Lemon Roll

Momma and Daddy had three girls in eight years. Like most men, Daddy desired a son, a version of himself. That wasn’t to be. Momma’s last delivery was a difficult one and she was advised not to have any more children. After a few years, she told me they looked into adoption. They were informed that since they were nearing their forties, they would not be considered suitable candidates. How times change if you can just wait long enough. Some adults would have considered this as a “rejection in childhood” and may have even needed therapy. But my parents loved their three girls. A son would have been a bonus.

So I became Daddy’s little sidekick. I followed him everywhere. I watched him as he worked around the place putting up fences, repairing the barn, feeding the animals and tending to his garden. Occasionally he would let me hand him a nail or toss feed to the chickens. He went about the business of the day quietly and with few spoken words. I had a lot to say but he never fussed as I just questioned him incessantly and spewed randomly. I could tell by his expressions what he was feeling so he didn’t have to say much anyway. One day, we walked into the barn and there was a long dark snake slithering out of the basket nailed to the barn wall that was serving as a chicken nest. Daddy jerked me to one side and took the hoe he was carrying and threw it like a spear at the snake. The hoe hit the wall, the snake fell to the dirt floor and it slithered off. I knew then that Daddy wasn’t a snake lover. And he did shout a few loud phrases which don’t bear repeating.

When I was about four years old, they bought me a real cowboy outfit. I was thrilled. I had the shirt with all the western embellishments and the pants. I really wanted to be Roy Rogers, not Dale Evans. I especially loved the boots. And I kept my pants tucked into my boots so everyone could see them. As I walked, I would purposely stomp hard because I loved the sound it made on dirt not to mention the cloud of dust that ensued. And my hat, that made me official. I occasionally liked to carry a purse like the one in the picture. It looks like part of the shirt but no, that’s my purse.

One day, while in my full western attire, I stood opposite Daddy watching him dig a post hole. The post hole digger had long, wooden handles that were almost as tall as Daddy and he kept the blades sharpened to make his job easier. I observed him thoughtfully as he raised his arms high, let out a loud heave and thrust the blades into the hole. He brought up clods of dirt and tossed them to the side. I would peer down in the darkness after each thrust to see if I could see “China”. I wasn’t sure what that was but I did hear him say he was digging toward there.

As I think about that day, I am not sure what in the world made me do it. Momma said it was probably the devil. And I was very sorry afterward. I just had a moment, I guess you’d call it.

One of those times that Daddy heaved and brought those sharp blades down, I mean right at the moment it was coming down, I just stuck my right foot out and the blades took the end of my boot clean off. Daddy almost fainted. He grabbed my foot and tore my boot off. It was a good thing Momma believed in buying everything a couple of sizes too big because my toe was nowhere near the end of that boot. Daddy never fussed. Instead, he just scooped me up and took me into the house and showed Momma. I cried because my boots were ruined. I’m sure poor Daddy had to sit and recover as he was on the timorous side. And I never got another pair of boots.

I bought cowboy boots for my son and they were passed on to his brother. Then my grandson wore them. Not one of them managed to lose any part of those boots.

I guess you could say I have had an adventurous spirit since early on. I love new things, technology, people, you name it. Now, my adventures in baking lie in trying new techniques such as roll cakes. No, I don’t aspire to make a 5 tier wedding cake or anything like that. I love simple cakes and desserts that I thought were once beyond my capabilities. My first Pumpkin Roll is described in https://kathywicker.com/what-no-kindergarten/ . And I do use the jellyroll pan as described on Amazon. Click here. I have been using them for years but called it a short cookie sheet. It is true. You can learn something new daily.

So now, I have proceeded to make a Lemon Roll but instead of a cream cheese filling, this one has a Whipped Cream Lemon Curd filling. If you are in a hurry, you can use a prepared Lemon Curd. I have used this brand. Click here to view. Momma used to love to make a white cake and use Lemon Curd for the filling as well as the top frosting layer. The Lemon Roll is a sponge cake that bakes in 10-15 minutes because it is so thin.

Be adventurous! A risk-taker! Take on something that you haven’t done before. What have you got to lose? A toe? I don’t think so!

Yield: 10 slices

Lemon Cake Roll

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Lemon Roll sponge cake with whipped cream Lemon Curd filling

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling

• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon curd, cold

Lemon Curd

• 3 eggs, sightly beaten
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan.
3. Lay a thin kitchen towel on the table. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar all over.
4. In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat eggs for 2 minutes. They should look frothy.
6. Add sugar, juice, and zest and continue beating the egg mixture.
7. Stir in flour mixture by hand until just blended.
8. Spread in prepared pan. This will make a very thin cake. Spread with a large spoon.
9. Bake 10-15 minutes.
10. Immediately flip the cake onto a thin kitchen towel that has been prepared with confectioners sugar.
11. Sprinkle a light layer of confectioners sugar onto the top of the cake.
12. Working from short end of cake, immediately roll cake tightly into a roll.
13. Set on a cooling rack as it will develop moisture if you set directly onto a hard surface.
14. Let cool for one hour.

Filling

1. With a mixer, beat heavy whipping cream adding the confectioner's sugar slowly. It will form soft peaks
2. Fold in cold lemon curd gently.
3. Unroll your cake gently and spread a layer of filling starting from edge closest to you (Where you will reroll it back up).
4. Roll cake tightly back up. With sharp serrated knife, trim off both ends so that you can see the pretty swirls.
5. Sprinkle a layer of confectioner's sugar on top.
6. If you are not going to serve immediately, wrap in Saran or foil and refrigerate until serving.

Lemon Curd

1. Place eggs, sugar, salt, lemon juice and zest in small saucepan.
2. Cook on low continuously stirring. When the mixture warms up, increase to medium heat and cook about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken.
3. Pour into a small jar and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups of curd.

Notes

You can make your lemon curd a day or so ahead and keep in refrigerator or purchase ready-made lemon curd.