Strawberry and Orange Blossom Water Swiss Roll

In the first few months of dating my current boyfriend, I got to experience his signature fruit salad. It sounds a bit underwhelming, but read on for proof of the glory of this collage of summer hues. One afternoon, he casually tossed together this incredible mixture: light with berries, apples, pomegranate seeds, kiwis, and crowned with a delicate syrup of honey, the juice of a lemon, lime, and orange, mint, and orange blossom water. Needless to say, this is still one of the staples for guests, for a healthier dessert to share over Netflix, or to round out a satisfying weekend lunch. This cake is the first of what I’m sure will be many attempts to extend the greatness and simplicity of that fruit salad to any and all other dessert forms: this time, in the swirl of a Swiss roll. Swiss rolls are fantastic canvases, especially for a gluten free canvas, on which to experiment with countless combinations of flavors, flours, and fragrances. They are themselves very light, and so they become lovely vehicles for other ingredients of levity like floral waters or syrups.

In this case, the orange blossom water fights for the spotlight with fresh strawberries, though it does a valiant job. If you’re not fond of floral flavorings in baked goods, you may want to try out a slightly different combination, or simply go for a strawberry Swiss roll! One thing learned on this recipe: freeze dried strawberries actually don’t add great color to a cake, unlike their more vibrant cousins, freeze dried raspberries (amazing crimson/fuchsia!). The addition of a bit of strawberry jam does go a bit of the way in increasing the color, though if you’re really looking for a cake that’s pretty in pink, I highly recommend the addition of actual food coloring. Sometimes you just need a bit of a boost.

As with any recipe, have fun with it. If something sounds better or worse in your kitchen, increase, decrease, sub in, or delete entirely any ingredients (while still maintaining structure). And of course, have a bit of fun with decorating. The point of these swirled and pillowy cakes is their aesthetic appeal, so why not go all out with the decoration?  Do what tastes good!

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5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Strawberry and Orange Blossom Water Swiss Roll

A summery Swiss roll with plenty of fruit, mint, and orange blossom water

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: buttercream, orange flower, strawberry, swiss roll

Servings: 16 people

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/4 Cup gluten free flour 1-1 mix with xanthan gum
• 1/4 arrowroot starch
• 1/4 almond flour
• 6 large eggs separate yolks from whites into clean large bowls
• 2/3 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 Cup powdered freeze dried strawberries blitzed up in a blender or food processor
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp seedless strawberry jam
• 1 tsp orange blossom water

For the filling and topping:

• 2 1/2 Cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 Cup powdered sugar

For the optional topping:

• fresh strawberries
• sprigs of mint

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Prep a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan: grease with butter or spray, line with parchment paper, then grease the paper. Using an electric mixer with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, set aside. In the egg yolk bowl, add the other 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until thicker and lighter, about a minute. Add the flours, starch, salt, powdered strawberries, jam, and orange blossom water and beat. Fold in the egg whites 1/3 at a time until smooth and combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 14-16 minutes until spongy to the touch, then remove and let cool slightly.
• When cake has slightly cooled, lift parchment paper and cake out and place on a dampened kitchen towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and carefully roll entire cake using parchment paper and towel. Let sit, rolled with the towel inside, until completely cooled.
• While cake is rolled and cooling, make the filling! Using the electric mixer, beat the heavy cream and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, orange blossom water, and mint and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Reserver 1 cup whipped cream in a piping bag for the topping. When cake is cooled, carefully unroll. Use a spatula to spread the remaining whipped cream evenly across the entire cake. Re-roll the cake and wrap in the parchment paper – chill in fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Remove cake from freezer or fridge and unwrap. Plate the cake and pipe the reserved whipped cream onto the top of the cake. Top whipped cream with mint sprigs and strawberries (optional). Cake can keep in the fridge or freezer.

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cake!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber