Easter Pastel Striped Cake Roll
This Easter Pastel Striped Cake Roll is a showstopping spring dessert featuring a light, airy sponge cake baked with soft pink, lavender, and mint green stripes. It's filled with a fluffy cream cheese whipped cream and rolled into a beautiful swirl that reveals itself with every slice.Perfect for Easter brunch or any spring celebration, this impressive yet approachable cake roll is as delicious as it is gorgeous.
Equipment
- 10x15-inch jelly roll pan
- Parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Large mixing bowls
- Piping bags or zip-top bags
- Offset spatula
- Clean kitchen towel
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 small amount pink gel food coloring pastel shade
- 1 small amount lavender gel food coloring pastel shade
- 1 small amount mint green gel food coloring pastel shade
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting the towel
For the Cream Cheese Whipped Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting the finished roll
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper with nonstick spray or butter. Lay a clean kitchen towel flat on the counter and dust it generously with powdered sugar. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is pale, very thick, and has nearly tripled in volume. It should fall from the beaters in thick ribbons. This step is essential for a light, flexible sponge.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the whipped egg mixture in three additions using a large rubber spatula, working carefully to preserve the air. Fold in the vanilla extract last until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly into three separate bowls. Add a small amount of pink gel coloring to the first, lavender to the second, and mint green to the third. Fold each color gently until uniform, keeping the shades soft and pastel. Avoid overmixing.
- Transfer each colored batter into a piping bag or zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off. Pipe alternating lengthwise stripes of each color across the prepared jelly roll pan, keeping each stripe about 1 inch wide and piping them right next to each other with no gaps. The entire pan should be covered evenly.
- Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The cake is done when the surface springs back lightly when touched and the edges are just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake or the sponge will become dry and crack during rolling.
- Immediately invert the hot cake onto the powdered sugar-dusted kitchen towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Starting from one short end, roll the cake up tightly inside the towel while it is still warm. Place the rolled cake seam-side down on a wire rack and let it cool completely, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the cake cools, make the filling. Beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until completely smooth with no lumps. Add the cold heavy whipping cream, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form and the filling is fluffy and holds its shape. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Once the cake is fully cooled, unroll it gently from the towel. Spread the cream cheese filling in an even layer across the surface of the cake, leaving a half-inch border along the far short edge. Roll the cake back up without the towel, working slowly and steadily from the same end as before. Wrap the roll tightly in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the wrapped cake roll for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results. When ready to serve, unwrap the cake and use a sharp knife to trim both ends clean to reveal the swirl pattern. Dust the top with powdered sugar and slice into portions about 1 to 1.5 inches thick, wiping the knife clean between cuts for the neatest slices.
Notes
Always roll the sponge while it is still hot to prevent cracking. Gel food coloring is strongly recommended over liquid as it provides vibrant pastel color without adding excess moisture to the batter. The assembled cake roll can be made up to 24 hours ahead and stored wrapped in the refrigerator. For clean slices, chill thoroughly before cutting and wipe the knife between each cut. The cake roll can be frozen (before the final powdered sugar dusting) for up to 6 weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.