A simple vanilla roll cake with red and green dots and spirals of creamy buttercream is the perfect dessert for Christmas parties.
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.
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.
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.
Sift the flour and the cornstarch over the egg yolks mixture and with a spatula gently fold it in.
Fold in the batter bits as well.
In a separate grease-free bowl, add the 2 egg whites and 1 tablespoon of sugar. With a whisk, whip until firm peaks form.
With the spatula, fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolks mixture.
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.
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
Vanilla buttercream
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.
Lower the speed and slowly add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
When all the sugar is incorporated increase the speed and whip for 2 more minutes.
Add few drops of heavy cream until it reaches the consistency you desire.
With a spatula fold in the sprinkles.
Gently unroll the cake and spread the buttercream evenly all over it.
Roll it again and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.
To decorate, melt the white chocolate in double boiler or microwave and pour it over the cake. Add Add more sprinkles (optional)
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.
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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.
Christmas cakes are also commonly made with pudding while a fruit cake uses butter, however there are Christmas cake recipes that do contain butter. The traditional Scottish Christmas cake, also known as the Whisky Dundee, is very popular. It is a light crumbly cake with currants, raisins, cherries and Scotch whisky.
If you are making the cake more than 3 months in advance then you will need to "feed" it occasionally to help it to stay moist. Feeding involves brushing the surface of the cake with a couple of tablespoons of alcohol (brandy, whisky or bourbon are the most popular choices).
Decorate as you wish with silver or gold sugar balls, Christmas ornaments, or other festive decorations. Let the cake dry, uncovered until the icing sets hard, at least overnight or up to three days before serving. If not serving immediately, store in an airtight container.
A moist cake has less chance of cracking. Overbaking could also be the culprit. The thin layer of cake batter in the typical 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan takes only about 10 to 15 minutes to bake. Check your cake after 8 or 9 minutes and watch closely until it tests done.
Why did Jelly Roll go to prison? Davidson County Criminal Court records show he was arrested and served time after being convicted of felony robbery and drug charges in two separate cases. His first arrest as an adult came when he was 18, on an aggravated robbery charge in Nashville in March 2002.
Originally it was a cylindrical cake containing jelly but I don't think it was that that the bluesmen were so keen on! By analogy it refers to the female genitalia and by extension to a woman.
Prepare the surface of the cake and use jam or buttercream as an adhesive so that your icing will sit evenly on it. Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with icing sugar so that the ready to roll icing doesn't stick. Don't dust icing sugar onto the top of the icing!
Here in the UK Sugar Paste is often called Fontant Icing, Sugarpaste, or Rolled Icing and these are all exactly the same. Sugar Paste is a sweet tasting, soft, malleable icing which is easy to roll out – it has a lovely consistency, which is rather like Play-Doh.
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.
You can use rum, brandy or whisky for spice, or if you like citrus flavours, try an orange liqueur. Cherry brandy and amaretto will also work well if you prefer these.
You can soak the fruit for days (or weeks) by adding alcohol and mixing as you go, allowing the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid. We do this by adding alcohol (or fruit juice or even a mix) bit by bit until the fruit is plump, or you can just soak overnight and add the rest of the alcohol after the cake is baked.
Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.
Our answer. Opinions on the "maturing" of Christmas cakes does vary and is partly an issue of personal taste, but for the rich fruit type of Christmas cakes we would suggest making them up to 3 months ahead of Christmas.
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