Swiss Roll Frozen Cake is a traditional South African recipe for a classic dessert of a frozen cake lined with chocolate Swiss roll with ice cream in the centre. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South African version of:Swiss Roll Frozen Cake.
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This is a South African classic. After all Christmas occurs in the middle of summer, so a frozen cake makes sense. You can buy chocolate Swiss rolls pretty much everywhere. Of course, you could make your own or make a roulade, but sometimes you just want something easy. The filling is chocolate or vanilla ice cream (or a blend) making this the easiest Christmas dessert ever. Make sure you get ordinary chocolate Swiss rolls (not the chocolate coated ones). You will need a 3l freezer-proof bowl.
Outside South Africa (or anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere) this is a great make-ahead barbecue standby.
Ingredients:
4 chocolate Swiss rolls (or 2 x jumbo ones)
150ml (3/5 cup) alcohol of your choice (eg rum, sherry, Amaretto, limoncello, plum brandy or sloe gin)
2-3 litres (8-12 cups) ice cream (chocolate or vanilla or both), softened but still frozen (no warmer than 12°C/54°F)
Method:
Line the inside of a medium glass bowl or 3 litre (5 pint) pudding basin or bowl with clingfilm (make sure there is plenty of extra clingfilm hanging over the sides).
Cut the Swiss rolls into 1cm (½in) thick slices. Place one slice in the middle on the bowl as the base, then place another next to it. Continue until the whole inside of the bowl is lined. Squash the Swiss roll slices slightly together so that there are no gaps between them. When you reach the top of the bowl, cut the slices in half if a whole one does not fit. Use any offcuts or extra slices to plug gaps between the rolls, squishing the cake in to cover any holes.
Use a pastry brush to dab the sponge with the alcohol. Spoon the ice cream into the lined bowl, squidging it down so that it is completely full. Now place the cake in your freezer and leave overnight or at least until the ice cream is completely firm.
Once the ice cream is firm, carefully remove the cake from the bowl using the clingfilm to help you. Ease it very gently out of the bowl with the clingfilm. If it is too hard to remove, warm the bowl up a little in your hands or by carefully running a flat blunt knife between the bowl and the clingfilm. When the cake is loose in the bowl and feels as if you could pull it out easily, place a large serving plate on top of the bowl and turn the bowl upside down, so that the plate is the right way up. Carefully remove the bowl and peel off the clingfilm.
You can make them more savoury by grating over some fresh Parmesan or Pecorino cheese just before serving.
