A recipe may specify a jelly roll pan or a baking sheet, so what's the difference? And do you need both for a properly stocked kitchen? Get all the details about jelly roll pans—including what they are, when to use them, and how to choose a jelly roll pan that'll last through every sheet cake, pizza, and fancy dessert.
What Is a Jelly Roll Pan?
A jelly roll pan is a 10 by 15 inch pan with a one-inch lip, which makes it perfect for baking a Swiss roll or jelly roll—a thin sponge cake that is rolled into a cylinder (usually with thin layer of jelly or cream) to create an elegant spiraled cake design. (Think of the traditional French bûche de Noël as an example.)
What's the Difference Between a Jelly Roll Pan, a Cake Pan, and a Baking Sheet?
It's all about the dimensions, when it comes to the differences between these pans—and making a baked good in a different dimension pan can impact your baking time, as the batter is spread thinner or thicker than the recipe calls for.
You can use one to roast a large batch of vegetables, bake a dozen or more cookies, or even make a large sheet cake.
A jelly roll pan is a nice-to-have addition. It's ideal for a bûche de Noël and handy for toasting nuts or cooking asparagus. And chances are, it will fit in your dishwasher.
Cake Pan
Cake pans can come in a slew of dimensions and shapes–with everything from a bundt pan to rounds, squares, and rectangles. The most common rectangular cake pan size is a 9 x 13 pan, which is usually deeper (two inches deep) than the jelly roll pan's one-inch lip.
Baking Sheets
Baking sheets are only one inch deep like a jelly roll pan, but come in different dimensions. A quarter baking sheet is usually 9 x 13 inches, a half baking sheet is 18 x 13 inches, and a full baking sheet is 26 x 18 inches.
The jelly roll pan can be a great addition to the kitchen, beyond just the jelly roll cake it's named for. You can use it for baking or roasting anything that could slide off the pan, like asparagus, sausages, or toasted nuts. It's also great for baked goods that have need a crust, like a pizza, tarts, or bar cookies, where you can spread it up the sides. And they are great for brownies as well.
Jelly roll pans come in a number of different materials, just like other baking pans. Common materials for jelly roll pans include aluminum, stainless steel, carbon steel, and even silicone (though you may find it tricky to bring that one to the oven filled with a liquidy batter!).
You'll likely use a parchment or nonstick silicone sheet for most sponge cake recipes used in jelly rolls, since that enables you to easily lift out the cake and roll it to create the dessert. But a nonstick surface can be helpful, just in case the cake somehow gets around your prep.
What Can I Use Instead of a Jelly Roll Pan if I Don't Have One?
Your best bet is to go with something with similar dimensions. The closest to the jelly roll pan is the half sheet pan, but a cookie sheet can be used (though the cake will be thinner and may finish baking a few minutes earlier).
A jelly roll pan is a 10 by 15 inch pan with a one-inch lip, which makes it perfect for baking a Swiss roll or jelly roll—a thin sponge cake that is rolled into a cylinder (usually with thin layer of jelly or cream) to create an elegant spiraled cake design.
A jelly roll pan has one-inch rims, which makes it ideal for working with liquid batter or food that releases juices as they cook. A cookie sheet only has one raised rim (for ease of handling), so it's not great for working with liquids like the Dutch Oven is.
While it is best to use a jelly roll pan if your recipe calls for it, a half sheet pan is a similar option. This being said, the size of a jelly roll pan is ideal for rolled cake recipes because its length and width are narrower than a half sheet pan, but it is just as deep.
Compared to half-sheet pans, which are 18x13", jelly roll pans are smaller, usually about 15x10". Jelly roll pans have 1"-high sides, sufficient for containing the batter as it rises in the oven.
Aluminum is great at conducting heat, which means anything from roasted vegetables to the delicate sponge cake of a traditional jelly roll will bake evenly. Since aluminum can be scratched, metal utensils and scouring pads are discouraged, though a scratch or two doesn't affect the pan's baking properties.
directions. Lightly grease a 11 x 17 inch sheet pan, line with wax paper. Grease and lightly flour the paper. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 400.
They're the pans you often find (cheaply made) at grocery stores, but good quality ones can be purchased for not much more money. They're named for the dessert that can't really be made without them: the jelly roll (or Swiss roll cake. (Ditto that holiday showstopper, the bûche de Noël.)
Parchment paper (optional clean kitchen towel). Baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bottom lined with parchment paper. One batch of jelly roll batter. I used this recipe and added some activated charcoal to make it a darker color.
Jelly rolls, also referred to as fabric rolls or roll-ups, are 2-1/2" x 42" strips of fabric. They come rolled up, typically about 40 strips per roll, and can be used in quilts, bindings, strippy bags, and more. Check out our jelly roll strip quilt-along for a great beginner tutorial in using jelly rolls.
Baking sheet pans have rolled edges with a lip around the entire pan, whereas cookie sheets do not. Baking sheets are often used for roasting and other savory preparations. Baking sheets can also be used for very shallow cakes, like those used for jelly rolls. Baking sheets can be used for cookies.
Baking sheets are only one inch deep like a jelly roll pan, but come in different dimensions. A quarter baking sheet is usually 9 x 13 inches, a half baking sheet is 18 x 13 inches, and a full baking sheet is 26 x 18 inches.
The Bundt® baking pan was introduced in 1950 by Nordic Ware, and these baking pans have become very popular bakeware in the home kitchen. Available in various sizes and shapes, Bundt pans can be used for cakes, muffins, cupcakes, shortcake baskets, gelled desserts or salads, and even meatloaf.
Exceptionally non-stick, so it's easy to remove your delicate sponge ready for rolling, it can also be used as a baking tray. Our premium quality tin is made from 1mm thick carbon steel.
This trick helps create better-looking rolls. We have three reasons for baking rolls such as our Oatmeal Dinner Rolls or our Fluffy Dinner Rolls in the confined space of a cake pan versus individually on a baking sheet.
A sheet pan, also referred to as baking tray, baking sheet, or baking pan, is a flat, rectangular metal pan placed in an oven and used for baking pastries such as bread rolls, cookies, sheet cakes, Swiss rolls, and pizzas. A baker places a hot sheet pan full of bread rolls onto a cooling rack.
10×15 inch jelly roll pan holds 10 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch round pan, 9-inch square pan, 11×7 pan, 9×2.5 inch springform pan, 10-inch Bundt pan. 12×17 inch jelly roll pan holds 12 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch square pan, 10-inch Bundt pan, 10×2.5 inch springform pan, and a 9-inch tube pan.
Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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