Jelly Roll
intro
Light, fluffy vanilla sponge rolled around tart-sweet raspberry jam, this timeless tender treat is perfect for sharing at festive and casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep Oven and Pan
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack positioned in the center. Line a 25x38cm (10x15 inch) jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving a 5cm (2 inch) overhang on the two long sides to easily lift the cake later; lightly coat the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
Whip Sponge Batter
Combine 4 room-temperature large eggs, 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar, and 1g (¼ teaspoon) fine salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (no water touching the bowl base) and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 40°C (104°F), about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract, then beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 6 minutes until the batter is pale yellow, tripled in volume, and leaves a thick ribbon that holds its shape for 3 seconds when the beaters are lifted. Sift 75g (⅔ cup) cake flour and 1g (¼ teaspoon) baking powder over the batter, then fold gently with a silicone spatula in 12-15 broad strokes until no dry flour remains. Stir 30ml (2 tablespoons) warm whole milk and 28g (2 tablespoons) cooled melted butter together, then fold into the batter in 4-5 strokes until just combined.
Bake Thin Sponge
Pour the finished batter into the prepared pan, then use an offset spatula to spread it evenly into every corner, creating a perfectly level 6mm (¼ inch) thick layer. Bake on the center oven rack for 10-12 minutes at 175°C (350°F), until the top is light golden brown and the cake springs back immediately when gently pressed with a fingertip, leaving no indentation.
Roll Warm Cake
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, lift it out of the pan using the parchment overhang and transfer it to a clean work surface. Dust the top of the warm cake lightly with 5g (1 teaspoon) of powdered sugar to prevent sticking, then starting at the shorter end, tightly roll the cake (along with the parchment paper attached to its bottom) into a uniform log. Set the rolled cake seam-side down on a wire cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature, about 20 minutes—this sets the curved shape so the cake will not crack when filled later.
Spread Jam Filling
Once the cake is fully cooled to room temperature, gently unroll it carefully, leaving a slight 2.5cm (1 inch) curl at the far end to avoid creating a sharp crease that can crack the sponge. Stir 180g (¾ cup) seedless raspberry jam until smooth, then use an offset spatula to spread it evenly across the entire cake surface, leaving a 1cm (½ inch) plain border along the far short edge to prevent jam from squeezing out during re-rolling.
Re-Roll and Chill
Tightly re-roll the cake starting from the same short end used for the initial warm roll, this time leaving the parchment paper behind as you roll. Wrap the finished log tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends to seal securely, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the shape and firm up the jam. Before serving, unwrap the log, dust the top with the remaining 10g (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) powdered sugar, and slice into 2.5cm (1 inch) thick pieces to serve.
Tips
2.Do not skip the initial warm rolling step: rolling the cake while it is still hot and pliable trains the gluten in the sponge to hold a curved shape, eliminating 90% of common cracking issues when you add filling later.
3.If your raspberry jam is extra thick or cold, warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave and stir well before spreading; this makes it smooth and easy to spread without tearing the delicate cooled sponge.
OMG y’all, I made this for our church potluck last Sunday and it was GONE in 10 minutes flat! The vanilla sponge is so light and fluffy, the raspberry filling isn’t too sweet, perfect balance. My 7 year old asked if we can make it every weekend for dessert now 😂 Only tiny hiccup was I almost cracked the sponge when I first rolled it, but I followed the tip to let it cool in the towel and it held up fine!
Taste was 10/10, but I struggled a little with the jelly oozing out the ends when I rolled it. Did I put too much filling? I probably used a heaping cup of raspberry preserves instead of the measured 3/4, oops. Still tasted amazing though, my roommates devoured half of it before I even got a photo for Instagram.
I was intimidated because I’ve only ever made sheet cakes before, never a jelly roll, but the step-by-step instructions were so easy to follow! I swapped the seedless raspberry jam for homemade raspberry compote from the berries I picked this summer and it was chef’s kiss. Perfect light dessert for these 100+ degree days we’ve been having down here, not heavy at all.
