Lemon Angel Roll

This lemon angel roll looks like it came from a bakery, but it starts with a box of angel food cake mix and comes together with almost no effort. The filling is tangy and creamy, made by combining sweetened condensed milk with lemon juice, which thickens on its own without cooking. Fold in whipped topping and you’ve got a mousse-like filling that’s light enough to match the airy cake.

Rolling the cake while it’s still warm is the step that makes or breaks this dessert. The towel dusted with powdered sugar keeps it from sticking, and rolling it hot sets the shape so it won’t crack when you fill and re-roll it later.

Trim the edges before filling. Those crusty edges resist rolling and can split the cake.

Pro Tips

• Roll the cake immediately after flipping it out of the pan. Even a few minutes of cooling makes it stiff and crack-prone.
• Let the rolled cake cool completely before unrolling and filling. Warm cake melts the whipped topping and makes the filling runny.
• Use fresh lemon zest if you can, even though the recipe calls for bottled juice. The zest is where the bright lemon aroma lives.
• Chill the finished roll for at least an hour before slicing so the filling sets firmly.

Variations

• Swap the lemon for lime juice and zest for a key lime twist.
• Fold fresh raspberries or blueberries into the filling for color and a fruity burst.
• Skip the food coloring entirely for a cleaner look; the lemon flavor speaks for itself.