The Most Delicious Cherry Cake Roll
Today marks a sweet beginning as I share with you the very first recipe on my blog - the Cherry Cake Roll!
When I say this is the most delicious, I mean it is actually the best cake roll. Fluffy, velvety, swirl of goodness.
I’ll be honest, I came across some beautiful videos showcasing cake rolls with elaborate designs, and I knew I had to make my own version for Spoonful of Cherries. What I love about them is that you can draw ANY design you want and it bakes right into the top of the sponge cake, making it like a work of art!
I mean, just look at it!
So, I embarked on a mission to make my very own cake roll. And for me, this Cherry Cake Roll is not just a dessert; it's a symbol of new beginnings and the love I pour into every experience I create.
This semi-intermediate baking recipe combines fluffy cake, a delicious cream cherry filling, and a stunning decorated exterior. Let's get started!
Prefer to watch this instead of read?
First, you’ll need to have all of your utensils in order.
- 15” x 10” jelly roll pan. Or a 9” x 13” baking pan. *Your cake may come out a bit more thin if using the 9x13 pan.
-Parchment Paper
-¼ C. Measuring Cup
-3 Medium Mixing Bowl
-1 Large Mixing Bowl
-3 Small Mixing Bowls (quantity will depend on your decoration)
-2 Piping Bags (quantity will depend on your decoration)
-1 Mesh Strainer
-Food Processor
-Large Tea Towel
-Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
-Spatula or Wooden Spoon
-Plastic Wrap
Then, make sure you have all the ingredients.
For the decoration:
- Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
- Granulated Sugar
- Cake Flour
- 1 Large Egg White
- Food coloring of your choice
For the cake:
- 3 Large Eggs, separated
- Granulated Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Whole Milk
- Almond Extract
- Kosher Salt
- Cake Flour
- Additional food coloring for the cake batter
For the filling:
- heavy whipping cream
- unflavored gelatin powder
- chopped dark cherries
- granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
Now, it’s doing the thing!
Preparing the Decoration:
1. Butter and line your jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix the decoration paste, and add the coloring you want. *See the recipe at the bottom of this page for full directions.
3. Pipe the decoration!
Making the Cake:
1. Mix the cake ingredients besides the flour and egg whites, and add the coloring you want. Then sprinkle the sifted cake flour and fold until it’s incorporated. *See the recipe at the bottom of this page for full directions.
2. In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, and add the remaining granulated sugar, beat on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form.
3. Mix the eggs into the cake batter, then pour the batter over the decoration in the jelly roll pan, into an even layer.
4. Bake and remove from the oven. Invert the warm cake onto a piece of parchment paper, and carefully remove the paper backing.
Rolling the Cake:
1. Dust a clean tea towel with powdered sugar and flip the warm cake onto it, with the decoration facing down.
2. Score along the top layer of the cake on the side you'll roll, creating three to four score cuts.
3. Carefully roll up the warm cake in the towel, and let it cool completely.
Making the Filling:
1. In a small bowl, mix the gelatin with water, then microwave until completely dissolved. *See the recipe at the bottom of this page for full directions.
2. Pulse the chopped cherries with granulated sugar in a food processor.
3. In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until frothy, and add powdered sugar, beating until medium-stiff peaks form.
4. Mix the gelatin with the whipping cream and cherries. *See the recipe at the bottom of this page for full directions.
Assembling the Cake Roll:
1. Carefully unroll the cooled cake, and spread the cherry filling, leaving a small border around the edges.
2. Gently roll up the cake, starting from the same end as before, then wrap the rolled cake tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Serving:
1. Once chilled, unwrap the cake roll and transfer it to a serving platter.
2. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the roll into slices, gently pulling the knife towards you for clean cuts.
3. Serve slices of this delightful Cherry Swirl Cake Roll and enjoy!
Storage:
Any leftover cake roll can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Wallah! You’ve made a beautiful cake roll!
