The Boozy Secret To Julia Child's Jelly Roll Cake Is Simple, Yet Delicious

There's something timeless, festive, and downright merry about a classic jelly roll cake. They are generally simple in flavor and ingredients, but our favorite Francophile chef, Julia Child, brings her jelly roll to the next level with the infusion of booze — either orange liqueur or kirsch, a brandy made from cherries — for a punchy surprise and a flavor boost.

Jelly roll cakes, with their signature swirls and just-so layers of jam, are impressive-looking and difficult to get just right, even for a seasoned baker with the best jelly roll pan. Just ask many of the contestants on "The Great British Bake Off," although they call it a Swiss Roll over in the U.K. In a segment of her show, Child suggests letting your soft, thin sponge cool for at least 10 minutes before attempting to turn it over and add your fillings. Then, that's when the fun begins.

Once it's ready to go, she takes a bottle of liqueur, partly covers the top with her thumb, then sprinkles about a tablespoon of liquid right on top of the plain cake, though she doesn't actually measure. The liqueur doesn't completely soak the cake so it falls to bits, but it adds some moisture and delicious boozy flavor.

"A plain jelly roll is kiddie food," Child exclaims in the segment. "And if you put a little liqueur, like orange liqueur or kirsch on it, it becomes human food, finally." Once you've sprinkled some of the good stuff on your cake, you go in with your jam, spreading a thin, even layer all over the cake. In the version of the cake on her show, Child uses kirsch and raspberry jam, but the liqueur and jelly options are really up to you and your taste; Child also says apricot jam in particular works nicely. Or take the filling in a different direction with cream cheese and lemon juice in our strawberry lemonade Swiss Roll recipe.

Lastly, Child sprinkles shaved almonds over the jam, giving the cake a crunchy texture and a nutty richness, before rolling it lengthwise, revealing a layer of powdered sugar on the outside. From there, she decorates the top with an arrangement of halved kumquats. But you could go for some simple fresh fruit, or harness your inner pastry chef and go wild with elaborate cake decorating techniques.

That's the beauty of the jelly roll cake. It's endlessly customizable; the flavors and decoration are up to you. One commenter on the video of the "French Chef" segment suggested using rum instead. Another used shredded coconut in place of shaved almonds. Someone couldn't imagine a rolled cake without whipped cream. When it comes to jelly rolls, just roll with it. But definitely add some booze to take things to the next level, Julia Child style.