Hello Mr. Jellyroll

When was the last time you nibbled on a jellyroll? Never? Me too, as far as I could recall, but I had a sneaking suspicion that this treat was a forgotten treasure. Sweet vanilla cake, rolled around tart raspberry jam? I was on a mission to create. The wonderful Cook’s Illustrated was my starting point and they were great leaders, as always. The batter was tasty and simple to bring together, and I poured it onto a large baking sheet lined with a silpat (you can use another non-stick mat) and baked to soft golden color. The silpat made it a breeze to peel away and invert flat on a clean kitchen towel, as instructed (though I made a side note to also sprinkle kitchen towel lightly with powdered sugar to avoid any possible stick on the other side).

You roll the cake up with the kitchen towel actually to cool briefly so the cake will ‘remember’ the space for the forthcoming filling. Then unroll and slather with fillings. While I love raspberry jam, I also experimented with chocolate ganache and nutella…

And indeed, my sneaking suspicion was confirmed: jellyroll is the new black! Or at least merits your consideration. Next up, perhaps a few new fillings for Spring & Summer, apricot and strawberry rhubarb?