Description
This Candy Cane Roll is a festive and colorful peppermint-flavored cake rolled with a creamy, minty cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with crushed candy canes. It features vibrant red and white striped patterns resembling a classic candy cane, perfect for holiday celebrations or as a sweet winter treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- Cooking spray
- 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour, 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 (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 drops red gel food coloring, or more as needed
Frosting
- 2 1/2 cups (283 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 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 oven 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 all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt until well combined.
- Whip 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, beating until the mixture becomes glossy with stiff peaks. Stir in the peppermint extract.
- Fold dry ingredients into egg whites: Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites until just combined.
- Divide and color batter: Transfer a little more than half of the batter (about 350 g) into a medium bowl. Add red gel food coloring to this portion, folding gently to reach the desired shade of red.
- Pipe cake stripes: Fill two piping bags fitted with round tips with the white and red batters. Starting at a corner, pipe diagonal white lines about 1 inch apart across the baking sheet. Then pipe red batter between each white line, filling all gaps. Hold the piping bag just above the tip and turn it up at the end of each row to prevent dripping.
- Bake the cake: Bake until the cake starts to pull from the sides and springs back when pressed lightly in the center, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Roll the cake: Lightly dust a clean kitchen towel with flour (use a small sieve). Turn the warm cake onto the towel, peel off the parchment, and carefully roll the cake tightly into a spiral starting from a short end. Let cool completely for about 1 hour.
- Prepare frosting: While the cake cools, beat confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add peppermint extract and salt and beat to combine. Add a small drop of red gel food coloring and beat until light pink. Fold in the crushed candy canes.
- Frost and roll the cake: Unroll the cooled cake gently and remove the kitchen towel. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake surface. Roll the cake back up into a tight spiral. Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour from the surface.
- Chill before serving: Place the filled cake in the refrigerator if making ahead. It can be kept refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.
Notes
- For best results, ensure egg whites are at room temperature before whipping.
- Adjust the amount of red gel food coloring gradually to achieve the perfect shade without over-coloring.
- Use a gentle folding technique to maintain the light texture of the batter.
- Cooling the cake rolled up helps it keep its shape and prevents cracking when unrolled for frosting.
- The frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated to save time.
- If crushed candy canes are not available, peppermint candy pieces or peppermint extract alone can be used in the frosting.
- Use a very light dusting of flour on the towel to avoid affecting the texture of the cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/10 of the cake)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
