| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Prep: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Cook: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- Unsalted butter, softened, for the baking sheet
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
- Whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the cranberries: Combine the cranberries, sugar and orange juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low; stir in the allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon stick and simmer 5 to 7 minutes.
- Make the filling: Strain the cranberry mixture; set the berries aside. Return the liquid to the saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until syrupy, about 8 minutes.
- Discard the cinnamon stick, then puree half of the cranberries in a blender; transfer to a bowl. Stir in the rest of the cranberries and the reduced syrup. Spread the mixture in a large baking dish so it cools more quickly. Refrigerate until completely cooled, about 20 minutes.
- Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Sift the flour, baking powder and cream of tartar into a bowl. Combine the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest and 1/3 cup water in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until light and airy, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix: The batter will lose some volume, but small bubbles should remain.
- Bake the cake: Butter a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan, line with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Add the batter. Slowly tilt the pan back and forth to evenly distribute the batter. Bake until the cake is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Unmold the cake: While the cake is still warm, place a slightly damp kitchen towel on top; lay a cutting board over the towel. Hold the cutting board and baking sheet together and flip over. Lift off the pan, then peel off the parchment. Let the cake cool slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the filling: Dollop the cooled filling over the cake and spread gently, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. (Be careful not to tear the cake.) Sprinkle with the walnuts.
- Roll the cake: Position the cake with a shorter end facing you. Use the towel to tip the edge of the cake forward and gently roll it over, using the towel to guide it. Once you make one full roll, pull the towel away and gently squeeze the cake to make the roll compact.
- Continue rolling the cake, using the towel to guide it and gently squeezing as you go. Position the cake roll seam-side down and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Transfer to a platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Slice and serve with whipped cream.
- Chill the cake seam-side down to prevent it from unrolling.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 404 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 82 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 66 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 63 mg |
| Sodium | 42 mg |
Reviews
Perfect tart dessert for Thanksgiving! My first jelly roll, and it came out great! Recipe was easy to follow, but cake did crack a little when trying to roll it. Shook some confectioner’s sugar on top for a great presentation!
Should have trusted myself to make this recipe the same way I do a pumpkin roll; instead of filling and then rolling, I should have just turned it out on a towel covered in confectioners sugar, rolled it up and let it cool before unrolling and filling. The cake stuck to the slightly damp towel, didn’t want to roll, and yes, the filling spilled out all over. I ended up cutting the flattened cake into two pieces, stacking them on top of each other in a pyrex dish, and covering with cool whip. On the other hand, the cranberry sauce is just perfectly tart and goes well with the lemony cake.
Overall, meh. The cranberry sauce was way too involved, and the batter wasn’t enough to fill my 10 by 15 pan, so it came out too thin. Rolling it was a huge mess! The cranberry mixture got all over the cake part of it. It ended up looking hollow inside, as the mixture just spilled out, and the cake was too thin. Followed the recipe exactly, too. Disappointing, but make at your own risk.
Amazing and beautiful!