Spiced Rum, lime and ginger come together to create the perfect cocktail. And now they can be enjoyed in this Dark and Stormy Swiss Roll cake!
I love anything with spicy ginger in it. Cake, cookies, drinks. Bring on the ginger!
So when the Home Bakers Collective, a new joint venture that I am a part of with my baking friends, decided to do a monthly challenge and the first challenge was Swiss Rolls inspired by a drink of some kind, I knew my version would have ginger in it.
I don’t drink often but when I do, rum is not my usual. I prefer Scotch and Gin, or sometimes dark beer or red wine.
But a Dark and Stormy Cocktail is just the perfect combination of things delicious!
It was Dark and Stormy night….
The first time that I remember having a Dark and Stormy was not too long ago. My husband and I went on a trip for our anniversary to St. Augustine, Florida. This was in April and, although it was warm, there were some storms while we were there.
After a tour of the St. Augustine Distillery (where they make my favorites – Scotch and Gin!!), we decided to stay at the bar for a while because it was pouring down rain.
We sat at the bar and the bartender asked what we wanted. Since I had just tasted several types of Scotch and at least one gin, I wasn’t sure what to have next.
So I just said, “Surprise me.”
He asked about my favorite flavors so he could decide what to mix up for me. Of course, ginger was the first thing that I mentioned and lime was second.
The drink that I received from this magical mixologist was not a true Dark and Stormy. He added a few other things and made it his own creation and I wish to this day that I knew what he used.
It was amazing! It was so good that we went back the next day. But only while he was working. I never actually ordered a drink from him. Just asked him to surprise me time after time. Every creation was perfect!
Let there be CAKE! With RUM!
So that experience is what inspired my choice for the Swiss Roll Cake Challenge.
This cake is flavored with lime zest and a little lime juice then brushed with a Dark Spiced Rum simple syrup. Rum infused buttercream is sweet but perfectly contrasts with the spicy ginger curd that is homemade.
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A note about the ginger curd: This is not something that you will find often in the US although it is a common item in grocery stores in the UK. You can find it online or you can make your own. You’ll need stem ginger, which is also not well-known in the US but it is easy enough to make. I used stem ginger in my cheesecakes on the Great American Baking Show. A couple of the other bakers had never heard of it. I gave them a bit to try and they loved it. Just spreading the love of ginger throughout the world!
My recipe for Stem Ginger will be posted on Monday, February 2 so check back then!
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I made this cake twice and the first time, the cake was a bit too thick to get a good roll. Most people would reduce the amount of batter but still use a swiss roll pan, right?
Well, that would be silly in my opinion! The more cake the better! So I kept the batter exactly the same and used a half sheet pan – it measures 12 1/2 inches by 17 1/2 inches, if you want to find one similar.
Of course, you could use a smaller pan, bake all of the batter and just get less rolls. It still works and it still tastes amazing!
Dark and Stormy Swiss Roll
10
servings30
minutes30
minutesIngredients
- For the Cake
152 grams (1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar (for egg yolk mixture)
68 grams (1/3 cup) granulated sugar (for egg white meringue)
6 eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoons lime juice
Zest of one lime
80 mL (1/3 cup) avocado oil
80 mL Dark Spiced Rum plus 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, heated and then cooled
- For the Ginger Curd (You can use premade purchased curd if you can find it)
150g preserved stem ginger (drained weight)
50ml syrup from preserved stem ginger
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)
100g granulated sugar
113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
- For the Rum Buttercream
226 grams (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
500 to 600 grams (4 to 5 cups) powdered sugar
3 to 4 Tablespoons Dark Spice Rum
Dash of salt
1 lime for garnish (slice half of it and zest the other half)
Directions
- Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉/175℃. Mise en place (measure out all ingredients and have them ready on the counter!)
