Description
This festive Candy Cane Roll is a vibrant peppermint-flavored sponge cake decorated with red and white stripes, filled with a creamy peppermint cream cheese frosting, and finished with crushed candy canes. It's perfect for holiday celebrations and makes an impressive dessert that's both visually stunning and deliciously minty.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- Cooking spray
- 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 9 large egg whites
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 drops red gel food coloring (or more as needed)
Frosting
- 2 1/2 cups (283 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 small drop red gel food coloring
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Pan: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Grease an 18" x 13" baking sheet with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Beat Egg Whites: Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until they start to thicken. Gradually add granulated sugar while increasing speed to high, then beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold in peppermint extract.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture using a rubber spatula to keep the batter light and airy.
- Color Batter: Transfer slightly more than half of the batter (about 350 g) to a separate bowl and add red gel food coloring. Gently fold to combine, adding more coloring until the desired shade is reached. The remaining batter (about 250 g) stays white.
- Pipe Stripes: Divide the red and white batters between two piping bags fitted with round tips. On the prepared baking sheet, pipe diagonal white lines spaced 1 inch apart, then fill the spaces between with red batter, piping carefully to create a striped pattern. Hold the bag close to the tip and turn it up at the end of each line to prevent drips.
- Bake Cake: Bake the cake for 15 minutes until it pulls slightly from the pan edges and springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Let the cake cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
- Roll Cake: Lightly dust a clean kitchen towel with flour using a sieve. Carefully invert the warm cake onto the towel, peel off the parchment, then roll the cake up tightly starting from a short end. Allow it to cool completely, about 1 hour, rolled up to set its shape.
- Prepare Frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add peppermint extract and salt, then beat to combine. Add a small drop of red gel food coloring and beat until the frosting turns light pink. Fold in crushed candy canes.
- Assemble Cake: Carefully unroll the cooled cake and remove the towel. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake surface. Roll the cake back up tightly into a spiral. Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour from the outside.
- Make Ahead: The filled cake can be made one day ahead. Wrap tightly and keep refrigerated until serving.
Notes
- To prevent cracking while rolling, roll the cake while it's still warm and use a kitchen towel dusted with flour to help shape it.
- Use gel food coloring to achieve vibrant colors without altering the batter consistency.
- If you prefer a stronger peppermint flavor, you can add more peppermint extract gradually to both batter and frosting.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking flour blend at a 1:1 ratio.
- Crushed candy canes add a nice crunch and festive look, but can be omitted or replaced with peppermint candy pieces if preferred.
- Make sure to use room temperature butter and cream cheese for smooth frosting consistency.
- Store leftovers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/10 of cake)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
