Sweet Treat for the 4th of July

By Melanie Brooks

Are you looking for a sweet treat to bring to a 4th of July picnic this weekend? I think I might have found just what you are looking for in the Bangor Metro archives. I was looking through our older magazines for a certain recipe and stumbled upon Ramey's Raspberry Cake Rolls. I love fresh berries -- they're even tastier when I can pick them myself. It's not quite raspberry season yet, but I'm a sucker for anything raspberry. And jelly rolls are really fun to make. Don't let on how easy it is -- let your family and friends think you're a culinary genius.


Photo by Voscar

Click here to read the full story. If you're just anxious to get cookin' the recipe is below.

Ingredients:
Cake:
5 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Raspberry filling:
1 pint fresh or frozen raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
pinch of salt

Whipped cream:
1 pint cream
1/4 cut sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Cake: Beat the egg yolks until lemon-colored. Add sugar slowly, beating until creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder, and gradually add it to the egg mixture beating until just smooth. Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff, but not dry. Fold into the batter. Line a 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" jelly roll pan (or similar-size cookie sheet) with well-greased parchment or brown paper. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake in 375°F oven for 15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. When done, invert
immediately on a clean kitchen towel sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. Trim off crusty edges. Starting from the short side, roll up in the towel. Cool.

Raspberry filling: In a 2 quart or larger pot, bring all ingredients to a boil and then stew for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Make a thin paste of about 5 Tbs. cornstarch and about an equal amount of water. Drizzle enough of this mixture into the boiling berries, stirring constantly until almost like soft jam. Continue cooking for 1 minute. Remove from heat. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.

Whipped cream: While waiting for the cake rolls and filling to cool, whip cream, adding sugar and vanilla until the whipped cream is stiff enough to spread. There will be some leftover whipped cream for topping the cake roll slices when serving.

Filling the cake roll: Unroll the cooled cake. Spread layer of cold berry filling over cake, being careful not to overfill. Spread layer of whipped cream over berry layer. Re-roll and place seam side down. Refrigerate. Cut and serve with whipped cream.