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Chocolate Cake Roll with a Cinnamon Caramel Filling

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Cake Roll1I love my pumpkin roll recipe. It’s one of my favorite parts of baking in the Fall. I’ve been highly unsuccessful, however, in finding a chocolate cake roll recipe that I love- either it tastes great but cracks like crazy, or it rolls well buts tastes like cardboard. One of my goals over the past 2 years of blog-absence was to create a chocolate cake roll recipe that works AND tastes great.

This is it! It rolls beautifully (I had only one small crack) and tastes like a rich, but not-too-sweet, fudge brownie. Perfect!

Of course you can fill this roll with a multitude of things, but I chose a creamy Dulce de Leche caramel filling with cinnamon.

Cake Roll3

Ready to try this? Here’s the recipe: (printable version)

Ingredients: 

Cake:

  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Filling:

  • 3 sticks (1.5 cups) of salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • One can (13.4 oz) Dulce de Leche (I used Nestle’s La Lechera)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Topping:

  • 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder (mix them together in a small dish)

Directions:

Cake:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a 17 x 12 inch jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper with about an inch of extra paper on the 17-inch sides (so you can lift the cake out of the pan easily once it bakes). Note: make sure your paper is nice and flat- the non-stick spray will help hold it down. Mine folded a little and you can see a few bumps on my roll where the batter baked over the fold.
  • Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl stirring gently until just combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat eggs and granulated sugar for about 1 minute until thick. Add in the oil and vanilla extract, and beat together until combined.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet, and mix gently until just combined. The batter will be like a runny brownie batter.
  • Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan, and bake for 12-16 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched.
  • Carefully lift the parchment paper and cake out onto a flat (and heat-safe) surface. Then slowly, using your hands (careful, it will be hot!), roll the cake  – rolling from one short (12-inch) end to the other— until it is completely rolled up.
  • Wrap tightly in a towel and place in refrigerator until completely cooled (an hour or so).

CakeRoll6Cake Roll5

  • While the cake is cooling, make the caramel and cinnamon filling (see below).
  • Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a flat surface, remove the towel, and unroll it carefully until it is flat again (it’s ok if the ends curl up a bit).

Filling: (make while cake cools)

  • Place butter in mixing bowl and beat on high until whipped and smooth.
  • Add Dulce de Leche and cinnamon to butter and beat on high for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Assembly: 

  • Spread the filling evenly over unrolled cake, leaving a small border on all sides (the filling will spread out as you roll it back up).  Then carefully re-roll the cake, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you roll until you can completely remove and discard it. Tightly wrap the chocolate roll in plastic wrap or Press-n-Seal and refrigerate at least one hour until completely set.

Cake Roll8Cake Roll7

  • Lightly dust with cocoa powder and cinnamon mixture (you could also add a chocolate glaze to the top if you have cracks or you want the dessert to be sweeter).
  • To serve, remove and unwrap the chocolate roll, transfer it to your serving dish and slice.
  • Keep leftovers tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Cake Roll2

My thoughts: Yum! I loved this cake roll- I almost feel like it should be called a brownie roll because it is so dense and rich. This is not a super sweet dessert- my husband said it would be better with a sweet chocolate glaze on top- but I loved the rich cocoa/cinnamon flavor. If you like a not-so-sweet but rich and cocoa-y dessert, this one’s for you! Enjoy!! ~r

Cake Roll4

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Rainbow Cake Roll

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Rainbow Cake Roll

Fun rainbow-colored cake swirled with rich buttercream- a perfect St. Patrick’s Day treat!

I had so much fun making this cake  this cake was torture.

I love cake rolls like crazy, but I could not find a recipe that tasted good AND didn’t crack terribly when rolled up.  I tried 4 recipes and finally settled on plain old cake mix again– it still cracked, but tasted soooo yummy and it was definitely the easiest.

I hesitated to post this, as it is essentially a recipe experiment *fail*, but then I thought it would be a good chance to ask all of YOU if you have a fail-safe vanilla cake roll recipe…?  I love the technique and the colors- I just need a good recipe.

