Red Velvet Cake Roll, features a buttercream frosting infused with white chocolate and peppermint, garnished with a crown of candy cane bits making this a festive holiday dessert that is fit for a king, a queen, or just about anyone lucky enough to make Santa’s nice list.
Festive and light, this red velvet cake roll is a holiday showstopper.
Red Velvet Cake Roll with Chocolate & Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
We put this holiday dessert together last evening, when challenged by our good friends over at The Daily Meal to come up with a recipe that uses Candy Canes. It wasn’t long before we found a beauty, in this recipe that we are sharing with you today.
White Chocolate, peppermint, and bits of candy canes are all a part of this silky buttermilk frosting.
This is not my first “go-around”, making a cake roll. I’ve been putting these babies together for longer than many of you who are reading this have been around.
For me, it all started with the classic Bûche de Noel (Yule Log) recipe that I started making many years ago when I was a young teenager.
Back then, I would spend an occasional Saturday with my sister (Chef Kat), giving her a hand at the restaurant where she worked her magic.
Bûche de Noel (Yule Log) is a classic cake roll, steeped deep in French holiday tradition.
In case you have never made a cake roll, this is the perfect time to start. Although the process may seem daunting to beginners, we’ve all been there before and you have nothing to fear. Instead, roll your sleeves up, get ready to get a little messy and have a lot of fun!
A few tips to keep in mind when making a cake roll
- Read the complete recipe beforehand and have everything ready to go
- Be sure your baking sheet is greased and lined with parchment paper when your batter is ready to pour.
- When rolling the cake, time is of the essence.
- Have a clean kitchen towel ready and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- This towel is used to roll the hot cake as it comes out of the oven. If not rolled immediately, the cake will be less pliable and therefore prone to cracking.
- Do not over-bake the cake. This is especially critical, to enhance the rolling process.
- Most important, do not be discouraged. After doing this process for a couple of times, you will get a good feel of how it’s suppose to go!
This Red Velvet Cake Roll pairs well with coffee, hot chocolate, and red wine.
Trying new things, like a cake roll (if you’ve not made one before), is a part of cooking and baking that makes it fun to me.
I’ve made a few cake recipes for Platter Talk in the past and as we have shown you before, with every good cake there is a great frosting.
The white chocolate and peppermint buttercream frosting that goes over this red velvet cake roll is a delicious example of what I’m talking about.
Easy to make and composed primarily of egg whites and butter, the white chocolate and peppermint therefore make a perfect compliment to the candy cane topping on this dessert.
The light crunch of the candy canes adds a nice texture to the otherwise smooth icing, effectively wrapping this up into holiday treat you won’t ever forget.
Red Velvet Cake Roll with Chocolate & Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake roll:
- 1 cup flour all-purpose or cake flour
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter cooled but liquid
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Red food coloring to visual preference
For the White Chocolate & Peppermint Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup egg whites about 4 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3 1/2 ounces white melted white
- 3/4 teaspoon peppermint flavored extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Necessary add-ons
- Powdered sugar for dusting the cake when rolling
- Crushed candy canes for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 35o°F. Treat a 9 x 13 inch jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment paper and then set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients and then set aside. Using a stand mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on medium-high until the mixture is tripled in volume and the ingredients becomes pale in color, about 5 to 8 minutes. Lower the mixer speed to medium-low and add the vanilla and. Mix in vinegar, buttermilk and red food coloring.
- After stopping the mixer add half of the dry ingredients over the liquid ingredients in the bowl. Stir on low speed until just combined. Stop the mixer again and then add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll-pan. Use the back of a spoon to evenly distribute the batter and then place in oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the surface springs back when touched.
- White the cake is in the oven, prepare a clean kitchen towel by applying a heavy dusting of powdered sugar and then place towel on flat working surface. Once cake is finished baking, remove from pan and invert directly on powdered-sugar surface of towel. Remove the parchment from the cake and discard. Apply a dusting of powdered sugar to the top surface of cake.
- Beginning with short end of cake, roll it up, in the towel and allow to cool.
- Now, it's time to prepare the buttercream frosting, while the cake is cooling. Using a stand mixer, combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl and whisk together. Fill a saucepan with water and heat over medium-high. Set the mixing bowl on top of sauce pan and make a double-boiler. Heat the egg mixture until hot to the touch or 150°F with a candy thermometer, being sure to stir the mixture intermittently.
- Next, whisk the hot egg whites in the stand mixer, for about 5 minutes or so, until the outside of the bowl has reached room temperature. Then, replace whisk with paddle attachment.
- Turn the mixer on low and then add in the remaining ingredients. Continue to mix, on medium-high speed, until frosting reaches silky and smooth texture, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- To assemble the finished cake roll, gently unroll the cake and remove towel. Spread about 1/2 inch layer of the buttercream frosting over the surface of the cake. Next, gently re-roll the cake. Place the cake with seam-side down on a cake plate or serving platter. Frost with the remaining buttercream and garnish with crushed candy canes.
Nutrition
thank you, for such a beautiful rich red velvet cake.
and all your snaps are so perfect that make your dishes irresistible and yummy to eat.
Thanks for the wonderful comments!
I love log cake – and I love red velvet.. This looks so perfect – thanks for the amazing tips.
Thank you for the tips for how to make a cake roll a success! I’ve always been a little intimidated to make one. I think I might have to try this one for Valentine’s Day!
This is stunning! so festive with the red and white and candy canes. Great recipe!
Thanks so much, Jayne!
I am ditching the pies this year! I think this is going to be my main dessert! Looks so yummy!
Oh my goodness, this looks so good! I love red velvet anything and roll cake is my favorite! So effortlessly beautiful, right? I absolutely love your peppermint twist!
That buttercream frosting!!! Oh my goodness it looks amazing! I’ve never made a roll cake like this before. You make it look super easy. This is beautiful!