I had so much fun making this intricate cake for Spoonful of Cherries very FIRST blog post! Get ready to impress your friends and family with this stunning Cherry Cake Roll!
The Most Delicious Cherry Cake Roll
Ingredients
- 2 T. unsalted butter, softened to room temp. (I used plant butter)
- 2 ½ T. granulated sugar
- ⅓ C. cake flour, sifted
- 1 large egg white
- Food coloring
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 6 T. granulated sugar, divided
- 1 T. vegetable oil
- 1 ½ T. whole milk
- ½ t. almond extract
- ½ t. kosher salt
- ⅔ C. cake flour, sifted
- Food coloring
- 1 C. heavy whipping cream
- ¼ t. unflavored gelatin powder
- ½ oz. chopped dark cherries
- 3 T. granulated sugar
- 1 T. powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter or grease the bottom and sides of a 15 by 10-inch jelly roll pan; line with parchment paper
- To make the decoration paste, with a spatula or wooden spoon, mix butter and sugar until you get a smooth paste. Add flour and mix until partially incorporated, then add egg white and mix until smooth. The paste should have a buttercream-like consistency.
- Divide the paste into two bowls (how you divide it will depend on your decoration) and add food coloring as desired. (I mixed one bowl with 4 drops of red, 1 drop of yellow, and 2 drops of blue food coloring to make the deep red color, and the other bowl with 4 drops of green and 2 drops of yellow to make the light green color).
- Transfer pastes into piping bags fitted with small round piping tips (or you can clip the ends of the piping bags if you don’t have piping tips).
- Pipe the decoration onto the parchment that’s on the jelly roll pan.
- For the cake, place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolved and yolks are lightened in color. Drizzle in the vegetable oil, whisking constantly, until incorporated. Whisk in the milk, almond extract, and salt. Add food coloring as desired (I mixed 3 drops of red with 1 drop of yellow food coloring to get the pink).
- Sprinkle sifted cake flour over the batter and fold until incorporated.
- In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat on high speed until whites hold medium-stiff peaks.
- Fold a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then add the remaining egg whites and fold until just incorporated.
- Pour batter over top of the decoration, spreading the batter into an even layer using a large offset spatula. Bang the pan a few times on the countertop to remove any air bubbles and level out the top.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Carefully invert the warm cake onto a piece of parchment. Carefully peel off the parchment paper backing, revealing the decoration. Liberally dust a clean tea towel with powdered sugar and lay it on top of the cake. Flip the cake over so the decoration is facing down.
- Starting with the side of the cake without the decoration, using a bread knife, carefully score along the top layer of the cake. Do about three to four score cuts on the side that you’ll roll. Roll up the warm cake in the towel. Doing this while the cake is still warm will give the cake a 'muscle memory' and allow you to roll it up later with the filling without it cracking.
- Let rolled cake cool for about 1 hour or until completely cool to the touch.
- Meanwhile, to make the filling, in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of cool water and let soften for 5 minutes. Microwave the mixture in short, 5-second increments until the gelatin is completely dissolved and liquefied. Let cool slightly.
- In a food processor, pulse the cherries together with sugar until very finely ground.
- Place the whipping cream in a mixing bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy, then add powdered sugar, increase to medium-high, and beat until the whisk starts to leave trails in the cream.
- Mix a spoonful of the partially whipped cream into the bowl with the melted gelatin until completely incorporated, then, with the mixer running on low, add this back to the bowl with the rest of the cream. Add the cherry sugar mixture and increase speed to medium-high, beating until cream holds medium-stiff peaks (take care not to overbeat).
- Carefully unroll the cake and remove the towel. Spread the filling into a thin even layer over the whole cake, leaving about 1/2 inch bare at the far end.
- Gently roll up the cake. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, until the filling is set.
- To serve, cut into slices with a sharp serrated knife, pulling the knife gently towards you, letting the weight of the knife do the cutting.
- Cake roll will keep, tightly wrapped and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.