In my place where i live in, the humidity is very high in the afternoon (and it increases as time goes by). After baking 2 roll chocolate cake, i found that the cake surface was really difficult to dry. I then thought of making ‘regular’ chiffon based roll cake using the opened-low-protein-flour-pack.
In my attempt, I used 1/2 recipe (3 eggs and 75g flour based) to be baked in 24cm square pan. I baked at 135-140C for 40 minutes, continued at 150C for 15 minutes, and then baked only using top heat at 150C for 10 minutes (kept checking the color). Humidity, I think, was as high as minimum 70%. I forgot the exact number.
The result was good, the bottom didn’t become stiff like usual while the top is very soft that i almost broke it when took the pan out of the oven using glove. I’m still getting used with the glove. I usually use silicon to take the pan.
Anyway
Because i was busy with the kids, I left the cake with paper on the cake and let it cooled down. I watched japanese youtuber did this though i didn’t know why she did it but it inspired me to do it. I thought of preventing the cake becoming dry (though it’s not necessary in the very past when I got succeed making the roll cake). I have trauma because the cake moisture left when I leave it cooled off lately (when the humidity was low. Even i know the humidity has increased now but I was still doing precaution).
I then checked the cake after I finished my role as a mother of two little soldiers. Haha. The cake looked good but I was pessimist. I just did the procedure before rolling it: spreading jam on it. When I started rolling, I was a little bit nervous. The one edge, i broke it because i was too nervous, i think. haha. Yet, i kept rolling, some ‘parts’ of the surface was not 100% dry so, it was peeled off. This is important: actually, we can prevent the peeling spread by stopping the peeling with our finger; just cut the peeling with our finger before it continues ruining the rest of surface. Then, we continue rolling again. The part would be inside the rolling. I then made a little ‘push’ to the cake. I wanted to know, how flexible the cake was. The cake cracked lightly. You can see the picture. Yet, it was still waaaaaaaay better than if i baked it at low humidity.
Conclusion:
- Yes, humidity affect your roll cake making process. It is the same as macaron, yet on the opposite/contrary side. High humidity is good for roll cake, low humidity is good for macaron.
- Using 14% low protein flour is good for making roll cake in the LOW humidity weather.
- Use sponge cake based recipe in the LOW humidity weather is also very good option.
- I’m still having dilemma of baking the surface more or not. The light crack, I don’t know if it’s because i push the flexibility limit or other reason i can’t think of right now. Small part of surface was still ‘damp’ lightly and made it peeled off when i rolled but most of parts were dry. It’s actually a flexible cake but may be I push the limit so it cracks lightly? It’s still a big question for me but 98% puzzle has been solved today. So, I leave the 2% for now and get the answer slowly.