How To Roll A Jelly-Roll Cake

Updated: August 28, 2015
Rolling a jelly-roll cake is easier than it looks with our step-by-step guide.
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How to Roll a Jelly Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor

 To make a jelly roll, you spread jams, jellies, frosting, or whipped cream onto a thin, flat cake, and roll it into a log. While they may look complicated, they're not, says Cooking Light Test Kitchens staffer Kathryn Conrad. Just use a small, rectangular terry cloth or tea towel when rolling to remove moisture and prevent the cake from sticking.

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Step One:

  Randy Mayor 
You'll need: A jelly-roll pan, which is a shallow rectangular pan with one-inch-deep sides, and a kitchen towel.

Step One: First, spray the pan with cooking spray, line with a sheet of wax paper, then coat the wax paper with cooking spray. "Spraying both the pan and wax paper will prevent the cake from sticking," Conrad says. Next, pour the batter, and bake.

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 Step Two:

  Randy Mayor 
While the cake is baking, lay a dry kitchen towel slightly larger than the pan on a flat surface, and dust the towel with a thin layer of powdered sugar. The sugar prevents the cake from sticking.
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 Step Three

Randy Mayor 
Remove the cake from the oven, and turn the pan over onto the towel, releasing the cake and wax paper. Slowly peel the wax paper from the cake. It’s OK if a thin layer of cake remains on the paper.

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 Step Four

  Randy Mayor 
Roll the towel and the cake together, pressing gently. Be sure to move slowly and carefully throughout the entire rolling process. The towel will end up coiled inside the cake.

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 Step Five

 Randy Mayor
 Cool the cake on a wire rack, seam side down. After an hour, unroll and remove the towel. The cake will be slightly wavy. Carefully spread your filling as directed, and reroll the cake.
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