Name: Pistachio and rose roulade with lychees and raspberries
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 10 - 12
Ingredients: 70 gm pistachios, roasted, plus extra to serve; 4 eggs, separated; 130 gm caster sugar; 3 tsp rosewater; 80 gm self-raising flour; 1 tbsp icing sugar, sieved; 150 gm raspberries, plus extra to serve; 100 gm drained canned lychees, lightly squeezed to remove excess liquid; Dried rose petals and slivered pistachios, to serve; White chocolate cream; 200 gm white chocolate, chopped; 70 gm unsalted butter, softened, chopped; 250 gm cream cheese, at room temperature; 300 ml thickened cream

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

Serves 10 - 12

Prep

1H 30M

Cook

20M

Total

1H 50M

Ingredients

70 gm pistachios, roasted, plus extra to serve

4 eggs, separated

130 gm caster sugar

3 tsp rosewater

80 gm self-raising flour

1 tbsp icing sugar, sieved

150 gm raspberries, plus extra to serve

100 gm drained canned lychees, lightly squeezed to remove excess liquid

Dried rose petals and slivered pistachios, to serve

White chocolate cream

200 gm white chocolate, chopped

70 gm unsalted butter, softened, chopped

250 gm cream cheese, at room temperature

300 ml thickened 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.