Who
Sayuri Wan
Growing up in Nagasaki, Japan – each autumn season Sayuri and her siblings would harvest and enjoy chestnuts in a variety of ways. Her Mum would roast them, use it as sticky rice filling, to make Kuri-Kinton (mashed sweet potatoes and candies chestnut) and Mont Blanc cake.
Mont Blanc cake is the most popular dessert in Japan with its origin from France and first arrived in Japan in the early 1900s. As its name suggests Mont Blanc cake resembles a snow-capped mountain peak.
Since Mont Blanc is not a common dessert you’d find in Australian bakeries and while the chestnut season is in its peak – Sayuri has made her own version of the dessert which is very popular with her friends and family. A luxurious mound of sweet chestnut cream swirls on top of chocolate maple swiss roll. The two textures and flavours combine so well in one bite. It looks so impressive and yet surprisingly simple to make!
Chestnut Cream Swiss Roll
Prep time: | Cook time: | Serves 3
- Chiffon Roll (Swiss Roll)
- 3 Egg whites
- 20g Coconut Sugar
- 3 Egg yolks
- 20g Coconut Sugar
- 15g Milk
- 25g Vegetable oil
- 55g Self-raising flour
- 10g of Cocoa powder mixed well in 20g of hot water
- 200ml Pure cream
- 20g Maple Syrup
- Chestnuts Cream
- 200g Roasted chestnuts
- 1/4 cup (60ml) hot water
- 4 tbs maple syrup
- Small tub of double cream
- Pinch of salt
- Piping bag with single small hole nozzle
- For the chiffon roll. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Add sugar to the egg whites in 3 batches. Beat until stiff peak forms then keep in fridge.
- Mix egg yolks and sugar in another bowl and beat until colour lightens and texture like mayonnaise. Add vegetable oil and milk then mix again.
- Add sifted self-raising flour to the mixture from Step 3 and mix on low speed and not for too long to avoid the gluten in the flour forming elastic gluten strands which could result in a more dense/chewy texture.
- Take out the egg whites mixture from the fridge and add 1/3 of it to Step 3 mixture and use hand mixer to combine.
- Using a spatula, fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Avoid stirring to prevent the air in the egg whites mixture from deflating.
- Take out about 6 tablespoons of batter in a small bowl for later to create the pattern.
- Add the cocoa mixture to the rest of the batter and mix well.
- Pour the cocoa mixture batter into a lined cake tray.
- Once it is evenly spread, using a tablespoon to create 6 circles using the non-cocoa batter.
- Draw lines out of the circles using chopstick to create patterns.
- Bake in a 180ºC oven for 10 minutes.
- When the cake is done, cover the cake tray with a new baking paper, flip the tray and gently remove the baking paper that is stuck to the cake. This side will be the outer part of the roll. Let it cool down.
- Prepare the fresh cream by whipping the pure cream with maple syrup.
- After the cake has completely cooled, flip the cake back with the brown side facing up and spread the cream filling for about half a centimetre thick and roll. You can diagonally slice off about 1cm on the shorter end of the cake to help stabilise the roll when being rolled up.
- Wrap the roll in a cling wrap and let it cool completely in the fridge.
- For the Chestnut Cream. Best to roast the chestnut the day before. Make a cross cut in the centre of the chestnuts and roast in oven on 200C for about 20 mins. When it’s done and while they are still very hot, quickly peel all the shells.
- Place the peeled chestnuts, hot water, about 2-3 tablespoons of double cream, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in the food processor and mix until it becomes a paste. Add more water if needed.
- Use the sieve to strain the chestnut paste until very smooth and add double cream as desired. Put chestnut cream mixture into a piping bag.
- Take the chiffon roll out from the fridge, cut into 4cm thick slices. Place them with cream side facing up then cover this area with the chestnut cream in a thin noodle shapes. Ready for serving.