For now, we will go with the cake mix version~

Things to keep in mind if you want to try this recipe:

1. Use my buttercream recipe.  When it is refrigerated it gets nice and hard, cementing your happy little cracked roll together and holding it together even at room temperature.

2. Set aside several hours and take your time.

3. Use color gels.  You will not get the vibrant colors with liquid color.

Honestly, people loved this cake.  Once it is cut you can barely tell it cracked.  I made this one for my friend Dawn’s birthday and it was such a fun and cheery cake.  She only likes white cake with vanilla frosting…this is a great way to spice up that combination with color!

Here we go:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 boxed white cake mix (with oil, water and eggs according to box)
  • Gel icing colors (I use Wilton Brand gels)
  • 2 sticks (8 oz) butter
  • 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 3. t. clear vanilla flavoring
  • Cool Whip Topping and sprinkles for garnish.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees
  • Make boxed cake mix, but add just a little less oil and water.  My Pillsbury mix called for 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of oil.  I used 3/4 c. water and 1/4 c. oil instead.  I used the same # of eggs (3)
  • Scoop about 3/4 c. of mix into 6 or 7 small bowls and color as desired.

Pretty cake batter!!!

  • Cover the bottom of a standard jellyroll pan (mine is about 12″ by 17″, and about 1″ deep) with waxed paper- allowing the paper to extend just a bit over each end.
  • Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Spoon each color of batter into a small ziptop bag and gently pipe colors into pan in stripes.  Just settle in and take your time here.  This is a labor of love.  Use paper towel to wipe up drips and remember that you are piping a THIN layer of cake– you don’t want to make it so thick you run out before you get to the end of the pan.  Patience is the key…believe me, I’ve done this 4 times now with different cake recipes and it just takes time.

Pour batter into small ziptopPipe in stripes!Piped cake rolls!

(It also involves a lot of dishes…pretty, colorful, messy dishes.)

Rainbow dishes!

  • Bake your cake at 350F degrees for 12-15 minutes– check often- you can’t roll a crunchy over-baked cake!
  • Remove from oven and place a clean towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar over the roll.  Tip the pan over onto the towel and peel away the wax paper.
  • Gently roll cake up in towel from one short end to the other.

Peel wax paper off of rainbow cakeRoll cake in towel, starting at short end.

  • Refrigerate for one hour.
  • While cake is cooling, make buttercream icing.
  • Put softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy.
  • When cake is cooled, gently unroll (here is where the cracking happens…be gentle and patient)
  • VERY carefully, spread buttercream over entire surface of the cake and re-roll.  I had cracks that went the entire length of the cake and still just gently rolled it together, letting the buttercream hold it together.

Buttercream on top!

  • Gently place on a plate and refrigerate until buttercream hardens.
  • Once cake roll has hardened it can be easily moved and cut.  Top it with whipped cream and sprinkles– that helps to hide some of the cracks 😉
Not perfect, but so much fun!

Not perfect, but so much fun!


My thoughts:  I feel a little guilty publishing this on a site called EASYbaked, but I couldn’t resist.  I would make it again- it just makes me smile.  I hope a few of you brave souls will attempt this and enjoy it as much as I did!  Please– if you have a good vanilla cake roll recipe I’d love to hear about it.  You can link to your recipe if it is on a blog, or post the recipe in the comments or in-box message me on the Easybaked Facebook page.  I’m excited to find a way to make this cake “perfect” 🙂

Happy Birthday Dawn!

Happy Birthday Dawn!

Other happy rainbow desserts you might like for St. Patricks Day:

Fruit Loop Pie!Skittles cake!Tie-Dye Cake with Blue Raspberry Frosting!Polka Dot Cake!!!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake Roll!

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Chocolate covered strawberry Cake roll!!This strawberry cake rolled with vanilla buttercream and dark chocolate ganache is not only a pretty Valentines Day treat, but such a yummy one!  Plus, it looks A LOT harder to make than it really is!

