Cranberry-Raspberry Cake Roll

 

This is such a beautiful dessert, perfect for an impressive holiday or entertaining menu but also simple enough to prepare on a weeknight for your family dinner. The sweet and slightly tart jam tastes absolutely perfect with the tender and fluffy frosting. The cake itself is so delicate. I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart Holiday magazine and made a few minor adjustments. My family absolutely loves it.

Yields: one cake roll

Ingredients:

Cake roll:

3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) butter, melted

Jam:

4 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen

4 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 15×17 in baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.

In a small sauce pan, combine the berries with the sugar. (You can also make the jam from one of the berries, just use 8 oz of either of them). Cover and allow to cook on medium heat until the sugar melts. Bring to a boil. This will take longer if the berries are frozen. Turn down the heat and keep the berries simmering.IMG_3523 (550x367)Here’s a jam that I made with strawberries and raspberries.IMG_2697Cook for 10-15 min. Mash with a potato masher or combine in a food processor/blender.IMG_2747Strain the cooked berries through a fine mesh sieve to get a smooth jam. IMG_2748I really would prefer to keep these out of my teeth! Set aside to cool.IMG_2751

IMG_2753 Combine the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place over a pot with about 1-2 inches of boiling water. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the eggs are slightly warm. IMG_2685Place in a large bowl and mix with a whisk attachment for about 6 min, or until the eggs are light yellow and fluffy. IMG_2699Sift in the flour and salt and gently fold in with a rubber spatula.IMG_2704

IMG_2708When you have about half the flour incorporated, pour the melted butter into the batter by pouring it slowly using the side of the bowl and continue gently folding.IMG_2710

IMG_2717Pour into prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly. IMG_2729Bake for 5-7 min. IMG_2731Place the cake upside down on a clean kitchen towel. Carefully remove the parchment paper and roll the cake right up into the towel while it’s still hot. IMG_2741If you want the cake roll to be thicker, start rolling with the width side first. If you want the cake roll to be thinner, start with the length side. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

5 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Whip the cream in a chilled bowl and chilled whisk attachment. Set aside. IMG_2757With a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. IMG_2758With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. IMG_2760When the cake roll is cool, unroll it, and spread the jam evenly over the surface. Put dollops of cream cheese frosting on top of the jam and then carefully spread it our over the jam. IMG_2765This really helps to spread the frosting neatly on top of the jam without turning it into pink smears.IMG_2768Roll up the cake roll.IMG_2773Dust with powdered sugar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.IMG_3637Here’s a trick to keep the jam and cream cheese frosting from streaking and smearing all over each other. When cutting the cake roll, clean the knife every time you make a cut. Wipe it on a paper towel, or something of the sort. It works like a charm:).

 

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Cranberry-Raspberry Cake Roll

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Martha Stewart, adjusted
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 22 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 37 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Sweets
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Scale

Ingredients

Yields: one cake roll

Cake roll:

  • 3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) butter, melted

Jam:

  • 4 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 4 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Filling:

  • 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
  • 5 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 15×17 in baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.

Jam:

  1. In a small sauce pan, combine the berries with the sugar.
  2. Cover and allow to cook on medium heat until the sugar melts. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and keep the berries simmering.
  3. Cook for 10-15 min.
  4. Mash with a potato masher or combine in a food processor/blender.
  5. Strain the cooked berries through a fine mesh sieve to get a smooth jam.

Cake:

  1. Combine the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl.
  2. Place over a pot with about 1-2 inches of boiling water. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the eggs are slightly warm.
  3. Place in a large bowl and mix with a whisk attachment for about 6 min, or until the eggs are light yellow and fluffy.
  4. Sift in the flour and salt and gently fold in with a rubber spatula.
  5. When you have about half the flour incorporated,slowly pour the melted butter into the batter and continue gently folding.
  6. Pour into prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly.
  7. Bake for 5-7 min.
  8. Place the cake upside down on a clean kitchen towel. Carefully remove the parchment paper and roll the cake into the towel while it’s still hot.
  9. Allow to cool.

Frosting:

  1. Whip the cream in a chilled bowl and chilled whisk attachment. Set aside.
  2. With a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Assembly:

  1. When the cake roll is cool, unroll it, and spread the jam evenly over the surface. Put dollops of cream cheese frosting on top of the jam and then carefully spread it our over the jam.
  2. Roll up the cake roll.
  3. Dust with powdered sugar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

 

33 Comments

  • Inna

    Made this today, i hope mine turned out as good as this one looks!!! hopefully hubby will like it as well:)
    keep up the good work im always looking forward to new postings
    🙂

  • Olya

    Is it 2 extra yolks to the three eggs or 2 extra egg whites? bc my eggs looked nothing close to white when I mixed them in the mixer…

    • olgak7

      Olya,
      It’s 2 extra yolks, not whites. The beaten eggs will be pale YELLOW, not white. You should be mixing it for at least 5 minutes, longer if you’re using a hand mixer. Some egg yolks are brighter than others, so if it’s more yellow than mine, that’s fine, as long as the eggs have enough volume.

  • margarita

    olga, do i have to strain the jam? it seems like it would take forever? and im on a time limit-wasnt sure if it would be ok to avoid this step

    • Sarah Derkaoui

      Hi Olga,
      I made the cake roll yesterday evening (used your strawberry jam recipe instead of the cranberry jam) and it turned out sooo good! The taste reminded me a bit of a strawberry cheesecake.
      Just a small question, the cake wasn’t as thick as yours on the picture. Do you have any tips for me to get a thick, fluffy cake roll next time?
      Usually, I am a silent visitor on your blog but I just had to stop by and say thank you ❤️
      Your blog is such a great resource for me!

      ★★★★★

      • olgak7

        Hi Sarah!
        Thank you for taking the time to write:). I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the cake roll. (I like the strawberry jam for this recipe too.)
        To make the cake roll thicker and fluffier, maybe you can whip the eggs even longer next time so they get even more volume and be even more careful when mixing with the flour, so you don’t deflate it as much as possible.
        Also, what size baking sheet did you use. If you use a slightly smaller one next time, it will be thicker, is that is what you would like.

  • Nadia

    Olga, you are using unsalted butter, correct? i dont bake at all but i really want to try this for my sons birthday. Im hoping it will turn out good. Also, any suggestions as to where i can find a 15×17 baking sheet?

    • olgak7

      Hi Nadia,
      Yes, I always use unsalted butter, but using salted butter won’t spoil it.
      Most stores have different sizes of baking sheets. I buy most of my supplies online.

  • Joeli

    Hi Olga!
    My boyfriend hates cranberries and I was wondering if you think it would be alright to substitute the cranberries for strawberries. Thanks for all your delicious recipes!

    • olgak7

      Hi Joeli,
      Yes, you can use strawberries instead of raspberries. If you read carefully, I wrote in the recipe that you can use other berries and there’s also a picture of a jam that I made with strawberries and raspberries. Cranberries are very seasonal, so when they aren’t available, I use many other kinds of fruit instead.

    • olgak7

      It’s a cake roll, which is very thin, in this case, Shirley. It has a very fluffy and tender texture. I’ve made this cake roll many, many times and it always turned out perfectly:). I hope you enjoy it.

  • shirley stirling

    The idea of it and the photos look good, but… Just a little bit more than 1/2 cup flour for an entire cake?? How can this be correct?

  • Yuliya

    Hi, I would like to make this for Easter and was wondering if I used a hand mixer instead of a attachment ones would it come out the same?

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