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The Jelly Roll Cake, also known as a Biscuit Roulade, is typically made from a sponge or foam-type cake.
A jelly roll cake (American), also known as a biscuit roulade, roulade (Paupiette) or biscuit recipe (French) or Swiss Roll (English), is used to refer to cakes that when flat, serve as a base to be filled with another ingredient. They are then rolled into a tube-like or log shape and sliced to display the ingredients swirled into the rolled base of food.
A Roulade is a French term for a thin roll of meat or cake around savory or sweet fillings.
Cake rolls are typically baked in a jelly roll pan, also known as a sheet pan, which is a large and rectangular pan with shallow rims. The type of cakes used are foam cakes, such as a sponge, which is flexible enough to withstand being rolled without cracking. Biscuit Roulade and ladyfingers are types of sponge cakes. But, any type of flexible cake base can be used.
To make the cake base, the batter is spread into a thin layer in a jelly roll pan, baked until firm but still moist. Some cakes are cooled flat or rolled immediately and cooled so the cake forms a log shape. The cake is filled or carefully unrolled if first cooled into a shape and then filled, and rolled tightly. (The Swiss Roll is baked thicker than the other types of rolls and as a result isn't rolled as tightly. )
Fillings for the cake vary widely and can include pastry cream, buttercream, lemon curd, seedless jam or jelly or chocolate ganache. Many times the cake is refrigerated if it contains a perishable filling to help set it. Right before serving, the roll can be can be simply dusted with powdered sugar or covered with whipped ganache, whipped cream or buttercream. It is sliced into disks, where it shows its pinwheel design when served flat on a plate.
QUESTION: When a recipe says to roll the cake from the short side or narrow end, what does that mean?
SARAH SAYS: The narrow end or short side means the smallest side. For example, if your cake's finished size is about 17 x 12 -inches, roll it, start with the 12-inch end, rolling forward. It would be the same as if you were rolling a beach towel you used for sunbathing. Grasp your hands on the top of the towel, or the short or narrow end, rolling forward.
