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27

October 2017

October 27, 2017

Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)

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Autumn

Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem) Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)

This is the first part of my three-part series of autumn dishes featuring rutabaga.

For me, these days have been all about rutabaga, or kålrabi, kålrot, swede, and neep. Those large, matte-purple, and slightly rough-looking root vegetables, which are a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. They are also referred to as Nordens appelsin, or “the North’s orange” because of their high content of Vitamin C. The idea of cooking one, let alone eating one, can seem daunting – leaving them often overlooked or reserved only for specific dishes throughout the year. But, they are a vegetable I have become quite smitten with since being introduced to the Scandinavian lifestyle.

Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)My first encounter of eating rutabaga was during my first winter in Norway, some twelve years ago. Here, it is commonly boiled and mashed, like potatoes, and served as a side dish – especially during festivities. Sometimes carrots or a potato or two are added, but rutabaga is the highlight.

It has a somewhat sweet taste when raw, and is crispy and refreshing (see my raw rutabaga and apple salad). It can also carry a subtle bitter flavor, which makes it all the more interesting. When cooked, it’s gorgeous with a silky texture and a balance of flavors. It’s an incredibly versatile vegetable, which can easily be used in both savory and sweet dishes.

And that is what this post and the next two posts are all about – highlighting rutabaga and inspiring others to do the same.

Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem) Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)Lately, I’ve been fascinated with roulade cakes (rullekaker), commonly referred to as swiss roll or roll cakes. They are a classic cake, served often in Norway. I suppose they come across as a little old-fashioned, making them underrated, but nonetheless are always eaten up without a crumb remaining. I also love the way they look, with swirls of cream and cake embracing.

Not only did I want to use rutabaga puree as the base for the cake, I also wanted it to be flourless. This gives the cake a more dense, but incredibly soft texture. The rutabaga puree is paired with spices and coffee, making it somewhat reminiscent of a carrot cake or even a pumpkin cake.

Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)This is a really quick and simple cake to make. Once you have a good amount of rutabaga puree on hand, freeze it for use later on (and for use in one of the upcoming recipes!). It’s moist and dense, and rich, yet light. A great dessert to serve this autumn.

If you’re inspired to use rutabaga, don’t miss out on the other recipes in this series: Cheesy Rutabaga Bake with Vinegary Greens and Rutabaga, Cranberry, and Almond Crisp Breads. And for a lighter touch, try my Rutabaga and Apple Salad


Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)

Makes 1 roulade

For the cake:

  • 6 medium eggs, separated
  • ¾ cup (125 g) sugar
  • ½ cup (60 g) potato starch (potetmel)
  • 2/3 cup (150 g) rutabaga puree
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) strong coffee
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

For the whipped cream:

  • 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

*To make the rutabaga puree: cut off the top and bottom of a large rutabaga and peel with a potato peeler. Cut into small pieces and place in a pot of water. Boil until softened. Drain. Using a hand blender, or blender, puree the cooked rutabaga until smooth. Let cool. Use some for this recipe and freeze any remaining puree for another use – one of the upcoming recipes will also use puree). 

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a stand mixer for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Sift in the potato starch and mix until well blended. Set aside.

Whisk the egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Combine the egg yolk mixture with the rutabaga puree, coffee, and spices. Add a little of the egg whites and gentle fold together. Once blended, fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Grease a swiss roll pan or cake pan (13 x 9-inches / 33 cm x 23 cm) and top with parchment paper. Pour the batter over the parchment paper, spreading to the edges. Cook for 18-20 minutes.

In the meantime, make the whipped cream by combining the heavy cream and cardamom in a stand mixer. Whisk just until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

When the cake is ready, remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan. When cool, lift out the cake by the parchment paper carefully. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar, then top with another piece of parchment paper. Place a flat baking sheet on top and flip over quickly. Gently peel off the parchment paper on top. Spread the whipped cream over the cake, out to the edges. Carefully roll the cake, peeling the bottom paper off as you roll. Dust the top with more confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately or when desired. It will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.


Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem)

Nevada Berg

Nevada is a utah native and norwegian by heart. When not crafting culinary delights she enjoys her family time and tending to her animals. You most certainly can find her perusing her property for wild berries.

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  1. Gabrielle says:

    I think I might have had rutabaga once? Unless it was a turnip I roasted instead haha. Anyway I love roll cakes and this one looks *delicious*! Also – cool to see the recipe come to life after watching the teasers on insta!

  2. […] case you missed it, the first recipe featured was Flourless Rutabaga Roulade with Cardamom Cream. This time around, I wanted a savory take on rutabaga. When combined with cheese, bread, and beer, […]

  3. […] and something that leaves an intriguing taste. With all the leftover rutabaga puree I had from the Flourless Rutabaga Roulade, I knew I had to incorporate […]

  4. Angela says:

    I’m so sad. I made this tonight, following the directions to a ‘T’. I ended up baking it longer because it didn’t look browned very much but I didn’t want to over bake it, this being my first roulade.
    It was no where near as dark as yours pictured too. Like it looks like you added something to make it a different color.

    I went ahead and finished it up because I thought maybe it was in my head, but not only was it incredibly sticky to try to roll, it showed itself to indeed be undercooked.
    I don’t know what I could’ve done wrong to have it so far off.

    • nevada says:

      Hi Angela. I’m so sorry to hear the roulade did not work out well for you! The texture will always be more dense and moist because it is a flourless cake. It is quite similar to the texture of a flourless chocolate cake – almost brownie-like, but more spongey. Perhaps the oven needs to be at a slighter higher temperature. Depending on where you are in the world and the type of oven, this can sometimes be the case. I don’t know if you are using C or F, but perhaps you could try it at 190 C or 375 F next time. I’m just trying to think what else could be changed. It is a little sticky for me as well, but it should be very easy to roll up. Maybe lowering the sugar amount just slightly could also help. Hmmm…let me know if you do try making it again. I’d love to hear if it worked better with a couple of tweaks. And thank you for taking the time to not only make the cake but write a comment about your experience. I really appreciate the feedback! Best, Nevada

  5. Richard Hatfield says:

    I fully intend to make some of your receipes. I really enjoy cooking.

  6. Anna says:

    Do you think this recipe would work with a honey substitute for the sugar? I know that can make it more rubbery and less crispy. What are your thoughts? We do a lot of baking with squash, and i’m dying to try this recipe!

    • nevada says:

      Hi Anna, I think you could try it with the honey and see what happens. I’d be curious to see how it goes, so please let me know 🙂

  7. Pamela says:

    Hello, this sounds so wonderful. I can not get rutabaga here in Japan. Could I possibly use a cooked and puréed large Japanese radish/daikon or cooked and puréed turnips??

    • nevada says:

      Hi Pamela. I think the daikon is too strong and bitter in taste. Pureed turnip might work, as I have heard it used in making cake before. If all else, try sweet potato, if available. Let me know how it goes!

  8. Chantelle says:

    I was wondering if there’s a substitute for the potato starch? I’m struggling to find it in the UK.

  9. Kai says:

    Pro tip: Roll your cake when it comes out of the oven and let it cool like that. Once cool unroll and add filling before rerolling. This keeps it from cracking! 😀

  10. Sheila says:

    Made this yesterday and the flavors were on point! I think next time I’ll add even stronger coffee because my coloring of the cake part was very light.
    My kids did not care for the cake part, but enjoyed the filling.
    Thank you for the unique recipe!

  11. Vera Socha says:

    Hi…we grew rutabaga for the first time this year…when I came across your recipe for the flourless roulade…I
    was very excited…my computer is on the other side of the house from the kitchen…so I tried to print a copy…the recipe does not appear in the 10 pages to print…how can I make a copy?…thank you in advance…peace…Vera

    • nevada says:

      Hi Vera, I recommend just copying and pasting the recipe over to a word document rather than the images and adjoining text. Hope that helps!

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