Preparation

• Let’s start by preparing our fake pastry cream.

  In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the sugar and the egg, whisk, add half of the milk and mix, then add the flour, working until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture without lumps.

  

• Add the rest of the milk, the vanillin, the lemon zest and mix.

  Place over medium heat and let thicken, stirring continuously. As soon as you see small lumps forming, start stirring vigorously, turn off the heat and work for a few minutes.

  Add the limoncello and stir until it is fully absorbed into the cream.

  

• Transfer the cream to a bowl and let it cool, stirring often.

  

• Now prepare the sponge cake (pasta biscotto), the base of the roll.

  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until you obtain a very aerated, light and fluffy mixture.

  Add the flour in two parts, mix and finish with the food coloring and baking powder.

  

• Line a rectangular baking pan (about 14 x 16 in) with parchment paper, pour the batter and level it very well.

  Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 356°F for 7 minutes, check with a skewer and remove from the oven.

  Immediately sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar and cover with another sheet of parchment paper; do not let the steam escape.

  

• Quickly, and taking care not to burn yourself, transfer the cake from the pan to a surface and roll it tightly while still leaving the parchment paper on — both on top and bottom.

  Wrap it in a cotton towel and let it cool slowly.

  Once both the cream and the roll are cool, carefully unroll the sponge and fill with 2/3 of the cream and the strawberries cut into small pieces (if you like moister desserts, before spreading the cream, brush with a simple soak made of 50% water and limoncello — about 1/4 cup total).

  

• Roll it up again, wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about one hour.

  

• We’re almost done — now let’s make the sponge (pan di Spagna) that we’ll use to cover the roll.

  In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, add the flour little by little, the food coloring and the baking powder.

  

• Once you have a smooth and homogeneous batter, pour it into a small pan lined with parchment paper — I used a 7-inch springform pan, but any small mold will do.

  Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 338°F for about 20 minutes, check with a skewer and remove from the oven.

  Let cool, then cut in half, remove the darker outer edges and crumble all the crumb, first cutting with a knife and then rubbing between your hands to also create small crumbs.

  

• Take the roll back — after an hour in the freezer it should be quite firm — remove the paper and place it on a serving plate or cutting board.

  Spread the remaining cream over it and cover with the yellow sponge crumbs.

  Trim the side edges and if, like me, you assembled it on a cutting board to avoid dirtying the serving plate, move it slowly to the plate you will serve it on.

  You can enjoy it immediately or keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours (note: the strawberries inside will soften a bit), well covered and sealed in a suitable container.

  Shortly before serving, decorate with fresh strawberries and serve.

  

• If you liked this recipe, also check out:

  – Grandma-style Lemon Roll;

  – Homemade Tiramisu Roll with Eggless Cream;

  – Cocoa Roll with Cream and Strawberries;

  – Orange Roll with White Chocolate;

  – Chocolate Roll with Nutella Mousse;

  – Sweet Pistachio Roll;

  – Grandma-style Cheesecake;

  – Grandma-style Ice Cream Cake;

  – Grandma-style Tart with Toasted Almond Shortcrust.

  

• To make this recipe you can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer or an immersion blender with a whisk attachment. You may also find a silicone spatula useful.

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• Don’t throw away the leftover parts — collect everything in a bowl, drizzle with milk or limoncello, let rest in the fridge for a few hours and enjoy by the spoonful!