Lemon Chiffon Roll Cake with Fresh Strawberry Whipped Cream

I'm a working mom. I work in an office 4 days a week and one day at home. But the only thing harder than being away from my kids 4 days a week, is trying to work with them at home with me. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, they are my everything. But when you're writing a creative piece under a deadline or trying re-edit a cut while potty training a two year old, it gets pretty...frustrating.   

So when I make it to the weekend, I like to make the most of it, and BAKE. Baking helps my anxiety. I know, it sounds insane. But, it's something that I can do with a certain amount of control. There's a cause and effect. And that gives me a sense of calm. This has been quite a year, and at my job, there have been uncertainties. So my week was filled with stress and anxiety. Which is why this weekend, I decided to try and make a mental change. I decided that if life hands me lemons, I'll make lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, lemon curd...or a lemon chiffon roll cake with strawberry swirled whipped cream. I'm harnessing these scary feelings into someone delicious. A cool, cloudy day in the middle of spring isn't exactly life handing you a lemon, but when you're dreaming of summer, this is the next best thing! Plus strawberries were on sale at my market so, why not!? Citrusy, sweet and sour flavors are some of my favorites. They're bright, and not too heavy. Makes you think that having another slice is light eating! You can't really do that with a dark chocolate brownie now can you? So to brighten up my Sunday I decided to make my favorite roll cake, adding lemon zest, juice and extract to really punch in those lemon notes. And the Strawberry puree in the whipped cream just adds another layer of sweetness. We're so close to summer we can taste it. And with this cake, you totally can!

Fresh Lemon zest and strawberries

Adding half of the meringue to the egg yolk/lemon mixture

Spreading with an offset spatula really helps . Though I'm not one for perfection, it just has to look somewhat even....

Swirling it in!

Slice and enjoy! Sweet and Sour Victory!

Lemon Chiffon Roll Cake with Fresh Strawberry Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

• 5 eggs Egg whites
• 2 tbsp Sugar (for the egg whites)
• 5 eggs Egg yolks
• 2 tbsp Sugar (for the egg yolks)
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 11 tbsp Cake flour

For the Filling

• 1/2 cup Fresh Strawberries diced
• 2 tsp sugar; divided
• 1 1/5 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Pre-Heat Oven to 320ºF/160ºC

2. Slowly add 2 tbsp of sugar while beating egg whites until stiff peaks form. It should look like a meringue.

3. Put egg yolks and 2 tbsp sugar in another bowl and beat until light-colored. Add vegetable oil and Lemon juice and mix to combine. Add cake flour to the egg yolk mixture and mix.

4. Gently fold in half of the meringue to the mixture to the yolks until combined. Add the rest of the meringue and fold till fully combined. (You'll get white streaks in your cake if it's not combined properly)

5. Pour into a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and spread evenly. Bake for 13 minutes.

6. To make the filling, puree strawberries with 2 tsp of sugar in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

7. Whip Heavy cream with sugar and vanilla till thick. Swirl in Strawberry puree into the whipped cream

8. Swirl in Strawberry puree into the whipped cream

9. Once the cake has cooled, spread the whipped cream filling evenly on the cake. Then, starting on the short end of the cake, gently roll the cake while peeling it off the parchment paper. Make sure to pull back on it slight while rolling to ensure a nice, tight roll. Slice (with a serrated knife) and Enjoy!

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