Creative Cake Roll Recipes

This lovely rolled take on the classic lemon-poppy seed combo is an ideal sweet finish to any springtime meal. Airier than a typical lemon poppyseed cakes, which tend to be quite dense, this roulade with a light and creamy lemon filling. This is a good recipe for first time roulade makers, as we found that this sponge cake rolls very easily with no cracking. And once chilled, the roulade cuts cleanly with no problem. If you want to go beyond a light dusting of powdered sugar to finish, you could also top this dessert off with a simple lemon glaze and toasted, sliced almonds.

Test Kitchen manager Angela Brassinga looked to the Arizona deserts for this cheerful Western interpretation of the Yule log. The recipe makes two cakes: One forms the central stem of the cactus and the other is used for the arms, so you'll need 2 jelly roll pans. (That said, you can get away with 1 jelly roll pan and cook the cakes sequentially—just make two separate half-batches, so the egg whites don't deflate.) A small offset spatula and small fine strainer are also helpful, and you'll need a 20-in. by 15-in. serving board or flat platter.

Don't panic--this strawberry and whipped cream-filled cake is surprisingly easy to roll.

We've managed to transform naughty into nice with this rich dark-chocolate sponge cake filled with a delicate, yogurt-lightened whipped cream. We cut the amount of sugar in half, letting the intensity of the chocolate in the sponge cake shine--go ahead and splurge on a higher-quality bar.

This traditional French cake resembles the Yule logs of long ago.

My son's birthday is at the end of April. That means a birthday cake for home and one for school. This is the fastest cake I know how to make (and his favorite) -- I've even made it before breakfast. With lots of fresh whipped cream and fresh strawberries, it's a cake any mother can love.

Made with fresh ginger, bourbon, and molasses, this dark, spicy gingerbread cake pairs wonderfully with the light and creamy eggnog filling. This cake does need to chill for at least 8 hours, so make sure you plan ahead. Dust the top of this gingerbread cake roll with powdered sugar for an extra holiday touch. When it comes to your ginger, choose clean knobs of fresh ginger root with smooth, shiny skin. Store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator and use it before it begins to shrivel. Remove the peel with a vegetable peeler or the tip of a metal spoon.

Almond paste makes the cake a bit sticky, so be sure to coat the wax paper in the pan with cooking spray and dust with flour before spooning in the batter. Combining the almond paste and sugar in a blender or food processor helps incorporate the paste into the batter without lumps. This cake can be made a day in advance; just wrap it in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge.

Impress your guests with a spiced pumpkin cake roll that's filled with sweet cream cheese. Rolling up the cake is easy with these step-by-step instructions; plus, you can make it ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve.

A sponge cake rolled up with a cranberry, orange and pecan filling, then topped with Reddi-wip