(Photography Tim Roberts; styling Lucy Busuttil; recipes Aaron Hawton; food preparation Ismat Awan and Tamika O’Neill)
There’s a reason this sour cherry and almond roulade was the Editor’s pick from the December issue!
“I’m mad for cherries, and this delicate show stopper is going to be the hero at my holiday festivities.”
Inspired by a sour cherry cocktail comes this delicious roulade the whole family will love. Encased by a deliciously sweet and crispy meringue is a fluffy amaretto (or cointreau) cream and fresh berry compote.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a 40cm x 27cm x 1.5cm deep baking tray and line with baking paper.
Combine egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until frothy. Gradually add caster sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Sift cornflour over meringue mixture and beat to combine. Fold in vinegar and vanilla.
Transfer meringue mixture to prepared tray, using a spatula to spread it in a smooth even layer. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, bake 30–35 minutes or until golden. Cool for 5–10 minutes. Lay two large overlapping pieces of plastic wrap (slightly larger than tray) on bench. Dust with sifted icing sugar. Carefully turn meringue onto plastic wrap. Remove baking paper. Set aside for 1 hour to cool completely.
Meanwhile, for compote, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat to cool completely.
For filling, in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Add yoghurt and liqueur (if using). Beat until firm peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
To assemble, spread half the whipped cream on the meringue, then top with half the compote. Working from the long end, roll up the roulade, using the plastic wrap. Discard wrap. Transfer roulade to a serving plate.
Top roulade with remaining cream, fresh raspberries and extra almonds. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with extra compote.
Cook’s tip
Roulades sometimes crack when being rolled up, but the cream and berries cover little imperfections.
What is a roulade made of?
Roulade can be made with a variety of flavour combinations. The most popular often include berries, fruits, chocolate and cream.
What is the difference between a roll cake and a roulade?
Roulade is a french term that means ‘rolled up’. It can describe both sweet and savoury desserts, including swiss roll cakes, meringue, and stuffed and rolled meat recipes. In France, rolled cakes are known as roulade, so they are in fact the same thing.
What is the difference between pavlova and roulade?
Pavlova is a meringue base with berries, fruits and various other flavours piled on top or inside. A roulade is rolled whether it be made with meringue or cake.
How do you roll a meringue roulade without cracking it?
No matter how gentle you are, there’s a good chance it will crack. If this happens, don’t stress! Our cook’s tip recommends to cover up any cracks with the cream and berries. It turns little imperfections into character marks.
