The Jelly Roll Cake, also known as a Biscuit Roulade, is typically made from a thin sponge or foam-type cake, that is baked and then rolled into a tube-like or log shape around a filling and sliced to display the ingredients swirled into the rolled base of food. The type of cake used is flexible enough to withstand being rolled without cracking.
SARAH SAYS: 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. A Roulade is a French term for a thin roll of meat or cake around savory or sweet fillings.
SARAH SAYS: These types of cakes lend themselves well to be frozen around ice cream fillings or all sorts of flavors. I especially love this recipe's combination of chocolate, brown sugar, coffee and caramel. It makes a wonderful and fancy or dressed-down dessert to serve with any type of meal; that's the fun of this recipe in that it is so versatile! Sometimes I serve it with my Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe instead of the Caramel Sauce and fill it with about 1/2 recipe Organic Chocolate Chip and Raspberry Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. This recipe is adapted from Emily Luchetti's book, A Passion for Ice Cream.
CAKE RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
Coffee caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup brewed coffee, cold
1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Brown sugar ice cream:
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Chocolate cake roulade:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons water
6 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the coffee caramel sauce:
1. Stir the sugar and water together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase to high heat and continue to cook, without stirring, until the sugar has caramelized and is medium amber in color.
2. While the sugar is cooking, mix together the coffee and cream in a bowl.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Holding the pan away from you, and with a long handed wooden spoon, slowly stir in about 1/4 cup of the coffee-and-cream mixture.
SARAH SAYS: The caramel will sputter as the coffee-and-cream mixture added, so be careful.
4. Let the caramel cool, stirring occasionally, until warm. Whisk in the butter and salt.
5. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. If serving warm, reheat in a double boiler or on 50% power microwave.
Make the ice cream:
1. Combine the heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cool over an ice bath to room temperature.
2. Refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until firm but still spreadable, about 2 hours, depending on your freezer.
Make the cake roll or roulade:
1. While the ice cream is freezing, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 11-by-17-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and water together in a double boiler over hot water. Stir until smooth.
3. Whip the egg yolks on high speed until light in color, 2 to 3 minutes with a stand mixer, 3 to 4 minutes with a hand mixer. Reduce to medium speed and add 1/3 cup of the sugar. Increase speed to high and continue to whip until thick and ribbony. On low speed or by hand, stir in the 1/4 cup cocoa powder and the salt. Stir in the melted chocolate.
4. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy and beginning to increase in volume. Gradually whip in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a steady stream. Whip until satiny, stiff peaks form. In two additions, fold the whites carefully into the chocolate mixture. Gently and evenly spread the mixture in the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when pressed with your fingertip and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. While the cake is baking, lay a clean, thin cotton dish towel on the work surface with a short end toward you. Dust an area of the towel the size of the cake pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and run a small knife around the inside edges of the pan. Place one of the long ends of the cake pan on the right side of the towel and invert the pan and the cake on top of the towel so it falls at the end of the towel closest to you and on top of the cocoaed area. Carefully remove the pan and then the parchment paper. From the cake end closest to you, carefully roll the cake and the towel up together like a jelly roll. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Assemble the roulade
1. If necessary, temper the Brown Sugar Ice Cream (put it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so to soften it slightly) while the cake is cooling. It should be firm but spreadable. Carefully unroll the cake. (If it splits anywhere, carefully push the broken pieces together.)
2. Gently spread the ice cream over the cake with a thin metal spatula, leaving a 1/4-inch border on all sides. Reroll the cake without the towel.
3. Place on a large platter or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours, depending on your freezer.
SERVE
Cut into slices and serve with the Coffee Caramel Sauce.
STORAGE
The roulade can be made up to 2 days before you serve it. Wrap well in plastic wrap.
