Grandma Rose's Banana Whipped Cream Roll

Pumpkin month is over which means I can FINALLY move on to other kinds of recipes. I'm really excited about the Christmas season. As a child, Christmas always meant fudge, divinity and painted sugar cookies. Even though I'm an adult now, those traditions still stand. Bad news for any diet but good news for my sweet tooth.

However, I made something a bit out of character for this time of month- a banana whipped cream roll.

This was my very first time making a cake roll, as you can probably tell. It didn't turn out to be the most beautiful roll ever, but it tasted pretty good. I'm going to warn you though, this is not a dessert to make if you're on a budget.

What you need for the sponge cake:
9 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon orange flavoring
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling and whipped topping:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 sliced bananas
Chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly grease and line with parchment paper a 13x17 jelly roll pan. Separate your eggs.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Very gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, add 3/4 cup of sugar.

 Continue beating until thick and shiny. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks unti thick. Add remaining sugar, orange flavoring and rind. Continue beating until thick. Beat in the potato starch mixed with salt until the batter is smooth.

Fold part of egg whites into the yolk mixture.

Then, very carefully, fold this mixture into the remaining egg whites.

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes.

I suggest checking at around 15 minutes as mine came out a bit dry.

Now comes the part where I tell you to do as I say and not as I do. The recipe said to turn out the cake onto sugar-sprinkled foil or waxed paper. However, I suggest turning it out onto a sugar sprinkled dish towel. Roll it up like a jelly roll. Using foil prevented the heat from escaped and really dried out the cake. Let cool completely before unrolling.

Whip cream until thick, adding sugar and vanilla. Combine 1 cup whipped cream with bananas.

Spread the filling on the sponge cake.

Carefully roll it back up.

Ice it with the remaining whipped cream. If you're feeling fancy you can put the cream in a star-tipped pastry bag and run the cream over the top and sides of the roll.

Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Voila!

Oolala! This cake is very visually appealing, if I do say so myself.

Well, until you see my less than perfect job at rolling it. This cake would have been absolutely perfect if it had not been so dry. So remember, keep an eye on a time and use a towel, not foil!

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie

Source: Grandma Rose...