Description
This Candy Cane Roll is a festive and delightful dessert featuring a light peppermint-flavored sponge cake striped in red and white, rolled with a creamy peppermint cream cheese frosting mixed with crushed candy canes. Perfect for holiday celebrations, it combines a tender texture with refreshing minty sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- Cooking spray for greasing
- 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, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- 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 flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 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 starting to thicken. Gradually add granulated sugar while increasing speed to high. Continue beating until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint extract.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture until just combined, taking care not to deflate the batter.
- Divide and Color Batter: Transfer a little more than half the batter (about 350 g) into a medium bowl. Add red gel food coloring to this portion and gently fold until the desired red shade is reached.
- Pipe Stripes: Fit two piping bags with round tips and fill one with the white batter and the other with the red batter. Starting in a corner of the prepared pan, diagonally pipe white lines spaced 1 inch apart, then pipe red batter stripes in the spaces between. Hold the piping bag just above the tip and tilt upwards at the end of each line to prevent dripping.
- Bake: Bake the cake for 15 minutes or until it starts to pull away from the pan edges and springs back when pressed lightly in the center. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- Roll Cake: Lightly dust a clean kitchen towel with flour using a sieve. Invert the warm cake onto the towel, peel off the parchment, and starting at a short end, carefully and tightly roll the cake into a spiral using the towel. Let it cool completely for about 1 hour.
- Prepare Frosting: While the cake cools, beat the confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and cream cheese in a large bowl with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth. Add peppermint extract and salt and mix until combined. Incorporate red food coloring for a light pink hue, then fold in crushed candy canes just until combined.
- Assemble Roll: Unroll the cooled cake and remove the towel. Place the cake on a cutting board or platter, spread the frosting evenly over the surface, then gently roll the cake back into a spiral.
- Finish and Store: Dust off any excess flour from the roll using a pastry brush. The cake can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated until serving.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are free of any yolk and the mixing bowl is clean and dry to achieve stiff peaks.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid altering the batter consistency.
- Piping the striped batter carefully helps create the classic candy cane look without colors mixing.
- Rolling the cake while still warm helps prevent cracking and ensures a tight spiral.
- Use a kitchen towel dusted with flour to avoid sticking when rolling the cake.
- Crushed candy canes add texture and festive flavor but can be omitted for a smoother frosting.
- Keep the cake refrigerated if made ahead to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
