ORIGINAL Swiss Roll--anyone????

Okay, I did a google search for Swiss Rolls and came upon this site, where a spirited debate was going on Tastykakes vs. Hostess vs. Drakes vs. Little Debbies vs. Dolly Madison, etc. etc. etc.

I was bowled over by the knowledge of the starter companies, and locations of all of these! VERY entertaining.

It occurred to me that these might just be the panel of experts to solve my dilemma.

I'm originally from PA, and believe me, NO ONE beats Tastykakes! Softer and more authentic homemade cake taste than any of the competitors. IMHO.

Anyway, I am ISO the original Swiss cake roll. I cannot remember who made them. This would have been in the 1970's and 80's, when I was a kid (again, in Pennsylvania) that these would be in our school lunchrooms. I thought they were Drakes, but their version is the Yodel, I believe. They did not have the waxy chocolate coating (like Little Debbie's that, for some reason, give me horrible heartburn!) LOL

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I know I would recognize the company name if I heard it. These were larger, too. Not twin packs (with two small ones) but one good sized one! And no coating. I seem to recall a clear plastic wrap with white and blue (and a little red) writing on them. Of course, packaging could have changed in 25+ years!

Anyone? Do they even still make them? It occurs to me I saw one out of the corner of my eye at a convenience store in PA the last time I was there, but I was hell-bent on Tastykakes and never bothered to get a closer look.

I think it was Drakes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake's

Brickie:
Interesting... at first I was like "NO NO NO, I already said that Drake's makes Yodels..." but then I saw the wiki description, and they DO make a singular swiss cake roll, no coating, that's called simply "Swiss Roll." I don't think I saw that on the Drake's website. Will check again, though!

ANYONE out there to confirm this...? Or know where I can get one??!! Do they still make them? (even ebay didn't have what I wanted, and that NEVER happens!) LOL

Thanks so much for the link, Brickie!

I asked a few friends about this topic, because when I first saw this post I also mentally connected Swiss Roll with Drake's. Well, here is proof the product did exist and was made by Drake's. Note the photo of the wrapper:
http://snacks.cyberpunks.org/swissrole.html

The best our group could come up with is that they were primarily sold through foodservice and vending machine channels. No one remembers supermarket sales. We do remember seeing them sold in the typical New York neighborhood delis. They were delivered by DSD routemen.

There is an independent distributor out on Long Island, NY who sells Drake's products via the Internet:
http://www.drakescakesonline.com/

With IBC in bankruptcy proceedings, you don't see a whole lot of movin' and shakin' goin' on.

These apparently aren't being made now. I have not seen them for a few years. When I last saw them, they were much more likely to be found as the four in a box family pack. Occasionally, you could catch a single one in a store rack.

They were more common in the 80's. They used to be my favorite, because of the thick creme layer. You had both the choloclate one by Drakes, and the yellow cake raspberry luncheon rolls by Flowers (BeeBo or Lady Linda). Then, later on, Drakes split theirs to two smaller ones in a pack for several years (so they basically were like Yodels without the chocolate shell), and then they disappeared. They reappeared in the original single form sometime in the 90's, IIRC, but then they would come and go quickly every few years. Now, we are in one of the "dry" spells.

As for the "original", I'm not sire whuch came first. It might have been Yodels (With HoHos and Little Debbie copying off of it). The ones without the chocolate covering were probably later, like maybe the 70's or '80's when I began seeing them.

Thanks, Eric, for adding that they are not being made at the present time. For folks tracking these, Swiss Rolls still appear on the web site of IBC's bakery outlets:
http://www.bakeryoutlets.com/products.html#other
If you click on the FAQ page, you will see a photo of the Yodel and Swiss Roll on the left side of the page, or directly:
http://www.bakeryoutlets.com/images/drakes.jpg
The Drake's Bakery is at 75 Demarest Drive in Wayne, NJ, phone 973-696-5010.

HOLY CAKE ROLL! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!

I really appreciate the input and am impressed with your extensive knowledge of this very special junk food. LOL

I think the general consensus is correct: these were not supermarket items, but more a vending item---- I only ever saw them in our school cafeteria as a teenager (early 80's.)

I will check out your links and see what is and what isn't...

Thank you for the info, if not for the pure entertainment!!

P.S. to David and Eric:

Yes, I came across cyberpunk's review and recognized the packaging IMMEDIATELY.

I also came across the drakescakesonline distributor, too, but apparently they are not included. Also, that one list (bakeryoutlet). It gave me a local outlet, so I'm going to call them just for the helluvit!

Thanks again.

I seem to recall that if you chill Drake's Yodel's, you could get the chocolate off cleanly, almost like paint peeling from a ceiling. It may satisfy a craving for some folks.

The New Jersey-based supermarket chains bring Tastycake products across the Hudson River from time to time. The current donut boxes publicize internet ordering:
http://www.tastykake.com/
They don't seem to offer the donuts by mail, but many other favorites are available. However, you can always call and ask.

Re: tastykakes...

I have frequently gotten those off of ebay. lol
And you can get just about any variety! Of course, if I REALLY want them, I just have my mom or sister mail them to me. LOL

Hi:
I remember Yodels were NOT swiss rolls. Drakes made the original yodel [which was devils food cake rolled with creme filling]. I used to take off the chocolate after refrigerating it like you said, and then unrolled it until it was flat on my moms kitchen table. that cant be done with swiss rolls. during the 1960s-70s the Swiss roll was made by Drakes also, it was a much larger cake  and did not have any chocolate coating.  Drakes company was purchased several times over the years. I assume that one of those owners decided to discontinue making the original yodels and just make miniature swiss rolls and coat it with chocolate.
Too bad, the old yodels were better [the swiss roll cake is not flat its spongy], it was also larger size than todays yodels.

I'm in the Little Debbie camp myself.

What about the critters...around the holidays?
 
http://www.swisscolony.com/catalog/product_review.jsp?productId=1629&categoryId=1940&categoryName=CUSTOMER-FAVORITES&pCategoryId=4624&pCategoryName=SHOP-BY&productName=FOREST-FRIENDS-LOG&fpi=1629&catCd=AW&index=0&viewall=1