Jelly Roll

My MIL and I made this cake for Christmas and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since! They basically decorate themselves so it’s such a fun treat for any occasion and I promise it isn’t as difficult to achieve as they lead you to believe on Great British Bake Off. Lol!

The Cake
A traditional jelly roll cake is made using a genoise sponge. This means that the primary structure of the cake is from whipping your eggs. The texture is definitely different (in a good way!) from what you would achieve from making a box cake, but it is perfect for rolling up!

Rolling Your Cake
You will actually be rolling your cake up twice! The first is when it comes out of the oven and is still warm. This will essentially pre shape your sponge to help prevent it from cracking for when you do it’s final roll with the filling inside.

The Filling
The sky is the limit here! My in laws are Puerto Rican, so we used a guava filling but you can use any jam, jelly, or pastry cream flavor that your taste buds desire. The key is to add enough filling that it appears in your roll, but not so much that it goops out when rolling it up. If you do want more filling, then you can do what I do and just spread some extra filling on your own slice.

What you’ll need:
– 4 eggs
– 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 2 Tablespoons melted butter, cooled
– 1 cup flour (120 grams)
– ¼ teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 cup guava filling, or other desired jam/jelly
– Powdered sugar for dusting

What you’ll do:
– Preheat your oven to 350F and line a 12×16 baking sheet with parchment paper, making sure that the paper goes all the way to the edges. Generously spray down the lined pan with nonstick spray.
– In a large mixing bowl, beat your eggs on high speed for 4 minutes. They will significantly increase in volume and become light and fluffy.
– Lower the speed to medium and slowly add in the sugar. This should take at least a full minute.
– While still on medium speed, slowly add in the butter and vanilla.
– You are know going to switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt. The fewer folds, the better.
– Gently pour your batter onto your baking sheet, making sure that it completely spreads out to all the edges.
– Bake for 15 minutes or until the sponge is springy to the touch.
– As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, lay a clean dish cloth on the counter top and dust with powdered sugar. Use a knife to make sure that all of the edges are free from the sides of the pan and then turn the cake over onto the dish cloth. Remove the parchment paper if necessary.
– Slowly roll the cloth and cake up into a tight roll and leave on your counter to cool for around 30 minutes.
– Once your cake has cooled, slowly unroll so that it is laying flat (ish) on the counter. If your edges are a little too toasty, use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim them away.
– Spread your desired filling evenly over the cake, leaving about half an inch free of filling at the end. Without the cloth, slowly roll your cake back up and dust with more powdered sugar.
– To serve, transfer to a plate and slice off a slim piece at either end so as to better showcase your spiral.
– ENJOY!