Raspberry Swirl Jelly Roll

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This classic rolled cake is made with a light sponge and whipped cream filling.

Martha Stewart

Updated on July 8, 2024

Servings:

Yield:

1 jelly roll cake

Martha’s jelly roll is a tweak on her mom’s recipe. The jelly roll, also known as a Swiss roll, was Mrs. Kostyra’s favorite cake and she would often whip them up for her family. While her mom used cake flour, Martha prefers to use a mix of half all-purpose flour and half cornstarch, which makes for a light-as-air cake. It’s baked in a rimmed sheet pan, creating a thin layer of sponge cake, which is spread with its filling and rolled in a spiral. A jelly roll can be filled with all kinds of jam, cream, or fruit curd fillings. Martha uses a sublime combination of whipped cream and raspberry jam; the jam tints the cream a pretty shade of pale pink and adds a sweet berry flavor. It makes a lovely presentation when sliced—and tastes as good as it looks.

raspberry swirl jelly roll slice on plate — Mike Krautter

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for pans
¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
¾ cup cornstarch
6 large eggs, separated
¾ cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1/3 to 1/2 cup good-quality raspberry jam, strained

Directions

Preheat oven, prep pan, and sift flour and cornstarch:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and sides of an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line pan with parchment paper and butter again. Dust with flour; tap out excess. In a small bowl, sift together flour and cornstarch.
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt on high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Transfer egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk attachment.
Whisk egg whites, then add remaining sugar:

Place remaining egg whites in mixer bowl, and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar; continue whisking until stiff and glossy, about 1 minute more.
Fold egg-white mixture into yolk mixture, then add flour mixture in three additions:

Fold egg-white mixture into egg-yolk mixture. In three additions, sift reserved flour mixture into egg mixture, folding to combine after each addition.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake:

Transfer batter to prepared baking sheet, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Remove from pan and roll cake in towel, let cool:

Run a knife around the sides of cake. Invert onto a clean kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar; remove parchment. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar using a sieve. Using the towel and starting at a short end, roll up cake and towel. Let cool completely, seam side down.
Unroll cake, whip cream, and add jam and spread:

Unroll cake. Whip cream until soft peaks form; mix in jam. Spread on top of cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
Roll cake, then wrap in towel:

Starting at a short end, roll up cake without towel. Wrap jelly roll cake in towel. Transfer to baking sheet, seam side down to maintain cylindrical shape.
Refrigerate; dust with confectioners' sugar for serving:

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar before slicing and serving.