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freshly made jelly roll cake

Jelly Roll Cake

This classic jelly roll cake is a light sponge filled with sweet jam and rolled into a beautiful swirl. It’s soft, airy, and looks impressive but is actually easy to make at home with just a few ingredients.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Classic Home Baking, European
Calories: 210
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 cup fruit jam or jelly raspberry, strawberry, or pineapple
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Method
 

  1. Prepare the pan – Grease a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan, line it with parchment paper, and lightly grease again.
  2. Mix the eggs and sugar – Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla. Mix until thick.
  3. Add dry ingredients – In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold this into the egg mixture, alternating with milk.
  4. Bake the sponge – Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10–12 minutes until it springs back when touched.
  5. Roll while warm – Dust a clean towel with powdered sugar. Flip the cake onto the towel, peel off the parchment, and roll it up gently from the short side. Let it cool rolled.
  6. Add filling – Once cooled, unroll the sponge, spread jam evenly across the surface, then roll it back up (without the towel).
  7. Serve – Place seam-side down, dust with powdered sugar, and slice into spirals.

Notes

  • Roll the cake while it’s still warm or it may crack.
  • Go light on the filling—too much jam will squeeze out when rolling.
  • Don’t stress if you see small cracks. A dusting of powdered sugar hides them perfectly.