Description
Stunning Red Velvet Cake Roll featuring tender, vibrant red cake rolled with luscious cream cheese filling. This show-stopping dessert is surprisingly easy to make and perfect for any celebration!
Ingredients
FOR THE RED VELVET CAKE:
¾ cup cake flour, sifted
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
2 tablespoons buttermilk, room temperature
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
FOR DUSTING & ROLLING:
¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting towel
Additional powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving 2-inch overhang on short sides. Spray parchment thoroughly with nonstick spray.
2. Lay a clean kitchen towel flat and dust generously with powdered sugar. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl using electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs and granulated sugar for 3-4 minutes until thick, pale, and tripled in volume. Mixture should fall in ribbons from beaters.
5. Beat in vanilla extract and red food coloring on medium speed until evenly distributed.
6. Add buttermilk and mix on low speed just until combined.
7. Sift the flour mixture over egg mixture in three additions, folding gently with rubber spatula after each addition. Use as few strokes as possible to avoid deflating batter.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula, reaching all corners for uniform thickness.
9. Gently tap pan on counter twice to release air bubbles.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Don’t overbake.
11. Immediately upon removing from oven, run a knife around edges to loosen cake.
12. Invert hot cake onto prepared powdered sugar-dusted towel.
13. Carefully peel off parchment paper from cake.
14. Starting from one short end, roll warm cake and towel together tightly into a spiral. Roll while cake is warm to prevent cracking.
15. Place seam-side down on wire rack and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
16. Make filling: Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
17. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
18. Once cake is completely cool, carefully unroll it from the towel.
19. Spread cream cheese filling evenly over cake, leaving ½-inch border on all edges.
20. Re-roll cake without the towel, creating a tight spiral. Don’t worry if it wants to curl slightly—this is normal.
21. Wrap rolled cake in plastic wrap, seam-side down, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
22. Before serving, dust generously with powdered sugar. Slice with sharp serrated knife, wiping clean between cuts.
Notes
Use cake flour, not all-purpose flour, for tender texture that rolls without cracking.
Roll the cake immediately while warm—waiting even 5 minutes can cause cracking.
All ingredients should be at room temperature for proper incorporation and even baking.
Don’t overbake—cake should spring back when touched but not brown on top.
The cake must cool completely in rolled position to “memorize” the shape before filling.
Fold batter gently to maintain air bubbles—overmixing creates tough, dense cake.
Store wrapped in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cake improves as flavors meld.
Bring to room temperature 20 minutes before serving for best texture.
Freeze unfilled cake roll up to 2 months. Don’t freeze after filling—cream cheese becomes grainy.
If small cracks appear, powdered sugar dusting will hide them beautifully.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 195mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: red velvet cake roll, cake roll recipe, red velvet swiss roll, cream cheese cake roll, holiday dessert