Budapest Roll - for the 21st Century

Pistachio meringue filled with whipped cream and fresh raspberries, topped with chocolate and a few Pomegranate arils for added color!

A Budapest Roll is a beautiful thing. I made this for Book Club the week of Christmas. It was very festive. They are actually a Swedish dessert created in the 1950’s with a big ol’ hay day in 1980’s. It’s too good to be left in the past.

I’m drawn to two things about this cake. Budapest obvi- as my Dad was born in Hungary and raised in Budapest. I love a Pavlova, and this is loosely similar. Cream, meringue, fruit, presentation! 

Budapest Roll- A Swedish Dessert

The meringue: 

6 egg whites (200g)

A pinch of salt

325g granulated sugar

30g cornstarch

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

150g toasted pistachios, ground in a food processor

Cream and Fruit Filling:

300ml double/heavy cream

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

300g fresh raspberries

Topping: 

50g bittersweet chocolate, melted

30g butter

Preheat oven 320 degrees

Line a 10x15 inch rimmed pan (jelly roll, not a half sheet pan, which is 13x18) with parchment. Spray the pan and parchment with baking spray. 

In a stand mixer whip the egg whites with salt until they start to get foamy. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Feel for sugar grit between your thumb and forefinger. Continue to whip until completely smooth. 

Add the cornstarch and vinegar, whip for 30 seconds. Once incorporated, fold in the pistachios. 

Using a piping bag, fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe straight lines into the prepared pan, length wise on the pan. 

Bake 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely. 

Meanwhile whip the cream. Add the sugar and vanilla. 

Wash and dry the fruit before starting the assembly process. 

To assemble, use a paring knife and cut around the parameter of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Invert it onto a clean piece of parchment paper. 

Remove the parchment that was used while baking and spread all the whipped cream over the cake’s bottom side. Place the raspberries roughly down the middle of the cake’s length.

You will roll it with the long side going towards the middle to have a long roll. 

Have the display plate ready too. It, minimally,  needs to be as long as the pan you used to bake the roll, 15 inches. 

Using the fresh parchment, roll the cake, then lift it to the plate. Exhale. 

Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe dish for 30 seconds bursts, stirring in between, until you have loose melted chocolate. Using a small piping bag, drizzle chocolate decoratively over the roll. 

Chill and serve. 

I used pistachio nuts and raspberries, but traditionally it is made with hazelnuts and mandarin orange. I liked the green and red for a holiday, fun, color and it tasted delicious!