Make a Perfect Sponge Roll

I do think this is the most enchanting cake--it's all about technique, not luscious ingredients. Versatile, too. Fill it with anything you like, and serve it with a scoop of sorbet or a dollop of cream.

First, prep your pan by lining a shallow 12 x 18 baking pan with waxed paper, and preheat the oven to 375.

Now, sift:
1 cup cake flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
together *three times*. You are not in a hurry when you are in the vintage kitchen.

Beat together:
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
until thick and yellow.

Whisk until stiff:
4 egg whites

Now fold the yolk mixture into the whites, then add the dry ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

But wait! Your work isn't finished! As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it out onto a tea towel liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully pull the wax paper off the cake, and quickly trim off the very edges where the cake is crisp. Now quickly lay a fresh sheet of waxed paper on the cake layer, and roll it up tightly working on a long side, still in the towel. Lift it onto a cooling rack and leave until it's thoroughly cool. When ready to fill, unroll and discard wax paper, and ditch the towel. Spread filling, re-roll, and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

from The Modern Family Cookbook. Meta Given, 1942