Gluten-free raspberry and lemon Swiss roll

Now that all the raspberries have been harvested from the allotment, we have a LOT of frozen raspberries hanging around. Whilst half of them have already been turned into jam I prefer using the whole, frozen berries when I can, to obtain that fresher, brighter flavour.

Pairing them with a soft lemon cream encased in a Swiss Roll is the perfect way to say goodbye to summer. Whilst Swiss Roll cakes can seem daunting there are a few tips I’ve picked up which will help you obtain the perfect swirl, free of cracks and easy to roll.

Firstly you’ll want to sprinkle a clean tea towel with caster sugar - you tip the cake out onto this, fresh from the oven. The heat of the cake causes the sugar to stick to the surface of the cake giving it a slightly crunchy, glittery exterior. It also means that the cake will not stick to the tea towel itself (always a bonus!). Another tip is to roll the cake up in the tea towel, very tightly, whilst it’s still piping hot from the oven. As the cake cools in its rolled shape, the protein from the egg and the caster sugar in the batter set and mean that the cake will hold its rolled form without unsightly cracks or a weird shape.

The last tip is to cut the cake with a hot, sharp knife - dip the knife into boiling water for a few moments, wipe it dry and then use it to slice the cake. Repeat for each slice and you’ll have perfectly neat slices!