Jelly roll pan

A jelly roll pan is a shallow, rimmed rectangular baking pan, named for the thin sponge cake that is spread in it, filled with jam and rolled up. Penn State Extension notes that a baking sheet is sometimes called a jelly roll pan, and that sheet pans have a rolled rim that holds in juices and batter.

Home recipes use several sizes of this pan. University extension handouts call for 10 by 15 inch, 11 by 16 inch and 15 by 10 inch jelly roll pans for bars, thin sheet cakes and a pumpkin bar recipe, so it helps to check the size a recipe names. Aluminum is the usual material and lining with parchment or nonstick spray keeps the cake from sticking.

Because the batter spreads thin, a cake baked in this pan sets quickly and stays flexible, which is what lets it be rolled around a filling without cracking.