Description
This Christmas Raspberry Pistachio Roulade is a festive and elegant Swiss roll featuring a moist pistachio-flavored sponge cake filled with luscious white chocolate cream and fresh raspberries. The roulade is decorated with chopped pistachios and more raspberries, making it perfect for holiday celebrations and special gatherings. The combination of nutty pistachios, sweet white chocolate, and tart raspberries creates a balanced and delightful dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Roulade:
- 2.5 oz. (70 g) raw pistachios
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 4 egg yolks, room temperature
- ½ cup (130 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 10 tablespoons (80 g) self-raising flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2 ½ tablespoons (20 g) powdered (icing) sugar
- 10.5 oz. (300 g) fresh raspberries
For the White Chocolate Cream:
- 7 oz. (200 g) white chocolate
- 2.6 oz. (75 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 9.8 oz. (280 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 9.1 fl. oz. (270 ml) heavy cream, 30% fat
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
For the Decoration:
- 15 fresh raspberries
- 0.5 oz. (15 g) pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the pistachios: Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Grind the raw pistachios finely in a food processor and set aside.
- Make the egg yolk mixture: In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with granulated sugar for about 4 minutes with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and whitish. Pour hot water slowly along the sides of the bowl and gently fold in the ground pistachios using a rubber spatula.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift the self-raising flour with salt in a separate bowl. Add this to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold it in with the spatula until combined.
- Whip egg whites: In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually fold the beaten egg whites into the pistachio mixture in three or four additions, mixing gently to keep the batter airy. Stir in almond extract if using.
- Bake the roulade: Pour the batter evenly onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, shaping it into a rectangle approximately 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm). Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden and springy to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Roll the cake: Sprinkle 2 teaspoons (10 g) of powdered sugar over the top of the warm cake and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Flip the cake over so the towel is now on the table, peel away the parchment paper, and dust the cake lightly with the remaining powdered sugar. Starting from the short end, roll the cake up with the towel inside. Let it cool completely, rolled up, for about 10 minutes. Unroll and let rest at room temperature; surface cracks or curled edges are normal.
- Make the white chocolate cream: Melt the white chocolate gently in a bain-marie or double boiler and allow it to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter for 30 seconds until smooth. Add cream cheese and continue whisking until creamy. Mix in the cooled melted white chocolate until combined. Finally, add cold heavy cream and almond extract if using, then whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Assemble the roulade: Unroll the cake and spread about two-thirds of the white chocolate cream evenly over the surface, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border free of cream on one short end to help with rolling. Distribute the fresh raspberries evenly atop the cream, reserving 15 raspberries for decoration.
- Roll and finish: Carefully roll the cake from the cream-covered short end, forming a tight spiral. Spread the remaining white chocolate cream over the top and sides of the roulade using the back of a tablespoon or spatula. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios evenly on top and arrange the reserved fresh raspberries decoratively. Transfer to a serving platter and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Use store-bought self-raising flour or make your own by combining 1 cup (125 g) plain flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt; sift together before use.
- For best results, prepare the white chocolate cream one day in advance, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Take it out 30 minutes before using to soften slightly.
- Remove the roulade from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to allow the cream to soften for easier slicing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 100 g)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
