Jam Rolls are thin sponge cakes filled with jam (cream, chocolate etc also make for great fillings), rolled into a log and then cut into pieces. The sponge used in Jam Roll is really light and delicate. The baking time for this usually less than 15 min and even the process of making is pretty straight-forward.

My failures with Jam Roll has primarily been with the baking temperature and timings. A slightly over-baked sponge will not roll properly and crack. But then even it cracks, it is delicious. So keep and eye on the sponge while it bakes rather than just going by the temperature and timings given in the recipe.

Few things to keep in mind

• Beating the eggs: The eggs have to be beaten till light and fluffy. It is best to use an electric egg beater or stand mixer for this. The sponge becomes light and fluffy due to the air incorporated while beating the eggs. So don’t skip this step.
• Mixing the dry ingredients: Fold in the dry ingredients carefully, taking care not to deflate the batter. Be gentle and don’t over mix..:)
• Baking temperature and time: I bake the sponge at 180C for about 15 min. From the 10 min mark onwards, I keep checking (rather peeping into my oven without opening it) to see if the edges and top look done and it isn’t browning too much. So go by how your sponge looks to take it out rather than by setting the baking time and forgetting about. The baking time is the only thing that I would say is tricky when making these jam rolls!

Recipe

Ingredient List

• Eggs – 3
• Powdered Sugar / Castor Sugar – 1/2 cup
• Vanilla – 1 tsp
• Melted Butter – 1.5 tbsp
• All purpose flour – 3/4 cup
• Baking Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1/8 tsp
• Powdered Sugar / Castor Sugar – about 1/4 cup (for sprinkling on top)
• Jam or any fruit compote – for spreading

Step by Step Process

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C.
2. Beat the eggs till light and fluffy.
3. Add the sugar and vanilla essence slowly and then the butter and continue beating.
4. Sieve together the all purpose flour and baking powder and fold in carefully. The batter shouldn’t loose the air.
5. Spread the batter evenly in a quarter sheet pan (9 inch x 13 inch) lined with parchment paper and greased. Use a spatula to make sure the batter is evenly spread.
6. Bake for about 15 min at 180C. The top and sides become a light brown color.
7. Once taken out, let it rest for 5 min. Sprinkle some powdered sugar or castor on top of the jam roll and place another parchment paper over it.
8. Place another pan on top of the parchment paper and flip it over. This prevents the roll from cracking as it is very delicate.
9. Carefully remove the parchment paper (the one which is on top now and was used to line the tray initially).
10. If the edges of the roll look hard or like a crust, cut them off so that it doesn’t cause the jam roll to break when we are rolling it up.
11. Again sprinkle some castor sugar or powdered sugar on the top and using the parchment paper which is at the bottom of the jam roll now, slowly roll it up into a tight roll.
12. Keep it for 15-20 min till it cools a little.
13. While the roll is cooling down a little, in a small bowl mix some jam and warm water well. This will help for the jam to spread evenly.
14. Unroll the jam roll, apply the jam evenly all over and then roll it back. Keep it covered in the parchment paper properly till it cools down fully. It can also be refrigerated for half an hour before cutting.
15. The jam rolls usually don’t stay for long at room temperature. So you can keep them refrigerated if you plan to have them over a couple of days.