Description
This colorful Easter Cake Roll is a delightful and festive dessert featuring a light and airy sponge cake wrapped around a fluffy marshmallow buttercream frosting in pastel hues. Decorated with iconic Peeps candy in vibrant stripes, it’s an eye-catching centerpiece perfect for spring celebrations and Easter gatherings.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 6 large eggs (separated)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Buttercream:
- 1 ½ cups salted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 14 oz marshmallow cream
- Gel Food Coloring (yellow, pink, and blue)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
For Decoration:
- 3 yellow Peeps
- 2 blue Peeps
- 2 pink Peeps
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C if using a fan oven. Line the bottom of an 11″x17″ cookie sheet or similar with parchment paper.
- Whip Egg Whites: Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium until frothy, then increase to medium-high and slowly add granulated sugar. Whisk until firm stiff peaks form, then stop the mixer.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, canola oil, and vanilla extract until well mixed.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour and cornstarch into the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Combine Mixtures: Fold about one cup of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture gently. Then fold this mixture back into the remaining whipped egg whites until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour Batter and Level: Spread the batter evenly on the prepared cookie sheet. Tap the cookie sheet gently against the counter to remove air bubbles and level the batter.
- Bake the Cake: Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed.
- Cool and Roll While Warm: Let the cake cool a couple of minutes after removing from oven. Place another piece of parchment on top, flip the cake onto a clean tea towel, remove the original parchment, and gently roll the cake with the towel from a short side. Set aside to cool completely.
- Prepare Buttercream: Beat the salted butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add half of the marshmallow cream, beat until combined, then add the rest and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Color Buttercream: Divide the buttercream into three bowls. Tint each with gel food coloring to achieve yellow, pink, and blue colors, ensuring no white streaks remain.
- Decorate the Cake: Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Trim the browned edges. Spread stripes of each colored buttercream parallel to the short side, using as many stripes as you desire. Save leftover buttercream for decoration.
- Re-roll and Chill: Roll the cake tightly again, removing the bottom parchment while rolling. Wrap in parchment, plastic wrap, or the tea towel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
- Final Decoration: Before serving, trim ragged ends, dust the cake roll with powdered sugar, and line the top with Peeps candies, alternating colors. Use leftover buttercream to help the Peeps stick if needed.
- Serve and Store: Slice and serve the cake. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- For best results, fold the egg whites gently to maintain airiness in the batter.
- Sifting flour and cornstarch helps create a lighter cake texture.
- Be careful when rolling the cake warm to avoid cracking.
- Gel food coloring works better than liquid for intense colors without thinning the frosting.
- Chilling the rolled cake helps it hold its shape and makes slicing easier.
- Use a clean tea towel to prevent the cake from sticking and tearing during rolling.
- Consume within a few days for best freshness and flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
