There is always room for dessert, especially when it’s Milk Tart and on top of that a Milk Tart Swiss Roll. The vanilla sponge is soft, fluffy, and coated with a light dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon on the outside. Then on the inside, we’ve got that deliciously creamy milk filling that’s sweet and perfectly cinnamon-y.
This can easily be made ahead of time but will need to be kept in an airtight container until it’s ready to be served.
Tip: Do not overbake the sponge, it should be a a light golden color – if you over bake it, then it’ll crack when you roll it. Then if you want your Swiss roll to keep it’s form once filled, I’d highly recommend you roll up the sponge prior to filling and keep it in the fridge until the filling has fully cooled and thickened. You can then allow the sponge to reach room temperature, gently unroll and add the cold filling.
if you’d like to try my traditional milk tart filling then please do go ahead, it’s absolutely divine. here it is: Traditional Milk Tart Recipe
i still need to upload a no bake version but you can expect that very soon.
Milk tart, known as “melktert” in Afrikaans, is a classic South African dessert that has a rich history intertwined with the country’s cultural heritage. The tart consists of a sweet pastry crust filled with a creamy custard made from milk, sugar, eggs, and flour, often flavored with a hint of vanilla and topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
A typical Swiss roll is a light, fluffy sponge cake rolled with a sweet filling, typically jam, whipped cream, or frosting. Its characteristic spiral shape is achieved by rolling the cake while warm and flexible, then allowing it to set with the filling inside. This classic dessert is simple, elegant, and versatile, perfect for tea-time or festive occasions.



Milk Tart Swiss Roll
Ingredients
Milk Tart Filling
- 2 ½ cups milk full cream
- ½ cup cream
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbsp cornstarch/flour
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla essence
- ½ cup sugar caster or regular
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon
Vanilla Sponge
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup butter melted, or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla essence
- ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp powdered/icing sugar for dusting
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
Milk Tart Filling
- Line a medium saucepan with butter - this'll prevent the milk mixture from burning around the edges of the saucepan. Add the milk and cream, and bring to a light simmer.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl add the sugar, eggs, corn flour, all purpose flour, vanilla paste, sugar, salt and cinnamon together and mix well.
- Temper the egg mixture by gradually pouring some of the warm milk mixture in to the egg mixture, stirring vigorously. Bring the milk mixture back to the heat and allow to simmer until thickened whilst stirring. Note: the mixture must cook on a low heat until VERY THICK. If it's not thick then the filling will be too runny and it won't stay in the swiss roll.
- Pour the filling into a medium bowl, cover with clingwrap and allow too fully cool and thicken even more (about 4 hours).
Vanilla Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 180℃. Line a 10x15 inch / 25x38cm rimmed baking sheet with butter/oil/cooking spray and baking paper.
- In a large bowl, using an electric whisk, whisk the caster sugar and eggs together until it's doubled in volume. About 5 minutes.
- Add melted butter, vanilla paste, flour, baking powder and salt together until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the baking tray and spread all the way to the edges, ensuring the batter in evenly spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes (no longer). Tip: Do not overbake the sponge, it should be a a light golden color - if you over bake it, then it'll crack when you roll it.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon together and, using a sift, dust the surface with the powdered sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place another layer of baking paper on top of the sponge, pinch the ends of the tray with the baking paper and flip. You want the powdered sugar-cinnamon mixture to now be at the bottom so that when you roll up the Swiss roll, the powdered side will be on the outside. Be sure to only add the filling once the sponge is lukewarm and the filling has FULLY cooled down.
- Tip: if you want to ensure that your Swiss roll retains its shape, then I'd recommend you roll up the sponge with the baking paper in between (before filling) and place the rolled up sponge in the fridge until the filling has fully cooled down.
- Remove the filling from the fridge and loosen it up with an electric whisk. Evenly spread the filling onto the sponge with about 3cm from the edges. Starting by the short end of the sponge, gently lift and securely roll the sponge to the point where the seam is at the bottom. Some of the filling will naturally be pressed towards the edges of the Swiss roll.
- After you’ve rolled up the Swiss roll, wrap it in baking paper and place the Swiss roll in the fridge for 1-2 hours. This helps it keep it's shape. After that, you're ready to dig in and devour. Tip: Place the Swiss roll in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 3 days.