Rice Flour Roll Cakes

A Japanese beautician lent me her rice flour dessert book when I went to her for a hair cut. Ah, nice but ie ie kekkoudesu (  いえ、いえ結構ですーThank you but no thank you) I know that rice flour is kind of tricky to use. Beside  thanks to Foodbuzz, Tastespotting and Food Gawker, I have tons of recipes that I would like to try, I have no more space in my file. She mistakenly thought I’m being polite, she coaxed me three times more. I said jaa (じゃあーif you insist). I took the book home being really polite this time.

This Japanese cook book is very pretty. It’s enjoyable to look at. I put it on my bed side table. I read/look at it at bedtime and I say “Wow” and “Ahhh”, I must make this in the morning then fighting to not close my eyelids while I read 2-3 verses from scriptures. I say a shamefully short prayer of thanks for countless blessings then I happily hit the pillow. In the morning though I don’t remember to make anything from the book. That’s been 4 weeks now, I really need to take the book back to her very soon. I should make something from the book so that I could thank her and say that I like that book not just I like to look at it.

This cake uses new type of rice flour called Riz  Farine (リ・ファリーヌ) is very close approximately of weak power flour (薄力粉) developed in Japan. Which I could not find in here in US. Oh rats! I hope for the best. I used ordinary rice flour for the strawberry cake and jyoshinko (上新粉) which is a more refined type of rice flour for the chocolate roll cake.

Strawberry Roll cake sponge for 1 16x11 pan lined with parchment paper

• 6 large eggs at room temperature
• Granulated sugar 120g
• Rice flour 100g
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Syrup

• Water 100ml
• Granulate sugar 40g

Cook water and sugar in a small pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside

Spread

• 4-5 tablespoons of Apricot jam
• 2-3 tablespoons water

In a small microwave safe cup combine apricot jam and water. Microwave for 1 minute on 50% power. Set it aside.

Filling

• 250ml heavy cream
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 10 Strawberries cut in small pieces plus 2-3 strawberries for garnish.

Powdered sugar for garnish

1. Pre-heat oven to 340 degrees.
2. Put all 6 eggs in the bowl of stand mixer. Scramble eggs at medium high speed (6 on my Kitchen Aid) for 5 minutes. Add sugar at the half way point.
3. Lower the speed to 4 then sprinkle flour 1 tablespoon at a time then continue to mix about 2 minutes.
4. Add vanilla and mix at low speed for 30 second more.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
6. When it’s done, take out from the pan and peel the edge of paper. Rest 1-2 minutes.
7. Put fresh parchment paper on the top then flip it so that bottom side is now on top.
8. Carefully peel off parchment paper and discard it.
9. Put another piece of fresh parchment paper then flip again so that top is bottom.
10. Wrap with plastic wrap to keep moist.
11. Mean while whip cream and sugar until soft peak. Set it aside.
12. After the cake has cooled, brush the top of the cake with syrup then with apricot jam mixture.
13. Spread on the whipped cream, Thinly spread toward the end of the roll.
14. Sprinkle strawberries on top of the cream.
15. Using bottom of parchment paper as a guide roll the cake tightly as possible.
16. Tape the end of paper and rest  the cake in the refrigerator for an hour.
17. Decorate with powdered sugar and strawberries.

Variation: Chocolate roll cake with chocolate cream.

Sift Rice flour and 2 table spoon of  unsweetened cocoa powder incorporated as above. I didn’t use any vanilla for the chocolate one. Skip the syrup and the apricot spread as well.

Chocolate cream filling

In a small sauce pan, cook heavy cream until small bubbles appear at the edge of pan, remove from pan then add 60 g of milk chocolate. Stir until chocolate melt and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Whip 150g of heavy cream till soft peak. Add cooled chocolate mixture and continue whipping for another 1 minutes.

In my opinion Jyoshinko rice flour one came out lot fluffier but less moist than regular rice flour.

Is it Murphy’s law? When I took time to clean my kitchen and organize, no one came. I started making the chocolate roll cake, I used entire counter top and dirtied many dishes and pans. Too tired to clean up, I took a break then my son came home with friend. Ahggg, I’m totally embarrassed!