Chestnut Cake Roll 栗子蛋糕卷

It's been a while since my last post on making cakes. I couldn't believe it's been that long--on July 16, 2012, the post on Match Mousse Cake was my last cake recipe. Almost a year has passed! Does it mean that I have not enjoyed having cake for the past 10 months? No way! It just means that there are other recipes or dishes that I would like to post more of. 

If you browse my recipe index, you would find 32 posts under the category of "cakes". That is quite a number. They are all my beloved cakes.

If you are a regular reader, you would notice that I am a chestnut lover. This is my 4th post relating to chestnuts already. Just like chocolate, I can't get enough of it. 

Hand Painted Matcha Cake Roll 手繪抹茶蛋糕卷

This pattern is easier to make than I thought. It is one of the designs from Junko's cake roll book that I bought. I couldn't wait to try them all !

這個圖案是我從Junko的書上跟著做的,看似很難,但其實又很容易,真是想每個圖案及設計都去試試!

Green Tea Cake Roll 綠茶蛋卷

Going green is a global trend. It is not just good for the environment but it is also good for our health. There is increasing evidence that drinking green tea is beneficial to our bodies. Green tea is also helpful in weight loss as well. (Click here for more information) No wonder the Japanese, who are heavy green tea drinkers, are generally slimmer and look younger than other ethnic groups.

I bought a bag of green tea powder/matcha powder from an Asian grocery store but it does not have any flavor or color. Then, I recently bought a different bottle from a Japanese store. Although it is expensive ($10/ounce), its flavor is very intense and the color is much more vivid than the other one from the grocery store. Sometimes, it is a waste of money to buy imitations. :(

Dragon Cake Roll 彩龍蛋糕卷

I believe baking is science, but at the same time it is a work of art. Having good presentation can make what you cook have a whole world of difference. After all, we are built to be attracted by what we see. If you put in front of some children two differently presented dishes composed of the same food, most, if not all, of the children will pick the one that is beautiful, attractive and thoughtfully presented. It is just human nature.

Blackberries Jelly Cake Roll 黑莓果醬蛋禚卷

Cake rolling is always a challenge to me. Cracking is a major problem when the cake is rolled up. In my previous post chocolate cake roll, I used a chiffon cake and rolled it up after it cooled. This time I used a sponge cake with whole egg method and rolled. James Peterson in his book "Baking" suggests to moisten the cake with simple syrup before rolling.

Chocolate cake roll with whipped cream 朱古力蛋卷

One day I asked my son how often he wants to have cake. He answered, "As soon as we run out of cake!" What a cake lover! We as a family love chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookies, chocolate macarons, chocolate chip waffles...you name it.
This cake roll is a chiffon cake that bakes on a cookie sheet, spread with whipped cream and then rolled up. Rolling up a cake takes practice.