Vanilla Cream Roll
Simple, irresistible, delicious, and easy to make. This cake is often known as a jelly-roll, although it may or may not be filled with jelly; quite often a roll has a whipped cream or cream cheese filling. Other common names are Swiss Roll, and Roulade. To make a roll, first bake a sponge cake in a shallow jelly-roll pan. After baking the cake is turned out onto a small towel covered in powdered sugar, rolled up, and left to cool. When cooled, unroll the cake, spread with a filling, and then re-roll, chill, slice and serve. The result is a light, almost melt-in-your-mouth dessert. This classic Vanilla Cream Roll is wonderful served with fresh fruit.
Recipe type: Dessert | Rolled Cake | Sponge Cake | Roulade
Serves: 8 to 10
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 10½" x15½" x1" Jelly Roll Pan Prep: Greased, Parchment Paper and Floured Oven Temp: 375° Storage: Cover and Refrigerate
Help: Cake Hints and Tips
TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast,
accurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Help: Cake Hints and Tips
TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast,
accurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.Ingredients
Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour plus parchment paper for preparing pan
¼ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar for sprinkling on towel
Batter:
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, separated
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Filling:
- 1½ cups whipping (heavy) cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners (powdered) sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare one 10½ x15½ x1 inch Jelly Roll pan; lightly grease the pan, line with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the paper and dust the pan with flour.
Sprinkle a clean towel with ¼ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar. Set aside to use after the cake is baked. Tip: A small kitchen towel that is a little larger than the 15x10 inch pan works well.
Batter:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg yolks and beat 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed until the egg yolk foam becomes thick and lemon colored. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add ½ cup of the sugar to the eggs, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 2 to 3 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the eggs and sugar are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. The mixture will be thick and a pale yellow color. Add the water and vanilla and continue mixing for another 1 minute until well blended.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add about ½ of the flour mixture, mix just until blended, and then add the remaining half, mix just until blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
- In another large mixing bowl and using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a balloon type whisk or large rubber spatula, gently fold about ¼ of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten the batter, and then fold the remaining egg whites in.
- Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon or large offset spatula. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven, immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn the cake over onto the prepared towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper, and then roll the cake and towel together tightly, starting with the narrow end. Place seam side down on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Whipped Cream Filling:
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until soft mounds form; gradually add the sugar and vanilla, continue beating until thick and stiff.
- Assembly: Carefully unroll cooled cake but don’t try to make the cake lie completely flat, the edge should remain curled so that the cake doesn’t split.
- Spread the whipped cream filling over the cake, spreading the cream evenly under the curled edge and leaving a 1½ inch border on the far side. Gently re-roll the cake without the towel, starting with the curled end. Place seam side down on a serving plate. Cover and refrigerate several hours before serving.
Topping:
- Before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust top of cake with confectioner’s sugar. Refrigerate leftovers.