Lemon Roulade

I can never forget the cake  which my mother made. It was not baked in an oven, not even in a cooker. Do not  be surprised,I am talking of 1980's here and ovens were not at all common in Indian homes. I am trying to recall  that she would place a sand filled griddle on stove top and over that goes the heavy bottomed pot with cake batter. Once the cake was half done she would place another griddle filled with hot sand on the lid of the pot. Heat from top and bottom gave the oven effect and that's how the cake was baked. The cake tasted delicious and no one can tell it was not baked in an oven.
When we got  our first round Toshiba oven in 1984 I baked a sponge cake and never looked back. Its because of my mother that today cooking and baking is my passion.

My first cake recipe of my blog is a simple gluten free lemon roulade. Its very simple and versatile,  can be filled with jam, cream cheese and any fruit. The options are endless.

LEMON ROULADE

Make a sponge cake in a shallow pan with following recipe.

Ingredients: 
 3/4 cup white rice flour mix
 1/2 cup sugar
 4 large eggs 
 1tsp baking powder
 lemon zest from one lemon
 a pinch of salt and xanthum gum.
Method:
Line a shallow pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl sift rice flour mix, baking powder and salt. Add lemon zest and mix. Separate the egg whites from yolks. Beat the egg whites with a whisker at high  over a bowl of hot water. The bowl should not touch the water.

Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and add it to the whites, beat together until light and fluffy. Add in sugar to combine. Turn on the oven at 400 degrees F.

Fold the flour mixture in the beaten eggs and sugar mixture just until combine. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

 
Bake for 8- 10 minutes or until the cake is light yellow and look cooked. If you wait for the golden colour the bottom of the cake will burn. When cake is cool enough to handle invert cake onto another parchment paper dusted with sugar. Peel the parchment  paper. Roll tightly, which ever side you prefer, long or short. I am am rolling from long side. Let cool completely with seam side down.

When cool unroll to spread the whipped cream filling(recipe below)  over cake.

Arrange strawberries in four lines about two inches apart. Gently roll up using the outer layer of parchment paper.

 Make it a tight roll pressing with a foot ruler. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Serve sliced lemon roulade with whipped cream and fresh berries as a dessert or in breakfast . The cake will surprise you when you  bite into it. It is  light and heavenly.

Whipped cream filling:
Ingredients:
 250 ml whipping cream
 1/2 tsp lemon juice
 1 tbsp icing sugar or more
Method: 
 In a medium bowl,using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until soft mounds form. Add icing sugar and lemon juice, continue beating until thick.

You can make it as pretty and rich as you want covering with ganache, icing, glaze or dusting simply with sugar.