February 1st.  How can the first month of this year be gone already?  I had already written a post for for this week when I looked at the calendar and thought, oh my- it’s time for a Valentine’s dessert!  I had an unexpected day off of work this week and decided to experiment with turning an ordinary cake mix into a cake roll.  I absolutely loved the results!  Cake rolls will always be a little fussier than plain old cakes, but look at how cute it is…!  If you’ve never made a cake roll, I will try to explain it as we go.  I have a few pictures, but if you want a few more click here for my pumpkin roll recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

  • One boxed strawberry cake mix (I used Pillsbury this time)
  • Water, oil and eggs (we will adjust the amounts from the box just a bit!)
  • 1/2c. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 c. dark chocolate chips
  • 2 sticks (8 oz) butter
  • 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 T. clear vanilla flavoring.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees
  • Make boxed cake mix, but add just a little less oil and water.  The Pillsbury mix called for 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of oil.  I used 3/4 c. water and 1/4 c. oil instead.  I used the same # of eggs (3)
  • Cover the bottom of a standard jellyroll pan (mine is about 12″ by 17″, and about 1″ deep) with waxed paper- allowing the paper to extend just a bit over each end.
  • Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Pour cake batter into pan and gently spread it out to cover the entire bottom in a thin, but even layer of cake.
  • Bake at 350F degrees for 15-20 minutes- checking often to make sure it isn’t browning too much.
  • Remove pan from oven, sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with powdered sugar, lay it powder side down on the top of the cake and holding the towel in place, flip the pan over onto a flat surface.  You will have your powdered towel, the cake on top and wax paper on top of the cake.
  • Peel the wax paper off and gently roll the cake up in the towel, rolling from one short end to the other- keep the towel on the bottom and wrap it up with the cake.
  • Refrigerate for one hour.
  • While this is in the fridge, make your ganache and butter cream.
  • For the ganache: heat 1/2 c. of whipping cream in a medium saucepan until it starts to bubble around the edges.  Turn off the heat. Add the dark chocolate chips and cover for 5-10 minutes.  Stir until smooth and creamy.
  • For the buttercream: Place (softened) butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat on high until very fluffy and creamy.
  • After chilling for one hour, remove cake roll from fridge and gently unroll on a flat surface.
  • Gently and evenly spread ganache over entire surface of the cake roll.
  • Gently and evenly spread the buttercream over the ganache.  This part was a little tricky- I wanted to make sure I didn’t mix the two layers, so I scooped the buttercream in little bits all over the top and then spread it a little at a time.

Spread chocolate over the cake roll...Add buttercream over chocolate!!  YUM!

  • Gently roll the cake back up, leaving the towel behind.  Carefully lift it on to a large plate and refrigerate it until the buttercream and ganache harden up.

The 1st time I made this it rolled beautifully and I just sprinkled it with powdered sugar….then when I made it for taking photos it cracked as I rolled.  This sometimes happens with cake rolls and there’s an easy fix: make another batch of ganache and pour it right over the top!  I think I actually liked it better this way!  You can’t even tell it cracked, see:

Cake roll cracked!!!!Chocolate covered Strawberry cake roll-- all fixed!!!

When it is chilled, slice it and serve it with whipped cream and maybe even some chocolate covered strawberries?  So yummy!!!!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake Roll!!!My thoughts: I really had fun making this dessert.  There’s just something about the pink cake and all that gooey chocolate that makes me smile!  I hope this cake brings a smile to the faces of all the ones you love this Valentine’s Day!  Enjoy!!!   ~r

Want some other fun Valentines Day ideas?  Click on the picture to be taken to the recipe.

Dark Chocolate Ganache CupcakesPeppermint marshmallow crunch barsSweetheart browniesOld Fashioned Red Velvet Cake

Gingerbread Cake Roll with Maple Cream Filling

Gingerbread Cake Roll A moist gingerbread cake rolled around sweet maple cream filling– a perfect Christmas treat!

