Mexican Jelly Roll Recipe [Niño Envuelto] (2024)

This Mexican Jelly Roll or Niño Envuelto recipe is the easiest ever. A popular Mexican pan dulce, it’s more like cake and goes great with ice cream as you might expect. I love coconut, so if you do, too, this is the one to try. Recipe and video below.

In the United States of America, you might call this a Swiss Roll or something like that, but in the United States of Mexico, the full name of this moist, sweet bread is Niño Envuelto, which roughly translates to wrapped child or wrapped baby or maybe even swaddled baby.

This is how it might look in Mexican panaderías, or bakeries, and you can often buy it by the slice.

Niño Envuelto Variations

In Mexico, you will find many variations, some filled with cream and fruit, some with jelly. But for me, the authentic Mexican Niño Envuelto I grew up with always featured a soft sponge, filled with strawberry marmalade, and decorated with even more marmalade and dry coconut on the outside.

In the USA and Europe it is also known as a Swiss roll, roll cake or roulade. During the holidays you might find it as a Christmas yule log (Buche de Noel) and it can be filled with all kinds of creams, jellies, chocolate, or fruit.

In Latin America, you might find variations, both savory and sweet. The name will change depending on the region; Pionono in Argentina, Brazo Gitano (gypsy arm) in Ecuador, Brazo de Reina (queen's arm) in both Chile and Colombia, or Arrollado in Costa Rica, as examples.

Typical fillings around Latin America include chocolate, dulce de leche, cream and fruit. Isn't that fun?

Tips for a Perfect Swiss Roll or Mexican Jelly Roll

Making Niño Envuelto is easy, but perfecting the roll may take one or two tries. Here are some tips for increasing your chances on the first try:

• Start with all ingredients at room temperature, especially the eggs.
• The sponge must be soft, you will achieve this by whipping the eggs and sugar until airy and light.
• Don't over bake it. The sponge will be ready literally in minutes, mine took 8 minutes, but I started checking at the 7-minute mark. Do the same.
• Roll it while it is hot. Just wait a couple of minutes to cool a little so you don't burn yourself. When the sponge is warm it is flexible and will keep its rolled shape.

Now let's make it.

Mexican Jelly Roll Recipe

Makes an 8 inch roll (20 cm) – 8 slices

Prep time 5 minutes – Start to finish 40 minutes

Ingredients

• A little bit of softened butter, or canola oil (to grease baking sheet)
• 3 medium eggs (approx 130 gr / 4.6 oz), room temperature
• 1/3 heaping cup sugar (75 gr) + 1/2 teaspoon
• 2/3 cups flour (75 gr), shifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup strawberry marmalade
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Equipment

• Baking sheet or Swiss Roll tin 9×23 inches (23×33 cm)
• Parchment paper
• Mixer
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen scale (if you prefer the measurements in the metric system)
• Kitchen towel (in case you don't have parchment paper)

Pre-heat oven at 400 °F (200 °C)

Grease baking sheet with the butter and line it with parchment paper, pushing it against the whole surface and walls of the sheet. Cut an extra sheet of parchment for rolling the cake later.

Tip: No parchment paper? No worries, just grease the baking sheet really well, and use a kitchen towel for rolling the cake.

Mix eggs and sugar together at high speed until fluffy and airy. You will see the mix turning a light shade of beige and the mixer beaters leaving marks on it. This will take approximately 4-5 minutes.

Add vanilla and mix for a few seconds more. Remove the mixer.

Mix sifted flour and baking powder together and add to the egg-sugar mixture.

With a spatula, gently fold the flour into the liquid ingredients, be careful, we want to keep the airy consistency in the sponge.

Pour mixture over prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly with the spatula, making sure the batter cover all four corners.

Bake for 8 minutes, but please don't over-bake, start checking at 7 minutes introducing a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it is ready.

Tip: The sponge should be flexible and moist, if you over-bake it, it will be dry and may break when you roll it. You know your oven, you will know when to check it.

Take the sponge out of the oven and let it cool down for a couple of minutes. It is important to roll the sponge while it is warm, if not it will break. So you want to roll it as soon as you are able to without burning yourself.

Cover the top of the sponge with a little bit of sugar, place the other parchment sheet (or kitchen towel) on top. Carefully and quickly turn the baking sheet over to remove the sponge.

Peel the parchment paper from the now top of the sponge. Take one end of the bottom parchment paper and start rolling it up, leaving the paper in the middle, don't worry.

Let it cool down for another 3 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the strawberry marmalade to get a spreadable consistency. If it is too thick, you can add a little bit of water, but only 1/8 teaspoon at a time.

Unroll the sponge and spread a think layer using 1/2 of the strawberry marmalade on the surface.

Roll it again, this time peel the paper back as you roll. Make sure the sponge seam is at the bottom.

Cover with the rest of the strawberry marmalade and the coconut.

This soft looking bit of yum is called a niño, for short. It's more like cake and goes great with ice cream as you might expect. I love coconut, so if you do, too, this is the one to try.

In the States, we might called this a jelly roll or something like that, but in Mexico the full name of this moist, sweet bread topped with coconut is Niño Envuelto.

Do you love sweet treats like this, too? Be sure to see other breads featured in this on-going series at estropajos, cacahuates, bolillos, orejas, libros, conchas, soles, chinos, pay de queso, roscas chinas, puerquitos, huacales, and ojos.

Have a delicious Friday,

Enjoy,