Key Lime Roll
Submitted by ntretola
Key lime roll cake filled with lime-spiked lemon pie filling and frosted with whipped topping. A light, tangy jelly roll dessert tinted pale green and garnished with lime slices.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
2 hrsA sponge cake rolled around a tangy lime filling and frosted with fluffy whipped topping. This jelly roll cake has a bright citrus flavor that’s lighter and more refreshing than a traditional key lime pie, with the same zippy lime character throughout.
The cake is a classic sponge: eggs beaten to thick ribbons with sugar, folded gently with flour and baking powder, then baked fast in a jelly roll pan. The trick is rolling it while still warm in a towel dusted with icing sugar. This teaches the cake its shape so it doesn’t crack when you fill and roll it later.
The filling starts with lemon pie filling mix, doctored with fresh lime juice and grated lime zest. A touch of green food coloring gives it that signature pale green look. Half a cup gets reserved and folded into whipped topping for the frosting, tying the lime flavor from inside to outside.
Pro Tips
- Roll the warm cake in the towel immediately after baking. If you wait, the cake stiffens and cracks when rolled.
- Beat the eggs for a full 5 minutes until thick and pale. This volume is what makes the sponge light enough to roll without breaking.
- Cool the rolled cake for a full hour before unrolling and filling. Rushing this step means the cake won’t hold its shape.
- Chill the finished roll for at least an hour before slicing. Cold filling holds together in clean spirals.
Variations
- Key lime pie version: Use real key lime juice instead of regular lime juice for a more intense, floral citrus flavor.
- Coconut frosting: Fold toasted coconut flakes into the whipped topping frosting for a tropical finish.
- Lemon roll: Skip the lime juice and zest entirely for a classic lemon roll cake.
Ingredients
Directions
Cake: Grease a 15×10 inch jelly roll pan, line with waxed paper; grease and flour paper.
Sift flour with baking powder.
Beat eggs until foamy at high speed of electric mixer.
Gradually add sugar; continue beating until mixture becomes thick and light in colour about 5 minutes.
Carefully fold in flour mixture.
Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 400℉ (200℃) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
Immediately turn cake onto cloth which has been sprinkled lightly with icing sugar.
Quickly remove waxed paper.
Starting with narrow end, roll cake in cloth and cool for 1 hour.
Filling and Frosting: Prepare lemon pie filling as directed on package, using 1 whole egg, 1 cup sugar and reducing water to 1½ cups.
Add lime juice and rind.
Add enough food coloring to tint light green.
Chill 1 hour.
Set aside ½ cup of pie filling.
Unroll cake. Spread remaining pie filling evenly over cake; re-roll.
Fold reserved pie filling into prepared dessert topping; and use this to frost the roll.
Chill. Garnish with lime slices.
Store left-over cake in refrigerator.
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