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Pistachio and rose roulade with lychees and raspberries

This elegant dessert combines a light, pistachio-flecked sponge with a decadent chocolate-cream filling.
Bird's eye view image of roulade cake topped with raspberries and pink petals, sitting on white and pink plates and beside a gold-tipped fork

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Ben Dearnley
10 - 12
1H 30M
20M
1H 50M

Ingredients

White chocolate cream

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 25cm x 35cm Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper.
2.Pulse pistachios in a food processor until a sandy texture; set aside.
3.Whisk egg yolks and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed until pale and creamy (4 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and gradually fold in 2 tbsp hot water. Add pistachios and rosewater, and gently fold together. Sift flour and ¼ tsp fine salt, then gently fold into pistachio mixture.
4.Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl of an electric mixer on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form (2-3 minutes). Fold whites into pistachio mixture in three batches. Spread batter gently into prepared tin. Bake until golden brown and centre springs back when lightly pressed (15 minutes). Remove from oven and stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
5.Dust cake evenly with half of the icing sugar, cover with a tea towel then invert onto a wire rack. Peel off baking paper, then dust base of cake with remaining icing sugar.
6.With one long end facing you, roll the still-warm cake with the tea towel outside. Leave cake to rest in the tea towel for 10 minutes, (this shapes the cake for the final roll), then unroll cake and set aside to cool completely.
7.Meanwhile, for white chocolate cream, heat chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and stir frequently until melted (5-7 minutes); remove from heat and cool slightly. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth (30 seconds), then add cream cheese and beat on low speed until combined. Gradually add melted chocolate and beat until smooth; then add cream and beat until soft peaks form (5 minutes). Stand white chocolate cream at room temperature until ready to assemble. (Do not refrigerate).
8.To assemble, using a small offset spatula, spread two-thirds of the white chocolate cream evenly over sponge, leaving a 2cm border along a long edge. Scatter raspberries and lychees evenly on top of the cream, then roll cake up slowly. Using a long spatula, transfer the cake to a platter. Spread the remaining cream over the roulade with a small off-set spatula. Arrange extra raspberries along centre of cake, then sprinkle with rose petals and slivered pistachios.

Roulade can be made a day ahead. Leftovers will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.

Notes

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