Chai Date Roulade

A very special Ramadan dessert that combines the quintessential flavours of Arabia - Warm Spiced Karak Chai and Dates. There is so much nostalgia quite literally rolled into this dessert with a rich generous date filling sandwiched between layers of tender cake reminding you of another childhood favourite - Mammoul.

This dessert is guaranteed to transport you to that feeling of Dubai in the 90’s, eating 1 dirham supermarket snacks in the heat of the desert sun.

Recipe Card

‍Method of Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a 21 x 34 cm baking dish with parchment and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the 3-egg white, until foamy. Then add the sugar gradually and whisk until the egg whites are shiny and have reached stiff peak consistency.
• In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Add in the milk, spices, and oil and combine. Finally fold in the sifted all-purpose and corn flour.
• Scoop 1/3 of the Egg white mixture and mix into the egg yolk mixture.
• Pour this into the rest of the egg whites and fold carefully so the mixture is combined but still light and airy.
• Pour into the prepared cake pan, smooth the cake batter to make sure it’s even. Tap the pan to remove any additional air pockets and bake for 25 mins at 160 C until golden brown.
• Once cooled, easy out the cake from the baking pan, peel off the parchment and spread a thin even layer of the date paste.
• With the short end facing you, roll the cake to form a log. Chill the cake in the fridge for 2 hours.
• While the cake is chilling - prepare the karak cream by bringing cream, spices and tea to a boil. Let the flavours seep into the cream for 10 mins, then strain and cool the cream in the fridge.
• Using an electric hand whisk, whip the cream in a bowl with icing sugar until you get stiff pipeable peaks.
• Fill the cream into a piping bag with a rose tip. Remove the chilled cake, trim the edges to reveal the spirals.
• Decorate the top of the cake with rosettes of karak cream, top with stuffed dates and gold leaf.

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About the Contributor

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‍Malavika Raghavan

‍Malavika Raghavan has over 9 years of brand management experience working in the food industry on brands like Oreo, Philadelphia Cream Cheese & Haagen-Dazs ice-creams in the Middle East and Africa.

Three years ago she madea career change from food marketing to food creation and decided to go to culinary school to become a Certified Pastry Chef.

Her recipes combine rich aromatic flavours with delicate culinary techniques to create dishes that are new yet familiar. Using this aesthetic she has designed dessert menus for an award winning restaurant in Dubai.

She is passionate about unearthing culinary wonders from both the kiln and the kitchen and  designs a handcrafted line of ceramics tableware under the brand Peace of Bake. She also bakes artisanal cakes and bakes, manages a food blog that demystifies the art of baking for the home baker and an e-commerce platform under the same name.

She has a line of Artisanal Spice Mixes called The Spice Route which she takes to local Farmers and Makers' Markets around the city.

Malavika's has partnered with many prominent brands in the region including Miele, Bosch Home, Tavola, ThinkKitchen, Driscoll's, The Meating Room, El Grocer, Jenan - Gulfood 2020, Mother of the Nation Festival & StrEAT Feast - Abu Dhabi, Dubai Tourism & Federal Youth Authorities, UAE to develop recipes, menus, do live cooking demonstrations and create social media content. Her work has also been featured in newspapers, blogs, international e-magazines, podcasts and by prominent chefs/influencers in the region.

For more interesting recipes and updates follow Malavika Raghavan at Peace of Bake  food blog  and  @peaceofbake on Instagram.

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