Happy Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother’s Day !

This week’s bake is a Chocolate Roll Cake, a recipe from my mom (pictured above).  It’s a Swiss Chocolate Roll filled with whipped cream and topped with more whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

A day to celebrate mothers and motherhood has existed throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the mother deity Rhea, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the other Christian ecclesiastical Mothering Sunday celebration (associated with the image of Mother Church).   In some countries, Mother's Day is still synonymous with these older traditions.

The modern American version of the holiday began in the United States in the early 20th century at the initiative of Anna Jarvis, who organized the first Mother's Day service of worship and celebration at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which serves as the International Mother's Day Shrine today.  In 1914 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. 

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Roll Cake 

from Ruth Wertheimer

Ingredients

Cake:

6 eggs separated

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Filling:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache (optional):

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake:

Beat egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar and cream of tartar to snow.

Beat egg yolks with other 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla.

Sift dry ingredients into yolks.

Fold in egg whites.

Grease a pan well and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper, as well.

Bake the cake at 350F for 20 minutes

When finished baking, lay out new parchment paper and sprinkle confectioner's sugar on it.  Remove the warm cake from the pan and flip it upside down onto the new parchment paper.  Remove the old parchment paper from the cake.  Roll the cake in the new parchment paper and allow to cool for approximately 30 minutes.  Leave it on a rack to cool. 

Cream Filling:

Combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl, and whip with a hand mixer to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes on medium speed.

Unroll the cooled cake, then spread the cream all over, leave a 1 inch border around all edges. Roll the cake up gently (leaving the parchment paper behind), then place on a wire rack.

Ganache:

Microwave the cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until combined. Use the chocolate ganache to decorate as desired.  Refrigerate 20 minutes before serving to allow ganache to firm up.

Here are some pictures from the bake:

Have a wonderful day !