Jelly Roll Cake

Oliver is fascinated with Paul's jelly roll in the book Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Which is funny since Oliver has never had a jelly roll.  Now that I think of it, I've never even had a jelly roll.  But every time I turn the page, he points to the jelly roll "with the little coconut sprinkles on top" in the drawing and comments that he wants one. 

Every Thursday the two local papers each have a food section and I enjoy reading them in hopes of finding a new recipe.  I have a box full of recipes I've clipped from these papers and other sources over the years.  When I saw the recipe for Jelly Roll Cake, I told Oliver he was going to get his jelly roll with little coconut sprinkles on top.

Oliver is now a consistent presence by my side when I'm doing anything in the kitchen, whether it be cooking, baking or making my lunch to bring to work.  He drags a chair from the dining room into the kitchen and stands with me at the counter asking if he can help.  So on the Sunday morning I decided we were going to attempt the jelly roll cake, I pulled the flour and sugar out of the pantry and set up bowls and measuring cups on the counter.  He likes scooping the flour and sugar in the measuring cups, I level them off and then he gets to dump the contents in their respective bowls.  When the recipe called for beating the eggs with an electric mixer, he got to use the hand mixer for the first time.  He was scared of the mixer at first, but after watching me use it, felt brave enough to hold it by himself and mix the eggs until they were a frothy yellow. 

Our baking experiments always remind of these Target commercials that used to air, where, say, a little kid was trying to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and slopped the contents of the jars onto the bread - and all over the counter.   Luckily, according to the announcer, peanut butter and jelly ingredients are inexpensive at Target so you can afford to experiment.  By the time Oliver and I finish, the countertop and floor are usually covered in flour and we've used enough dishes to fill a dishwasher.  But it makes me happy that Oliver likes participating in something that I also enjoy. 

The Jelly Roll Cake unfortunately landed in the failed experiment category.  The jelly roll pan we have is larger than what the recipe called for, so I doubled the recipe to try to compensate, but I should have only done the recipe and a half because it was too thick.  The pan is also warped, so the batter slid to the lower sloop of the pan and one corner of the cake was too thin (and overbaked) and the rest of the cake just way too thick to be able to roll.  Oliver didn't care though.  I applied a layer of raspberry jam to one piece, put another on top and he and Soren dug into what had become a two-layer cake. 

Jelly Roll Cake

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting cloth (optional)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup blackberry or raspberry jam, currant jelly, lemon curd or sweetened whipped cream flavored with jam

To prepare oven, sheet pan: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 11-by-15-by- 1-inch jellyroll pan. Line pan with wax paper or kitchen parchment. Grease well.

To prepare countertop: Place fresh kitchen towel on countertop with long side toward you. Sprinkle towel generously and evenly with confectioners' sugar.

To make batter: In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Using fork, mix well. Set aside. In mixing bowl, beat eggs at high speed for 2 minutes or until bright yellow and thick. Gradually add sugar, beating continually, until incorporated. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes or until pale yellow, velvety and thick. Add water and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute or until well mixed. Sprinkle flour mixture over batter. Using wood spoon or rubber spatula, mix gently until just incorporated.

To bake cake: Scrape batter into prepared pan. Spread out to form smooth layer. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cake is browned at edges and springs back when touched lightly at center.

To roll cake: Remove cake from oven. Quickly turn out onto prepared kitchen towel. Peel away wax paper. Carefully roll up cake, lifting long side nearest you and folding in towel with cake. Cool for 15 minutes.

To fill cake: Carefully unroll cake. Spread with 1 cup jam or jelly, extending filling almost to edges. Roll cake up tightly. Place on towel, seam side down. Cool completely.

To serve: Just before serving, lightly sprinkle cake with confectioners' sugar. Transfer to serving plate. (Note: If not serving within 2 hours, wrap cake tightly. Refrigerate. Set out 1 hour before serving to return to room temperature.)

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Source: Pioneer Press, 2/28/13