Description
This festive Candy Cane Roll is a delightful peppermint-flavored sponge cake with vivid red and white stripes, filled with a creamy peppermint cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with crushed candy canes. Perfect for holiday celebrations, this visually striking dessert combines light, fluffy cake with cool, sweet frosting for a classic seasonal treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- Cooking spray
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (90 g), 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 granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 tsp. peppermint extract
- 2 drops red gel food coloring (or more as needed)
Frosting
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (283 g)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), 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
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Arrange 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 the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt until well combined.
- Beat Egg Whites: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until they begin to thicken. Slowly add granulated sugar while increasing speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry flour mixture into the beaten egg whites until just combined.
- Divide and Color Batter: Transfer a little more than half of the batter (about 350 g) into a medium bowl for the red portion, leaving about 250 g for the white. Add red gel food coloring to the medium bowl and fold gently, adding more coloring until the desired red shade is reached.
- Pipe Batter in Stripes: Divide each batter between piping bags fitted with round tips. Starting from a corner of the baking sheet, pipe diagonal white lines spaced 1" apart. Then pipe the red batter in between each white line to create stripes, holding the piping bag just above the tip to control batter flow and prevent drips.
- Bake Cake: Bake the cake for 15 minutes or until it starts to pull from the sides and is springy to the touch without leaving an indent when pressed gently in the center. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Roll Cake Warm: Lightly dust a clean kitchen towel with flour. Turn the warm cake onto the towel and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Starting at a short end, roll the cake tightly into a spiral using the towel. Let it cool completely for about 1 hour.
- Prepare Frosting: Meanwhile, in the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add peppermint extract and kosher salt, and continue beating until combined. Add a small drop of red gel food coloring and beat until the frosting is light pink. Stir in crushed candy canes until just combined.
- Frost and Roll Cake: Unroll the cooled cake, remove the towel, and place it on a cutting board or serving platter. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake surface, then carefully roll the cake back into a spiral. Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour.
- Make Ahead: The filled cake can be made up to 1 day in advance. Store it refrigerated until serving.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant color without thinning the batter.
- Be gentle when folding batter to maintain the airiness of the egg whites.
- Dusting the towel with flour prevents sticking when rolling the cake.
- Let the cake cool completely before applying frosting to avoid melting.
- Store the finished roll covered in the refrigerator for best freshness.
- For a stronger peppermint flavor, adjust the peppermint extract to taste carefully.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, a zip-top bag with a corner cut off can work as a substitute.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 100 g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
