Star-Spangled Cherry Cream Cake Roll

With the 4th of July just around the corner and the US making it to the second round of the World Cup, it seems like the right time to be celebrating the red, white and blue!

This cake roll looks difficult to make, but in truth, it came together really quickly.  Most of the time is spent waiting for the cake to cool!

I used the recipe below to make the cake - but I added this special touch that I've seen all over the internet to make the red and blue stars.  Here's how to do that part:

• Prepare the cake and use the batter to do the decorations. Color a few tablespoons blue, and a few tablespoons red.
• Use a piping bag with a tip or just a Ziploc from which you cut the corner of the size you need. Pipe the colored batter in star shapes right onto the parchment paper covering your baking sheet.
• Freeze for about 10 minutes.  {this lets the stars set so that they don't run}   Pour the remaining batter over the baking sheet and the decorations.  Bake and prepare the cake roll following the recipe.

See?  Just a couple of extra steps for the wow factor.  I didn't use a pattern, but if you want to all you need to do is make the pattern on the same size peice of parchment paper as the one lining your baking sheet, and then place it UNDER the parchment paper lining your baking sheet.  Once your batter decorations have been frozen, simply slide the pattern out and finish the as the directions state.

The best part is that this tastes every bit as good as it looks.  Cherry and almond are great flavor partners, and the whipped cream filling is even better than frosting.  And while you do want to serve this reasonably soon after removing from the refrigerator, the whipped cream filling, with that gelatin addition, holds up beautifully.

Cherry Cream Cake Roll

by Susan Zentmyer

6064149

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2/3 cup cherry preserves
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 15x10x1 inch pan and line with parchment paper.
• Add the eggs and sugar to a bowl. Beat on medium to high speed around 5 minutes until pale in color and thickened. Add the almond extract and beat few more seconds.
• In a small bowl, sift the flour and the baking powder.
• Add the flour mixture to the eggs and sugar and mix with a spoon. When the batter is homogeneous, add the water. Combine slowly.
• Pour the batter on the pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
• Bake for 7 -10 minutes. Don’t overbake because it will be hard to roll.
• While the cake is baking, make the cream filling. Chill mixing bowl and beaters for at least 15 minutes before using.
• Place water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and allow to soften 5 minutes.
• Dissolve gelatin by microwaving for 3 minutes, stirring after every minute. Remove from microwave and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes; gelatin must be liquid but not warm when added to cream.
• Remove bowl and beaters from refrigerator and pour in cream, sugar, and almond extract. Beat together just until beater marks begin to show distinctly.
• Add gelatin mixture to cream, pouring in a steady stream while beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate.
• Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter. As soon as your cake is out of the oven, remove from pan with the parchment paper, turn over on the kitchen twoel and remove the parchment paper. Roll the cake, starting from the short side, with the kitchen towel and let cool completely, seam side down.
• When the cake is completely cool, carefully unroll the cake. Remove the kitchen towel and spread the cherry preserves evenly over the cake, leaving a 1/2 inch margin around the edge. Then spread the cream over the cherry preserves. Gently re-roll the cake and place in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap, for about 1 hour to set.

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