin layer of filling onto cake, level with spatula then roll cake up starting from the end (without the sakura) using a sheet of parchment paper as a guide. keep the cake rolled up, wrap with parchment paper and tuck the sides of the paper in. refrigerate cake for 30-60 mins until firm. trim ends and serve.