A jelly roll is a simple and sweet dessert that can be flavored and filled with different jams, jellies and spreads. While a jelly roll recipe may have several variations, the cake basically remains the same. It is a sponge cake that is spread with a filling and then rolled. Fruit jams and jellies are traditionally used as fillings. But many other variants use chocolate and custards as the filling for their jelly roll recipe.
While it is a good treat all year round, a version of the jelly roll recipe called the Yule Log or chocolate log is a fixture at holiday dinners in some homes. The jelly roll recipe below shows the dessert in its simple form.
Ingredients
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup cake flour, sifted
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup fruit jelly or jam
Powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400oF.
- Line a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan with parchment or baking paper.
- In a bowl, beat or whisk egg whites until they form little peaks. The egg whites should form peaks when the beater or whisk is lifted but it shouldn’t be stiff.
- Take the egg yolks and beat them in a separate large bowl until they are light and fluffy. Add in the sugar and the vanilla and mix well.
- Sift in the flour and salt and baking powder and beat all ingredients until well mixed.
- Stir in half of the beaten egg whites slowly in this mixture and put in the rest of the egg whites.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cake should be golden and spring back when lightly pressed.
- Take the pan out of the oven and loosen the edges with a knife.
- Dust a dishtowel with powdered sugar and place the dusted side on top of the jelly roll.
- Turn the pan over on top of a clean towel and on top of the counter. Let the cake now come out on top of the towel.
- Remove the parchment paper if necessary. Roll the cake from its narrow side and roll the cake together with the towel.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for several minutes.
- Make sure that the jam or jelly can easily be spread by beating or mixing it first.
- Unroll the cake and spread the filling over the cake.
- Roll the cake once more with the filling inside the roll and dust with powdered sugar.
Customizing Your Jelly Roll Recipe
The beauty of the jelly roll is that most any type of filling or frosting can be used. Seasonal fruits and jams can fill the roll to complement dinners or for afternoon tea or coffee. You can add some cocoa powder and fill and frost the jelly roll with chocolate spread to make a Yule Log for the holiday season. Nutella or similar spreads can also be used to make for a decadent but easy to make roll.
Enjoy this jelly roll recipe and put your own twists to it!
