FoolProof Perfect Gluten Free Swiss roll Every time.

The only gluten free Dairy Free Swiss roll recipe you'll ever need. Possibly the ONLY recipe you'll need!

Unlike traditional Swiss roll recipes, which always seem to create thin, rubbery sponges, this cake is the complete opposite. And completely foolproof. Just follow these steps and it will be practically impossible to go wrong.

If I quote my 8 year old sister, “it tastes like clouds!”

The Secret Behind the Perfect Swirl

I’ve explained this briefly in the recipe, but if you're a visual learner like me, it’ll probably make more sense once you’ve seen it.

If you’ve seen classic Japanese desserts they’re known for making the softest, pillowy – chiffon cakes. Which this cake essentially is. But rolled. 

They also have some epic patisserie tips. For instance, when making Swiss rolls they tend to score the sponge 3x lengthways, which allows you to roll it easily to create that perfect swirl.

Which I have implemented in this recipe and it works!

• First start by making 3 light scores lengthways down the cake – make sure NOT to cut into the cake, we're just trying to make a dent so it easy for us to roll later on.

• Next you want to flip the cake on its back and on the opposite side to where we made the scores. 

• Here we're going to trim the very edge of the cake at a 45 degree angle. This will give us a nice neat surface for the cake to stand on, once rolled. 

• Once you’ve made all the scoring and cuts it's time to add the filling. Start by spreading an evenly layer of jam on the cake - if you have really stiff/thick jam then simply place it in the microwave for 30-45seconds or until you have loose spreadable consistency.

• Then whip your vegan double cream. Elmlea 100% plant based is INCREDIBLE and it's what I used here, it whips and stiffens up like regular cream and tastes brilliant!

If however, you can’t get your hands on any, whipped coconut cream works amazingly well too!

• Then the final thing to do is roll the cake! Make sure to start rolling the cake from where you made the scores and roll to make a tight swirl.

• To finish dust with icing sugar or piped chantilly cream. Cut yourself a slice and ENJOY.

Chantilly Cream

I must say this may be the most over exaggerated ‘fancy cream’ there is and ganache second. They make it sound so technical when in reality it's just double cream with a bit of vanilla and icing sugar. There's really nothing technical about it.

So please don’t feel daunted by it. But I guess a really good plus when it comes to Chantilly cream and ganache is that whenever you have guests and they ask, ‘oh so how did you make this!’ you can slap on these technical terms and they’ll bewildered by your skills.

And to be honest the reason why it's believable and why it earns these respectable titles is because they do in fact taste that damn good.

The Ingredients – Nutrition

Sponge Ingredients

Flour

White flour has very little nutritional value. It’s high in carbohydrates and calories, and low in everything else like fiber, protein and vitamins.

However, to add more nutritional benefits to this cake you can substitute it for enriched wheat flour which may be a good source of iron, thiamine, niacin, calcium, and vitamin B6. Although, I haven’t yet tried this sub, if you do, please let me know how you get on, in the comments below ?

Sugar

Sugar provides energy, and should be consumed in small amounts. This recipe requires very little sugar when maintaining to the recommended portion size so is a good treat that won’t over shoot your blood sugar like a slice of chocolate cake would.

Eggs 

Eggs are also incredibly nutritious as they contain protein, healthy fats, and many nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, choline, iron and folate. 

And are vital for this recipe as their aerating properties is what creates that light, cloudy texture. As well as adding stability to the cake, to help it roll.

Oil

Oil has numerous benefits, primarily it is a major source of energy and a carrier of essential nutrients which are vital for growth and metabolism, protecting brain cells, reducing the risk of heart diseases, etc.

But when eaten in large amounts can lead to various heart diseases, so should be eaten moderately. However, this recipe requires a very minute amount, solely to add flexibility to the cake, so we can roll it, without tearing.

Filling Ingredients

Dairy free cream

Non-dairy whipping cream is healthier due to it being dairy free. However, these tend to include trans fats, so should be eaten in controlled amounts – like the serving size for the Swiss roll.

Jam

The jam I used for this role was a homemade strawberry jam with honey as a sweetener. And thickened with cornstarch, posting the recipe to this soon.

You may also use regular store bought jam, but these tend to be very high in sugar, so have a look at the nutritional labels and try and opt for one where sugar isn’t the first ingredient.

The Method

Another awesome thing about this recipe is that there is no more faff! All that horrible mess of flipping your sponge over on a tea towel and rolling it as fast as possible whilst it's hot. So it can mold into that roll shape before it cools. In fear of the sponge tearing if you leave it too late. Which will inevitably lead to it tearing.

It’s absolute nonsense, there’s no need for. Just add some oil to the batter and that will give your sponge flexibility!

Substitutes

If you’d like to make a non-gluten free version, that is absolutely fine. Just simply substitute the GF plain flour for normal plain flour and remove the xanthan gum. But don’t feel like you're missing out by making this gluten free version because it hands down tastes the EXACT same. 

And those sorts of recipes are hard to come by.

Feel free to substitute the dairy free whipped cream for fresh double cream if you prefer. But this substitute is pretty great!

Your Thoughts

As always, I’m really excited to hear your thoughts on this vegan apple pie. And if you have any questions at all leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can x

*This blog post may contain affiliate links. Product mentions do not imply endorsement. Please read my disclaimer on my privacy policy page for more information.

© Leena. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.