Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (2024)

by Roxana 176 Comments

A simple vanilla roll cake with red and green dots and spirals of creamy buttercream is the perfect dessert for Christmas parties.

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (1)

This spiral cake has always caught my attention. Although it carries different names depending from country to country, I find roll cakes prettier than a layer cake. Plus, not to mention they are so much easier to make. My love for roll cake grew with every roulade (that’s how we call it in Romania) my mom made, mostly around the holidays.

Last year I made a gingerbread roll cake and few weeks ago I made a pumpkin roll cake. I wanted to make a new one for this Christmasbut I wasn’t sure what flavor to pick until I found the red & green batter bits. I knew right then I wanted a simple vanilla cake filled with creamy buttercream with lots and lots of Christmas sprinkles.

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (2)

If you’ve never made a roll cake, it’s time to change that. You should not be afraid, just follow few simple steps and in no time you’ll have the most beautiful swirl cake.The secret to roll cakes is beating the egg yolks until light yellow and thickened. That should take around 3 minutes on high-speed or around 5 on medium speed.

Tips for perfect roll cakes every single time!

The secret to the creamy buttercream is to whip the butter first before adding the powder sugar to it and whip on medium speed for 2 minutes once all the sugar is incorporated. Doing so, you’ll have a light buttercream way better than the store-bought ones.

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (3)

You may also like

Chocolate peppermint bark roll cake

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (4)

Gingerbread roll cake

Pecan Pumpkin Roll Cake

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (7)

Craving more? Sign up for a trEATs affairemail newsletter and get all the recipessent right to your inbox!

Be sure to follow me on social media, so you never miss an update!

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Bloglovin’

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe

Roxana

Yields one roll cake

A simple vanilla roll cake with red and green dots and spirals of creamy buttercream is the perfect dessert for Christmas parties.

15 minPrep Time

7 minCook Time

3 hrTotal Time

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (8)Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

    Vanilla Roll Cake

  • 2 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup (30 grams) sifted cake flour
  • 3 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup red & green Wilton batter bits or edible confetti
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp red & green sprinkles
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-3 teaspoons heavy cream
  • Decorations

  • 4 oz white chocolate
  • red & green sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 450F.
  2. Line a 17X12 jelly/sheet pan with parchment paper . Set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl add the 2 eggs, 3 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar. With the paddle attachment on, beat on medium to high speed around 5 minutes until pale in color and thickened. Add the vanilla extract and beat few more seconds.
  4. Sift the flour and the cornstarch over the egg yolks mixture and with a spatula gently fold it in.
  5. Fold in the batter bits as well.
  6. In a separate grease-free bowl, add the 2 egg whites and 1 tablespoon of sugar. With a whisk, whip until firm peaks form.
  7. With the spatula, fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolks mixture.
  8. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, spread it evenly and bake for 6-7 minutes until golden brown and, when touched, it springs back.
  9. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven sprinkle with powder sugar and then invert the cake onto a clean dish towel. Remove the parchment paper, sprinkle with more powder sugar, and roll up the cake with the towel. Place on a wire rack to cool
  10. Vanilla buttercream

  11. In a clean bowl add the butter. With the whisk attached on to the the mixer whip the butter for 2-3 minutes on medium to high speed.
  12. Lower the speed and slowly add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
  13. When all the sugar is incorporated increase the speed and whip for 2 more minutes.
  14. Add few drops of heavy cream until it reaches the consistency you desire.
  15. With a spatula fold in the sprinkles.
  16. Gently unroll the cake and spread the buttercream evenly all over it.
  17. Roll it again and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.
  18. To decorate, melt the white chocolate in double boiler or microwave and pour it over the cake. Add Add more sprinkles (optional)
  19. Let the chocolate settle for few minutes and slice the cake.

Notes

If you can't find the batter bits, you can use Christmas edible confetti instead. They will not bleed while baking the cake.

7.6.8

492

http://atreatsaffair.com/christmas-vanilla-roll-cake-recipe/

Roxana Yawgel http://atreatsaffair.com/ All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

Sending love your way,

Roxana

Christmas vanilla roll cake recipe (2024)

FAQs

What icing is best for Christmas cake? ›

Fruited Christmas Cakes are traditionally covered with marzipan followed by a layer of white icing. You may wish to Feed and Store your Christmas Cake before adding the icing layers. Traditionally the white layer would be royal icing although you could use vegan royal icing or shop bought fondant icing.

