Classic Rasberry Jelly Roll

A jelly roll cake is a flexible sponge cake that is rolled up with a filling. You do need a jelly roll pan, which is a baking tray with at least a ½-inch lip to hold in the cake batter. The key to jelly roll success is to roll up the cake while it is warm and flexible, so that it holds its shape and does not crack when unrolled to be filled.

Makes 1 10-inch jelly roll cake
Serves 12 to 16

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
  • ¼ cup icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup cake & pastry flour
  • 2/3 cup raspberry jam

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line the bottom of a 15-x-10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
  2. Place the egg yolks and icing sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment and whip until the yolks have doubled in volume and hold a ribbon when the whip is lifted, about 4 minutes. Whip in the vanilla.
  3. In a separate, or cleaned bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt first on low speed until foamy, then increase the speed to high and pour in the granulated sugar, whipping until the whites hold a medium peak.
  4. Sift half of the flour into the yolk mixture and fold in using a whisk, then fold in half of the whipped egg whites. Repeat with the remaining flour, and then change to a spatula to fold in the last of the whites until evenly incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, taking the time to ensure the batter is level.
  5. Bake the cake for about 12 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Let the cake cool for about 2 minutes on a cooling rack, then loosen the sides with a spatula. Sift a layer of icing sugar over the surface of the cake and cover with a clean tea towel. Place a second cake pan over the towel and quickly invert the cake, removing the pan it was baked in. Peel off the parchment paper and dust this surface with icing sugar. Roll the cake up from the 10-inch side with the towel and let it cool completely (cooling it rolled sets its “memory” so the cake won’t crack once filled).
  6. Stir the raspberry jam to soften. Unroll the cake and spread an even layer of jam over the cake. Roll the cake back up again, dust the top with icing sugar. Cover and store at room temperature until ready to serve.

The cake can be prepared up to a day in advance and stored, wrapped and unrefrigerated.