A jelly roll, also known as a Swiss log or roll cake, is a sponge cake rolled lengthwise into a cylindrical shape. The inside is filled with cream, icing, or jam to give this sweet treat texture and make each bite more interesting.
Since the jelly roll isn’t shaped like your average cake, it requires a container that’s wider and shallower than your standard cake pan.
Jelly roll pans are typically available in either 15 ½ by 10 ½ inches or 18 by 12 a.k.a. a half-sheet pan. The sides are about an inch high, which makes it perfect for baking the sponge cake base, spreading the filling on it once cooled, and rolling it to make the perfect cake rolls.
There’s really not a lot that goes into buying jelly roll pans. You’re going to get the same results out of it whether you choose a cheap or expensive one. All the same, we wanted to be able to give you options for this type of bakeware. Check out our top selections in the list below.
Best Jelly Roll Pans Comparison & Rating
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Shopping online is becoming more of a necessity these days. So, if all you need are some new jelly roll pans, you don’t have to leave the house and drive to the tour. As you’ll read in the product information below, each of these is available for purchase on Amazon. Be sure to click the yellow buttons to know about the latest deals!
Nordic Ware Jelly Roll Pan
If you are a serious baker, this jelly roll pan is a purchase worth making. The corrugated bottom keeps the baked goods and anything else up off the pan, and lets the oven cook the entire batch very evenly. The patterned bottom also helps prevent food from sticking to it. You can be sure that those cookies will be crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The hot oven air can circulate above and below whatever you are baking, giving you more even results.
USA Pan Jelly Roll Baking Pan and Bakeable Nonstick Cooling Rack
The USA Pan Nonstick Jelly Roll Set makes a great addition to your kitchen. It’s versatile enough to not just bake sheet cake for jelly rolls and cookies. Placing the rack on top of the pan also makes juicy chicken breasts and crispy bacon. Plus, you can leave the food or baked goods as is to cool on perfectly cool on the rack before serving or storing. And because it has a nonstick surface, handwashing both the rack and the pan requires minimal scrubbing as grease and gunk come off easily.
Gotham Steel 1389 Nonstick Copper Cookie Sheet and Jelly Roll Baking Pan
Like our top pick for jelly roll pans, this product from Gotham Steel doesn’t just bake cakes. It can also bake pizza and roast a piece of steak. It provides even heat distribution so food’s always perfectly cooked. Sponge cakes are fluffy on the inside while the meat is juicy when you cut into it. And true to its advertising, dishing out food and cleaning the pan afterward is truly easy peasy.
Doughmakers Jelly Roll Commercial Grade Aluminum Bake Pan
This Doughmakers pan makes a great value purchase. The aluminum alloy conducts heat well and is exceptionally durable. The patented pebble patterned surface on the inside of the pan creates an intrinsically nonstick surface. We have found that it at least equals but often exceeds that of PTFE or PFOA coated pans. The pebble pattern is part of the metal itself, so there is no coating to wear off or leach into food. Better still, this is a very green alternative since making and applying PTFE and PFOA emits greenhouse gasses and produces toxic byproducts.
Chicago Metallic Jelly Roll Pan
The Chicago Metallic Jelly Roll Pan Set is durable and easy to clean. The nonstick surface is ideal for a variety of sweet treats like pressed cookies, jelly rolls, and bars. While it says dishwasher-friendly, we recommend just handwashing these pans to make them last longer. In addition, they are easier to store when compared to other trays. 3 or 4 trays stack together in not much more space than a single tray. If you’re one to bake multiple times a week, consider getting this set to add to your bakeware collection.
Jelly Roll Pan Buyer's Guide
Make sure to get a pan that lets you cook and bake at high temperatures. Read the label to know what the highest temperature you can expose your bakeware to.
A jelly roll pan with a textured and wavy surface allows distributes airflow when you’re baking the cake batter so the end result is a cake that’s more evenly baked.
Set a budget based on the type of jelly roll pan you intend to purchase. While high-end ones are expected to be durable, you don’t really have to spend a lot of money to buy pans that will provide years of use.
Choose pans that you can handwash and are also dishwasher-safe.
Get more use out of jelly roll pans by purchasing accessories like a cooling rack. Roast the meat, bacon, or vegetables without worrying about oil dripping since the pan collects all of it. You also want to look for safety features like reinforced or easy-to-grip sides so even kids can use them for baking with supervision.
FAQs
The average jelly roll pan can fall in either one of these two sizes.
5 by 15.5 inches (27 x 39 cm)
5 by 17.5 inches (32 x 44.5 cm)
In both cases, the standard height of the edges is 1 inch (2.54 cm).
A cookie sheet pan doesn’t have raised edges except on one side. This allows the hot air flow from each side so the cookies are baked evenly. It’s also much more comfortable to take cookies out of this kind of baking sheet with a spatula.
Jelly roll pans are typically made from metal — stainless steel, aluminum, or aluminized steel. However, you can also find ones made from silicone or have a non-stick ceramic coating on them for easy cake transfer.
Grab a non-abrasive scrubbing pad, liquid dish detergent (preferably Dawn), and baking soda. Wet the pan, add a few pumps of the dish detergent on the scrubbing pad and then sprinkle it with baking soda. Clean and rinse. This will bring new life to stainless steel, aluminum, and copper sheet pans.