The adventure began when I dropped by The Pine Garden with the thought of buying delicious slices of cake. As I was admiring the selections that all looked very tempting, one cake grasped my attention. The description on its display’s sign read ‘Kyoho Grapes & White Chocolate’ (or something like that – I was too preoccupied with imagining what it would taste like) and I was captivated. It was an instant decision that I’d get a slice of that cake. There were three reasons why I chose it:

1. While all the sliced cakes at The Pine Garden lookd incredible, the swiss roll’s deep and striking purple sponge cake stood out to me because purple is one of my favorite colors;
2. I had been thinking of getting a slice of swiss roll just a few days ago after seeing it on TV; and
3. A grape cake with actual grapes in it? Yes please!

Clearly, all signs were pointing to me getting the swiss roll.

‘Kyoho grapes’ was new to me – but it sounded delicious. These plump and juicy black-purplish grapes are native to Asia (particularly Japan), and needless to say, they’ve established their space in the cake world.

I’ve got to say, the ‘grape + cake’ formula was pretty awesome. It sounded like a pleasant transition to autumn, as Kyoho grapes’ harvest season is roughly around late August and September.

A large part of the grape’s role, just like the white chocolate’s, was in the cream. Pieces of Kyoho grapes were included in the cream, which was paired well with the soft cake. While fruits and chocolate can be sweet on their own in general, this swiss roll wasn’t sickly sweet from the additions of grapes and white chocolate. It wasn’t crazily fruity or chocolatey. To me, the grapes had a slightly more pronounced flavor and sweetness than white chocolate.

A swiss roll’s perfection lies in two primary elements – soft sponge cake and its filling. The ‘cream filling : cake’ ratio was nice for me, and the drizzle of glossy purple grape ‘jelly’ added an additional sprinkle of radiance in both appearance and flavor.

It’s said that swiss rolls originate from Central Europe. When describing swiss rolls, I tend to associate them closely with Christmas log cakes. Constructing a swiss roll is a huge part of the cake’s appearance: soft sheet cake that’s spread with a filling on its surface (grape and white chocolate cream in this instance) and rolled to finally be presented with gorgeous slices that are reminiscent to swirls. Some swiss rolls are topped with buttercream, while others aren’t. Either way, these oval-shaped cakes are popular. The best part is that it’s available in many different colors and flavors – all year round!