Midsommarens Rulltårta
Mormors Arv (Heritage, Midsummer, and Julbord)
Crack cold eggs into a bowl, whip them pale, and pour the batter straight into a standard half-sheet pan. The secret weapon of Swedish home baking is the rulltårta. It delivers the magical combination of light sponge, sweet jam, and rich cream, but bakes in five minutes flat. The trick here is potato starch for a melt-in-your-mouth crumb, a brutally hot oven, and rolling the sponge in a kitchen towel while it's still steaming hot to lock in the shape. Just simple tools and supermarket strawberry jam. Flip the hot sponge onto sugared parchment, spread the jam thick, and roll it tight while the cake steams.
Before you start
Bring the eggs to room temperature.
Cold eggs will not whip to the required volume. If you forgot to take them out of the fridge, submerge them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- eggs3 large
- granulated sugar2/3 cup
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- potato starch1/4 cup
- baking powder1 tsp
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- whole milk1 tbsp
- strawberry preserves1/2 cup
- heavy whipping cream1 cup
- powdered sugar1 tbsp
- fresh strawberries1 cup
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
Do not start mixing the batter until the oven is blistering hot. Do not grease the paper.
- 02
Whip the eggs and granulated sugar until thick, pale, and aggressively fluffy.
Beat on medium-high for about 4 to 5 minutes. You want the ribbon stage—when the batter falls off the beaters, it should sit on the surface for a few seconds before dissolving into itself. Don't rush this.
- 03
Sift and gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg foam.
Whisk the flour, potato starch, and baking powder together in a small bowl first, then sift it over the whipped eggs. Add the vanilla and milk, and fold using wide, scooping motions so you don't knock the air out of the batter.
- 04
Spread the batter evenly and bake for exactly five minutes.
Push it gently to the corners with an offset spatula. Watch it like a hawk—it is done when the top is lightly golden and springs back instantly when poked.
- 05
Immediately invert the hot cake onto a sugar-dusted sheet of parchment.
Have a second piece of parchment paper generously dusted with granulated sugar ready on your counter. Flip the pan confidently, lift it away, and gently peel off the baked parchment. If it sticks, brush the back of the paper with cold water to steam it loose.
- 06
Roll the hot cake up in a clean kitchen towel and let it cool completely.
You can't add whipped cream to a hot cake, but it must be rolled while hot so it remembers its shape. Roll the sponge up tightly along with the sugared parchment and a clean kitchen towel, then let it sit on a rack for about 45 minutes.
- 07
Whip the cream, unroll the cooled cake, and spread the filling.
Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks, then fold in the diced strawberries. Gently unroll the cooled cake—it will curl up slightly, which is fine. Spread a thin layer of preserves leaving a 1-inch border, then top evenly with the strawberry cream.
- 08
Roll the cake back up, chill briefly to set, and serve.
Use the bottom parchment to help roll it back up tightly, leaving the paper behind this time. Place seam-side down on a platter, chill for 20 minutes to set the cream, and slice into 1-inch rounds.
Notes
Do not skip the potato starch.
It is the definitive secret to an authentic, impossibly tender Swedish crumb because it inhibits gluten formation. You can easily find it in the baking or Kosher aisle of most American grocery stores.
Don't panic if the cake cracks.
If your oven runs a bit hot and the edges dry out, immediately trim a quarter-inch off the dry ends with a sharp knife before rolling. If a crack still happens, do what the Swedes do: cover the outside in whipped cream and call it a day.