Over a year ago I made gingerbread cookies with a maple cream filling for Halloween.  I’ve had so many requests for those cookies that I decided to use those flavors again in a cake form.  If you’re turning your nose up at the ginger/ maple flavor combination you simply MUST try one of these two recipes.  The flavors together are wonderful!  Cake rolls are really very easy to make. If you’ve never made one click here to get some photos of my technique with a pumpkin cake roll.

INGREDIENTS:

Roll:

  • 1 1/4c. flour
  • 1 1/4 t. baking soda
  • 1 T. ground ginger
  • 1 T. ground cinnamon
  • 1 t. ground cloves
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. warm water
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1/3 c. molasses

Filling:

  • 2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1/3 c. butter (melted)
  • 1 t. maple flavoring
  • 1/2c. white chocolate chips (melted)
  • 1-2 T. water to get spreadable consistency.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan with waxed paper and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
  •  Blend together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
  • Beat together egg and warm water in a large bowl, then whisk in white sugar, and molasses.
  • Fold in the blended dry ingredients until smooth, then pour batter into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 15 minutes (until the cake springs back to the touch).
  • Remove from oven and immediately -with wax paper on- roll gingerbread cake up from short end of pan to short end of pan (you will probably burn your fingers a little- I usually do!) Roll this up in a clean towel to hold it tightly together.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • While roll is chilling, make filling:
  • Add powdered sugar, melted butter, melted chips and maple flavoring together and blend.
  • Add a little bit of water to make filling into a spreadable consistency.
  • After one hour, remove roll and unroll it carefully.
  • Spread filling over top of opened roll and then re-roll this up *removing the wax paper as you roll*
  • Place this back in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours minimum.
  • Drizzle with a little powdered sugar glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into slices to serve.

Gingerbread Cake RollMy thoughts:  YUM!!!  I can’t wait to make this again- its really fun to put together and to serve.  It’s such a unique and memorable dessert.  If you want something that will stand out on the dessert table this Christmas, this is it!  ENJOY!!!  ~r

Want to try this in cookie form?  I made these with Halloween Linzer cookie cutters, but they would be really fun with Christmas ones!  Click on the photo and you’ll be taken to the recipe….enjoy!

Ginger Maple Cookies

Pumpkin Roll

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This recipe is 100% mom.  She has made this pumpkin roll for years- usually at Christmas.  I hate (despise, loath) pumpkin in any edible form (I prefer them carved into jack-o-lanterns on the porch…).  So this recipe is for all the people who say mom’s pumpkin roll is the MOST amazing dessert ever– I will take your word for it- I didn’t even lick the spoon!

INGREDIENTS:

Roll:

  • 2/3 cups pumpkin
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda

Filling:

  • 8 oz. brick of Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tsp. margarine

DIRECTIONS:

  • Grease a jelly roll pan.  Put wax paper on bottom and grease the wax paper.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Mix together all of the roll ingredients, adding the flour, cinnamon and soda last.  Blend well.
  • Pour batter into pan over greased wax paper and spread evenly to all sides.  Tap pan on counter to settle batter and get air bubbles to top.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and immediately -with wax paper on- roll pumpkin cake up from short end of pan to short end of pan (you will probably burn your fingers a little- I usually do!) Roll this up in a clean towel to hold it tightly together.

  • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • While roll is chilling, make filling:
  • Cream together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Add vanilla and margarine and mix until smooth and creamy.
  • After one hour, remove roll and unroll it carefully.
  • Spread filling over top of opened roll and then re-roll this up *removing the wax paper as you roll*

  • Place this back in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours minimum.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar or decorate as desired.
  • Before serving, slice into beautiful spirals!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

My thoughts: Even though I’m not a fan of pumpkin, I AM a fan of desserts that make you say “wow” when you see them– this qualifies– I think its just so pretty and fun (and it is NOT hard to make!!!)   Now if I could just make it chocolate instead of pumpkin…hmmm….. 🙂

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