okay, this is one of those things my family won't ever let me live down ....I tried to make a yule log cake for the first time this weekend. It tasted great--I used the recipe from the Cake Doctor's book. It baked up beautifully, came out of the pan beautifully, rolled up just right....or so I thought. When I unrolled, the cake was in about a zillion pieces (okay, so that's an exaggeration, but it was a bunch...) I tried to piece it back together but not very well--my family thought it was hilariously funny.....any ideas what went wrong?? Did I not let it cool long enough? too long? should you NOT roll them right away??
any ideas, suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
thanks!
I had the very same problem when i made a chocolate roll cake ( recipe from my KA recipe book). It was fine when I rolled it up in the tea towel while it was hot, and when it cooled off, and I unrolled it, it broke in about 4 or 5 places. I put the whipped cream in it anyway, and tried my best to roll it back up, and it did not look so great. I di d however, put mint leaves over those unsightly cracks, and no one was the wiser!...lol...it looked fine after I did that and sprinkled powdered sugar over it, and it tasted WONDERFUL! It's a great recipe and everyone loved it! I was ready to throw it all in a trifle dish and eat it anyway!( my recue mission for cakes that dont' come out well!)
I am right there with you! I had the same problem and posted the question two days ago or so. I hope someone can answer this.
Did you use a kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar to roll it in? I let mine completely cool and then unroll, then fill and re-roll and it works fine. I have made probably 25 of them the last couple of years and not had the first trouble.
shortNsweet, what exactly is a tea towel? I found an old recipe from my grandmother and it called for a tea towel and I am not sure what that is. This is probably one of those questions I will feel stupid for asking later.
I think it is the old term for a kitchen towel....they used to be made out of flour sack like material. I just use a regular fresh clean terry kitchen towel to roll mine in.
That is exactly what I did. I made pumpkin rolls at Thanksgiving too--same problem.
Bakes great, out of oven, turn out on towel dusted with powdered sugar and roll immediately. I let it cool and then the trouble starts. When I unroll it wants to stay rolled up. It is not stuck to the towel, the cake itself just wants to stay rolled up. When I unroll it breaks and cracks at the pressure points of the circle, so that I have C shaped pieces not a flat piece of cake again to spread filling on.
Are you unrolling them gently....really slow. I am at a loss for what it could be, maybe the cake itself is too thin (or too thick?) I have been very lucky with not having any touble. I do know the batters I use for these are a much thinner looking batter than what a regular cake would be. Are you using parchment paper on the jelly roll pan before putting the batter in? I spray the pan with PAM, then put the parchement on it, then spray it with PAM also.
thanks for the advice. You're right--a tea towel is one that isn't made of terry cloth--sort of the old fashioned "feed sack" kind of towels (at least that's what my grandmother called it.)
Maybe the batter was too thick. I did try the parchment and it came out beautifully. Maybe I did roll it too hard, too fast.
Maybe I just need to practice, practice, practice!
thanks!
I've seen them called flour sack towels at KMart, Wal-Mart, and Target. I use them for embroidery. They don't pick up lint and fuzz like regular towels so they're good for working with food. I use them to cover bread when it's rising and things like that. They are also really absorbent!! I use them for everything in the kitchen, food, dishes, clean-up, wiping the counter. They're usually five for $5.00, so it's a bargain.
Thank you for the information on the tea towels. I think thats what my dh's grandmother and mother cover homemade tortillas with.
maybe the cake itself is too thin (or too thick?)
How thick should the cake be, about half an inch baked?
...the batters I use for these are a much thinner looking batter than what a regular cake would be.
Anyone want to share recipes?
I would like to try one of the roll or log cakes, too. What types of fillings do you use? A buttercream-based one?
That's right. A tea towel is merely a thin, cotton, NON terri towel, that produces no fuzz. It is also thinner. I did sprinkle HEAVY powdered sugar before I rolled the cake.and let cool completely...but as I unrolled slowly, ti cracked! I wouldn't let this keep me from making it again, as it was SOOOO delicious!
Hi everyone! I just wanted to tell you about my experience with rolled cakes. I used to make A LOT of them - my DH went through a "phase". I found that these rolled cakes hold together much better and are more spongy if you - I hate to use this term - underbake - them. I once made the mistake of baking the cake for the recommended time, and sure enough, nothing but bits & pieces everywhere. I'm not sure if my oven was too hot back then, but honestly - if I take the cake out as soon as it sets, and then roll it up in a heavily dusted tea towel (I use a terry one) I dont have a problem. I hope this helps!
That is true too, I test mine by touching it lightly with my finger tip, as soon as it stops "sticking" to my finger, I take it out of the oven. (you can't use the tradtiional method for regular cakes, these are much too thin for that!)
Yureka! I think that is my problem!!! I have solved the sticking problem but could not for the life of me stop the breaking and spliting. I was baking until the toothpick came out clean and it pulled away from the edges of the pan some. I am going to have to try this again now before the first of the year - DIET ---- AGAIN!!
hey that just might be the thing! I may try it again and take it to work once school starts up again--they'll eat anything falling apart or not......
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