How do you ice a Christmas cake with ready roll? ›

To cover in ready-to-roll icing start by dusting the work surface and rolling pin again with icing sugar. Take some ready-to-roll icing, which has been kneaded to make it more pliable and dust that with icing sugar too. Repeat the same rolling process used for the marzipan until the icing is about 1/2cm thick.

What is the trick to making a Swiss roll? ›

Points to remember

Score a line along the bottom of the sponge, approximately 2.5cm away from the edge. Don't cut all the way through. Using the line scored, roll the sponge up tightly and leave to cool completely. When the sponge is cool, unroll it gently.

What frosting do professionals use for cakes? ›

Swiss meringue buttercream is a favorite among many cake decorators because of its smooth finish on the outside cakes and its ability to hold piping detail.

What kind of frosting do most bakeries use? ›

Most commercial bakeries are using a buttercream made with shortening rather than butter, because it is more stable, especially if it gets warm.

How long do you leave a Christmas cake before icing? ›

The videos below give great tips on how to trim it neatly and create the perfect base for icing your Christmas cake. Leave the Christmas cake covered in marzipan in a cool, dry place. Allow it to dry for at least 24 hours before covering with fondant icing, and at least two days before covering with royal icing.

How long does Ready Roll icing take to dry? ›

Letting fondant air dry naturally can take up to 36 hours, depending on how thick it is.

How far in advance should you ice a Christmas cake? ›

There's no hard and fast rule about when to ice your cake, but it's best to do it between 24 hours and a week ahead of the big day.

Which cake is eaten in Christmas? ›

Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. A traditional English Christmas cake is made with moist Zante currants, sultanas (golden raisins) and raisins which have been soaked in brandy, rum, whisky or sherry.

What type of cake is traditionally eaten at Christmas time? ›

Even though this cake is sometimes referred to as a Christmas “pudding”, Christmas cake is a type of cake. More specifically, it is a type of fruitcake covered with thick layers of icing with candied or dried fruits, nuts, and spices, and usually contains warming spirits like brandy, wine, rum, or cognac.

What is Christmas cake called? ›

A Christmas cake is a heavy cake containing much dried fruit and usually having a covering of icing. It is made to be eaten at Christmas. It can also be called a fruitcake.

Why did my cake, roll fall apart? ›

The cake was over-baked: If over-baked the cake will be a lot drier and more prone to cracks. A crack in your roll can cause the swiss roll to fall apart.

Why does my Swiss roll taste rubbery? ›

This happens when you are not gentle enough when folding the dry ingredients into the wet. A genoise sponge requires very gentle and slow folding. You need to preserve as much air in the batter as possible, otherwise it can become rubbery.

What is the American name for Swiss roll? ›

A jelly roll is indeed a US name for what we'd call a swiss roll.

Can you put icing directly on a Christmas cake? ›

Quick Christmas Cake decorations

It is a soft icing that dries so it is often better to just put it on the top of your cake. I used a long length of liquorice around mine but the decorating is up to you. You can leave the sides free of icing.

How long does royal icing last on a Christmas cake? ›

If the cake is wrapped up appropriately and kept in a cool environment it is possible the icing and marzipan would be good for a couple of months but the cake of course for much longer.

Do you use royal icing or fondant on a Christmas cake? ›

Royal icing is more likely than fondant to absorb colour from the cake, so if you don't want marzipan go for a thicker layer of icing to ensure any discolouration doesn't show through – and don't ice too far ahead. You can use a layer of fondant icing instead of marzipan if you wish.

What can you use instead of marzipan for Christmas cake? ›

Double icing will produce a smooth finish and still achieve sharp edges. Allow the first layer to dry for a couple of days just as you would with marzipan before the final coating. Dowel the cakes immediately after the final coating and leave to crust over before before stacking.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Dong Thiel

Last Updated:

Views: 5873

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dong Thiel

Birthday: 2001-07-14

Address: 2865 Kasha Unions, West Corrinne, AK 05708-1071

Phone: +3512198379449

Job: Design Planner

Hobby: Graffiti, Foreign language learning, Gambling, Metalworking, Rowing, Sculling, Sewing

Introduction: My name is Dong Thiel, I am a brainy, happy, tasty, lively, splendid, talented, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.