Cherry-almond Roll

Total Time: 57 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar-free strawberry jam
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• powdered sugar (for dusting)
• 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 -6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted & chopped
• red food coloring (optional)
• prepared whipped cream, for garnish (optional)
• 4 fresh cherries, with stems intact, for garnish (optional)

Recipe

• 1 cake: put the egg yolks in a mixer bowl & the egg whites into a small container & set aside. in a small bowl, combine the flours & the baking powder. set aside. grease & flour a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan & preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 2 beat egg yolks & almond extract on high speed until thick & bright yellow (this takes several minutes) & then very slowly begin adding in the 1/3 cup of sugar, beating til nearly dissolved. beat in the strawberry jam. transfer this mixture to a smaller bowl & set aside.
• 3 wash & dry the mixer bowl & wire whip thoroughly, to remove any yolk mixture, & then add the egg whites. beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. slowly add the 1/2 cup sugar & beat until stiff peaks form.
• 4 gently fold egg yolk mixture into beaten egg whites until almost combined & then sprinkle the flour mixture in & fold everything together. try to keep as much volume as possible during this step.
• 5 lightly spread batter into prepared jelly roll pan, making sure to push it into the corners too.
• 6 bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
• 7 remove from oven & gently loosen the edges of the cake from the pan.
• 8 lay out a large, clean kitchen towel & sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar. quickly flip pan over onto powdered sugar & let cake fall out. lightly dust the top with powdered sugar. from a short end, begin rolling both the cake & the towel into a log. dusting additional powdered sugar on the underside of the towel as you go. place rolled cake & towel on a wire rack to cool (45-60 minutes).
• 9 filling: beat mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, butter & almond extract til combined. begin adding powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until the mixture thickens but is still a spreading consistency.
• 10 stir in the chopped fresh cherries & a few drops of the red food coloring, if desired.
• 11 assembly: unroll cake & spread filling to within one inch of the edges all the way around. roll up cake & filling only this time, lay a medium piece (about 8") of waxed paper over the top of the roll & carefully wrap the roll in the paper. transfer to a platter & place in the refrigerator for about an hour, turning the roll over at about 30 minutes to avoid a "flat area" from forming.
• 12 when chilled, remove waxed paper & place roll seam side down on serving platter. place 4 small dollops of whipped cream across the top of the roll & place one cherry on top of each dollop. serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.