- Get a large bowl and whisk attachment and make sure that they are completely clean. The best way to do this is to wipe them down with lemon juice or vinegar. In a large bowl, add the egg whites and beat on high until soft peaks form. (You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer) Start adding the 68 grams of sugar when the egg whites are frothy, raining the sugar in slowly as the beater continues to run. Beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Put into a medium bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl you used about to mix the meringue, add together egg yolks, 100 grams of sugar, salt, corn syrup, vanilla, lime juice and zest. Whisk with a stand mixer or hand mixer until you get to ribbon stage. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes.)
- Add 1/3 of the egg white meringue to the egg yolk mixture with a large silicone spatula and gently fold it in until it’s mostly mixed in. The batter should be light and airy so make sure to fold in gently. Next, sift the flour and baking powder together and add this into the batter in three equal parts, gently folding after each time.
- In a small bowl, microwave the oil until it is warm to the touch – about 15 seconds. Take out ¼ cup of the combined batter from step 4 and completely mix this into the warm oil in the small bowl. Fold this back into the combined batter. Next, add the remaining egg white meringue to the combined batter and fold it in gently.
- Pour the batter into a parchment-lined pan. Bang the pan twice to remove large air bubbles and bake for 18 to 23 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when it’s done.
- Take the cake out of the oven and immediately run a knife along the edges to allow the cake to release from the pan. Invert the pan onto a sheet of parchment paper and remove the parchment paper from the bottom (the one that was baked with the cake). Roll up the cake and hold it in place. Allow the cake to cool in this rolled-up shape.
- Mix together the rum and the granulated sugar and heat in the microwave or on the stove until hot and the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.
- To make the Ginger Curd
- Put the ginger, syrup and lemon juice in a blender and liquidize. Remove or finely chop any chunks of ginger that refuse to liquidize. Pour into a large heatproof glass or metal bowl and add the sugar and butter.
- Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon or whisk until the sugar and butter have melted.
- Beat the eggs and add them slowly to the bowl over the heat. Stir constantly for about 10 minutes, until the curd thickens.
- Run the curd through a strainer to remove bits of ginger or possibly cooked egg. Put into sterilised glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Use within 2 weeks.
- Make the Buttercream
- Add butter to a large bowl and whip with a stand mixer or hand mixer until light, fluffy and pale yellow – about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add half of the powdered sugar, a dash of salt and half of the rum. Mix on low – cover with a tea towel to keep the sugar from flying out. Add the remaining rum. Continue to add sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing between additions until you reach your desired consistency. You may not need all of the powdered sugar.
- Assemble the Roll Cake
- Once the cake is cooled, unroll it and brush with the rum simple syrup. Then spread on your buttercream. Create a thin layer, about 1/4 inch thick or less. If you use too much, it will ooze out! Top with powdered sugar, pipe on buttercream in your chosen design and top with fresh lime slices and lime zest.
Hi, I am really excited about making this cake! I have ginger curd but I cannot figure out where to use it according to the recipe. Do you layer it on top of the buttercream before you roll? Do you mix it into the buttercream? Is it served on the side as a garnish? TIA
Yum!!!! I am obsessed with stem ginger and ginger curd, and this looks like a wonderful use of it!
Thanks! It is so delicious!
What a creative idea, Tanya. The rum flavored cake and ginger filling are calling my name!
It’s so yummy! The ginger curd is definitely my favorite part of the bake!
Thanks Tonya. I am going to try that drink. I love a Kentucky Mule. It’s ginger lime and bourbon. It sounds similar.
Yes, it does Mary! Bourbon would be so good in this cake too if you wanted to switch it to a Kentucky Mule Swiss roll!
You did such a great job, Tanya! I love ginger too, and also used stem ginger in the show, but clearly not enough – according to Paul…. (timid with flavors, yes, guilty!)
I need to make the ginger curd… I am thinking macarons…. what do you think? Might work? Maybe not a filling by itself but a little center surrounded by a milder buttercream?
Sally – I think ginger curd would be GREAT as macaron filling! My biggest problem with macarons is that I always think they are too sweet. The heat from the ginger would cut that down just right! A well of buttercream would definitely be a good idea for flavor too.