Cherry Jam Roll

Here is the recipe for a classic Italian-style cherry jam roll. The roll, also known as girella or rollè, is a soft and enveloping dessert, perfect for breakfast or snack time.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 120 g granulated sugar
• 120 g 00 flour
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Cherry jam to taste
• Powdered sugar for decoration

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a rectangular baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until the mixture becomes light and frothy.
3. Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the egg whites, mixing gently from bottom to top to avoid deflating the mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and level it with a spatula.
5. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the roll is golden and elastic to the touch.
6. Once baked, turn it out onto a damp kitchen towel and carefully remove the parchment paper.
7. Spread a generous amount of cherry jam on the still-warm roll.
8. Using the towel, gently roll up the cake starting from the shorter side and wrap it tightly.
9. Let the roll cool wrapped in the towel, then dust it with powdered sugar before serving.

For a truly Italian touch, you could also add a few drops of amaretto liqueur to the cherry jam, which will complete the flavor of the dessert with a very pleasant almond note.

Trivia

The roll is a very versatile dessert and you can fill it with various types of jams or creams. In Italy, each region has its own variant and, for example, in some areas of the north it is called “girella” and is often filled with chocolate cream or a simple pastry cream.