Cranberry Spice Roll

Inspired by one of her favorite Thanksgiving dishes, Melinda Sekela adds a tangy and bright cranberry sauce to Betty’s sweet and classic Jelly Roll Cake, amping up the seasonality and creating a perfect holiday dessert.

Melinda’s first twist comes into play with the cake bake. To simplify and save a little time, she swaps the from-scratch batter for Betty Crocker™ Delights Super Moist™ Spice Cake Mix. Then, in place of the jam, she makes her cranberry sauce with cinnamon and fresh orange peel.

The sauce is the perfect complement to the spice cake, which bakes up surprisingly light and fluffy. Melinda’s flavorful dessert has all the fun vibes of a pumpkin roll without the heavy flavors, which is a just-right delight after a big Thanksgiving meal.

The cake is polished off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a garnish of cranberries and mint leaves over the top. With this super seasonal take on the traditional jelly roll dessert, Melinda's charming Cranberry Spice Roll is just the fresh idea you’ve been looking for.

Ready to roll? Give this recipe a try! We’d love to know how it goes. Leave us a comment or ask us any questions below. Or if you’re ready for more seasonal inspiration, check out what our other Makers are baking up this month.

Melinda’s Tips

• For an easy, time-saving swap, you can use frozen cranberries to create the sweet and tangy cranberry sauce.
• Be careful not to overbake the cake. It should spring back when touched, but no color or browning should appear.
• As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, immediately loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and turn it upside down onto a towel generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. While the cake is still warm, roll it up with the towel and then let it cool completely before unrolling it. It’s okay if your cake cracks a bit while you’re unrolling it—the cracks can be covered up with the cranberry sauce and garnishes.

Get the Recipe