First, you need to line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper, then grease and flour the paper. Some people leave an overhang of paper on each end, but I don’t feel this is necessary. An overhang is primarily used when you’re going to lift the baked item from the pan. In this recipe, you are going to invert the cake onto a lint-free cotton towel that has been liberally dusted with powdered sugar.
First Roll Once you remove the cake from the oven, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Slightly tap each end of the pan on a counter to ensure the cake is not stuck around the edges of the pan. Invert the cake onto the powdered sugar towel. Peel off the parchment paper. Sprinkle more powdered sugar over the inverted cake. Now, starting on the short end nearest you, roll the cake and the towel into a roll, rolling as tightly as possible. Place the roll in the fridge to cool completely.
Second Roll Once the roll has completely cooled, gently unroll it. Spread the filling over the unrolled cake, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edges. If you don’t allow 1/2 inch, the filling will ooze out of the ends of the cake roll when you start rolling it. Now, roll the cake up with the filling, leaving the towel behind. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is chilled. Unwrap it, and lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar and slice and serve.
MAKING THE FILLINGThe filling gets whipped up in no time. It’s made with cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon oil. If you don’t have lemon oil don’t worry, you can use pure lemon extract. If you don’t have lemon extract, then omit it. It will still have a lemon flavor from the lemon juice, but just not quite as tart.
