After watching One Love in the cinema I wanted to create something on theme. Something that has the classic red, yellow and green Jamaican colours and a sweet treat with tropical fruit. This is how the One Love Swiss Roll was born.

A swiss roll is a type of sponge cake that is rolled with a filling. It is a popular dessert in many countries and flavours and fillings can vary.

Making a decorated swiss roll has been on my list since watching Kim Joy on bake off. The longest part of this cake is making the decoration. I went with tiny hearts that were different colours which took much longer but it was very therapeutic. You can decorate a plain swiss roll however doing it this way imprints the pattern onto the cake. This is done by piping your decorative paste onto the same baking paper you are going to bake your sponge in.

The swiss roll recipe is easy and you do not need to separate the eggs – it still comes out like a soft sponge.

FAQ on getting the perfect swiss roll

• Can I double the recipe? Yes, it’s recommended to double the cake and filling ingredients. You can use a larger Swiss roll pan (38cm x 25cm) for doubling the recipe.
• Any tips for rolling the Swiss roll? Roll it when warm to avoid cracks and be quick during the rolling process.
• Does the sponge not break when you flip it over. This one was a small one so I could do it easily. To help the process, flip the sponge onto a cooling rack, then take off the baking paper. Cover with a tea towel and flip it with the help of the cooling rack onto the tea towel.

Print Recipe

Tropical Swiss Roll Recipe

A decorated swiss roll filled with whipped cream, mango and passion compote and tropical fruit.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Assembly10 minutes mins

Total Time42 minutes mins

Course: afternoon tea, Dessert

Keyword: decorating a swiss roll, easy swiss roll recipe, patterned swiss roll

Servings: 4 slices

Ingredients

For the Decorative Paste:

• 25 g butter
• 25 g icing sugar
• 1 medium egg white around 33g
• 25 g plain flour
• Green, Red, and Yellow gel food coloring

For the Sponge:

• 2 medium eggs
• 63 g caster sugar
• 63 g self-raising flour

For the One Love Filling:

• 100 ml double cream whipped with 2 teaspoons icing sugar
• 3-4 teaspoons mango and passion compote
• Handful of chopped mixed tropical fruit

Instructions

Prepare the Decorative Paste:

• Cream the butter and icing sugar until pale.
• Add the plain flour and egg white, beat until well combined.
• Split the paste into 3 bowls and add green, red, and yellow gel food colouring to each bowl.
• Place each colour in a piping bag or pipe freehand onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, creating stripes of hearts from small to big. Freeze this for at least 15 minutes.

Prepare the Sponge:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a Swiss roll pan with baking paper. I went with a 22cm x 16 cm tray.
• Beat the eggs and caster sugar on high speed for 6-8 minutes until fluffy and pale.
• Sift in the self-raising flour gradually, folding it into the egg mixture.
• Pour the batter onto the frozen decorative hearts and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Assemble the Swiss Roll:

• Once baked, run a knife around the edges to make sure no cake is stuck. Then flip the sponge onto a kitchen towel and remove the baking paper.
• Cover the sponge with a slightly damp tea towel then flip the sponge again. The patterned part is now on the bottom. Roll the sponge with the help of a tea towel. Leave this rolled up and let this cool. You have to roll it when it is warm to avoid cracks.
• Once totally cool, unroll the swiss roll.
• Spread whipped cream evenly over the sponge, followed by mango and passion compote and chopped tropical fruit.
• Carefully roll the Swiss roll back up and enjoy!

Here is another 2 coloured swiss roll recipe you may like. This was for the Coronation and is perfect for the American Independence Day too.

Neha