Made this for my partner’s birthday dinner since raspberry is his favorite, and he said it’s better than the jelly roll we got at that fancy French bakery downtown for our anniversary?! The vanilla bean in the sponge makes it taste so luxe, I didn’t even skimp on the whipped cream layer like I thought I would. 10/10 will be making this for every special occasion from now on.
Great recipe! I prepped this on Sunday to have as little treats throughout the work week, and it held up really well in an airtight container for 4 days. Only note is I wish there was a tip for making it ahead without the sponge getting a little soggy? I patted the jam down with a paper towel first but still noticed a tiny bit of sogginess by day 3.
My kids loved it!! I made this for our post-soccer practice snack for the team and all the kids were begging for seconds, even the picky ones who turn their nose up at anything that isn’t a processed granola bar. I loved that it wasn’t loaded with artificial flavors, the raspberry comes through so bright. Total win for busy weeknights when you need a fun treat that doesn’t take forever.
I tried adapting this to be gluten free by swapping the all purpose flour for a 1:1 GF baking blend, and the texture was a little more crumbly than I expected, which made rolling hard. Flavor was still on point though! If anyone else has tried this with GF flour and had better luck, drop your tips below, I’d love to make it work because the flavor combo is unbeatable.
Game changer. I’ve been making jelly rolls for our annual family reunion for 20 years and this recipe is hands down the best one I’ve ever tried. The sponge doesn’t get that weird eggy aftertaste a lot of jelly roll recipes have, and the ratio of filling to cake is perfect. Took home first place in the dessert contest this year, no cap.
Wait this came out so good for my first ever baking project?? I was so nervous I’d mess it up because I only have a tiny dorm oven and no fancy stand mixer, I just used a hand whisk and a cheap baking sheet I got from the dollar store. Only thing is I didn’t have seedless jam so I used regular raspberry jam with seeds and the texture was a little off, but my dorm floor mates are already asking when I’m making another one.
I wrapped slices of this up in parchment paper and brought it on our day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park last weekend, and it was the perfect trail snack! Not too heavy, didn’t get smashed in my pack, gave me the perfect sugar boost when we hit the steep part of the trail. 10/10 will be a staple for all my future hiking trips.
Help?? I followed the recipe exactly but my sponge came out super rubbery and it cracked all over when I tried to roll it. Did I overmix the batter? I used a hand mixer on high for like 5 minutes because I wanted to make sure the eggs were really fluffy, maybe that was the issue? It still tasted okay but it looked so ugly I didn’t even want to serve it.
SO good. I added a little cream cheese frosting swirl in with the raspberry filling because I can never leave a recipe alone, and it was heavenly. The tang of the cream cheese cut the sweetness of the jam perfectly, and the soft vanilla sponge paired with it so well. Will definitely be keeping that little hack in my back pocket for future bakes.
Made this for our at-home date night to go with our steak dinner and red wine, and my wife said it was the best dessert I’ve ever made her. I dusted a little extra powdered sugar on top and added a few fresh raspberries for garnish, it looked like it came straight out of a food magazine. Who needs a fancy restaurant when you can make this at home for a fraction of the price?
I used homemade raspberry jam from the raspberries we grew in our backyard garden this year, and it made this taste so fresh and bright! The sponge is so light it doesn’t overpower the fruit flavor, which is exactly what I look for in a summer dessert. My neighbor came over when I was pulling it out of the oven and asked for a slice before it even cooled, that’s how good it smelled.
I don’t have a traditional oven so I baked the sponge in my countertop convection oven, and it turned out great! I just lowered the temp by 25 degrees and baked it 2 minutes less than the recipe said, and it was perfectly done. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish the recipe had notes for convection ovens for folks like me who don’t have a regular oven, but I figured it out!
I used to make jelly rolls with my mom when I was a kid back in the 70s, and I lost her old recipe years ago. This tastes exactly like I remember – soft vanilla cake, sweet tart raspberry, not a bunch of fancy add-ins that muck up the classic flavor. Baking this brought back so many good memories, thank you for sharing such a solid, no-fuss classic recipe.