Chocolate Jelly Roll

I love making jelly rolls. I usually put whipped cream in the middle but sometimes ice cream. They can be dusted with powdered sugar or frosted. I freeze my jelly rolls to help them stick together and also they are super yummy when frozen. I love the contrast of chocolate jelly roll filled with whipped cream. I used to make jelly rolls all the time, I made mousse cakes lined with slices of jelly roll, ice cream cake jelly rolls, jelly rolls with jam and the list goes on.  Then I quit making them for a few years. I decided a couple of years ago to get back to jelly rolls. I like them because they look great and are fairly light.  I started out one Sunday trying to get my jelly roll back and ooops, the jelly roll stuck. I made it the next Sunday then it was in the wrong pan, too thin! I made it for a month every Sunday until it was perfect. My middle child (this is his badge) did not like this jelly roll testing at all. I used to ask him when he was little, but dear how can you be in the middle, there are 9 kids? Well his explanation was that, he is the 5th and there are 4 above him and 4 below him, the one and only middle child!  He came in each Sunday when I was testing jelly rolls, at this time an adult and said “what’s cookin ma” His face dropped “not another jelly roll!” So, this recipe is dedicated to my middle child!

Ingredients

5 eggs( separated)

1 cup sugar divided equally into 2– 1/2 cups

1/4 cup flour

3 Tbs. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Filling

1 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup white sugar– mix and beat until stiff.

Directions

For this recipe I use a jelly roll pan. I have tried other pans of various sizes but this pan gives the best results. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place wax paper on pan.Lightly grease and flour.Separate the egg yolks and whites. Place the whites into a mixing bowl. With your mixer start beating the egg whites. After they look a little fluffy gradually add 1/2 cup white sugar (part of the 1 cup to be divided) Beat this until stiff peaks form. Beat egg yolks with whisk, add 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, flour and salt, mix well. Gently mix the chocolate egg yolk mixture into the stiff egg whites. Fold this carefully do not beat! Spread in pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.Use a clean kitchen towel and place a long piece of wax paper over the towel. Sift with powdered sugar.Carefully pick cooled jelly roll up and turn onto wax paper. Gently remove wax paper from cake and roll up. Unroll the cake when cool and spread whipped cream on the cake. Roll cake back up and freeze. Slice when firm.