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

½ cup sugar

½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ cup (½ a stick) butter, melted

Jam:

4 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen

4 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen

½ cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 15x17 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.Here's a jam that I made with strawberries and raspberries.Cook for 10-15 min. Mash with a potato masher or combine in a food processor/blender.Strain the cooked berries through a fine mesh sieve to get a smooth jam. I really would prefer to keep these out of my teeth! Set aside to cool.

 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. Place in a large bowl and mix with a whisk attachment for about 6 min, or until the eggs are light yellow and fluffy. Sift in the flour and salt and gently fold in with a rubber spatula.

When 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.

Pour into prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 5-7 min. Place 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. If 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

¼ cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the cream in a chilled bowl and chilled whisk attachment. Set aside. 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. 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. This really helps to spread the frosting neatly on top of the jam without turning it into pink smears.Roll up the cake roll.Dust with powdered sugar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.Here'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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