Sandra Janse van Rensburg is the owner of a cute little bakery (Sandra’s Cakes) at Reizis Square. She is the mom of two kids and enjoys being able to live out her life-long dream of doing what she loves – baking.
“I always joke by saying I didn’t have toys as a child, so now I play with cakes and icing.”
Sandra has always been fond of baking. She had training at two formidable hotels in the Eastern Cape and then went into retail while baking on the side. “After losing my voice for over two years, I fell back to something I could do with my hands without having to speak. My hobby became my passion.”
What she loves most about baking is the joyous expression on the faces of the person who receives the cake, and the feedback afterwards – good or bad – is what helps her improve her skills. “Also being able to try new ideas and succeeding in them.”
Her specialities as a baker include her chocolate mousse meringue cake, which she only makes on special occasions, her chocolate truffles and being able to think outside the box to create something out of nothing.
Here Sandra shares her delicious Fruity Vertical Swiss Roll that she made for the Get It team.
For the vertical roll cake you’ll need:
1 × 15cm round chocolate sponge (whatever sponge you would like), cut in two
1 x blueberry Swiss roll sponge
Passion fruit flavoured butter cream frosting
For the blueberry sponge you’ll need:
4 extra large eggs at room temperature
125 ml castor sugar
95 ml flour
95 ml corn flour
5ml baking powder
Pinch of salt
5 ml purple food colouring powder (optional)
3 drops blue bottle blueberry flavouring
How to:
Beat the eggs on high speed till pale in colour and foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat well after each addition.
Mix flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt. Sift this mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in gently till just mixed, then spoon into a lined Swiss roll tin.
Bake at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes or till firm.
Turn out onto a damp dish cloth sprinkled lightly with castor sugar. Remove the lining and then roll up and keep aside till cooled.
For the buttercream and cream cheese frosting you’ll need:
125g white wooden spoon margarine, softened
100 ml smooth cream cheese
+/- 750 g icing sugar
3 drops blue bottle passion fruit flavouring
How to:
Mix butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add the icing sugar till mixture is firm and spreadable. Add flavouring.
How to assemble your cake:
Unroll Swiss Roll and cut in three horizontal strips. Spread with frosting. Roll up, place on one half of chocolate cake, and other half on top. You can then cover the cake with the rest of the frosting. Decorate as desired (Sandra used some blueberries and mulberries).
Text: JUSTINE FORTUIN Photographs: GYPSEENIA LION
