Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (2024)

Moist and delicious red velvet cake roll with white chocolate cream cheese filling.

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (1)

The Best Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe

Anything red velvet makes a fantastic Valentine’s Day treat! You get the festive red color, plus velvety texture with a hint of cocoa. When it is done right, Red Velvet is a tasty, luxurious dessert. Check out our other Valentine’s Day Recipes too!

This particular red velvet cake roll recipe is especially luxurious and delicious because the filling is white chocolate AND cream cheese. Yes! By the way, this dessert is well-loved by all of my family and friends, even those that didn’t think they liked Red Velvet. 😉

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (2)

Red Velvet Cake Roll Ingredients

This red velvet cake roll is more than just a cake with red food coloring. The special way of combining the ingredients and reactions of the ingredients all add to the unique texture. You can sub the red food coloring for green food coloring if you prefer “green velvet.”

Note: Some of the ingredients should be at room temperature, so plan ahead for that!

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (3)

Choosing the Right Pan

For this recipe, you will want to use a jelly roll pan that is about 15 to 15.5 inches by 10 to 10.5 inches in size. If you don’t have one, ask a neighbor or consider purchasing one for yourself since they are not too expensive, may come in handy for other recipes, and should last for years.

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (4)

Baking Tip

Tenting the foil over the cake as it cools helps keep the cake moist, and because it is “tented” it won’t stick to the surface of the cake.

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (5)

Red Velvet Cake Roll Filling

The filling is really the best part. A perfect blend of white chocolate and cream cheese! And it goes so perfectly with the red velvet cake!

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (6)

Spreading the Filling

Once the cake has cooled for a bit, it is time to spread on the creamy filling. Spread it nice and evenly over the surface of the cake, except for a 1/2 inch or so along the furthest long edge of the cake.

P.S. If you do a lot of baking and spread icing a lot, I highly recommend investing in an angled spatula! Makes spreading icing a breeze.

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (7)

How to Avoid Cracking Your Red Velvet Cake Roll

I had some major cracking as I rolled my cake this time. I think part of that was because I didn’t roll the cake the same day that I baked it, so it dried out a bit by the time I got around to rolling. Still tastes awesome, but for the best results, you will want to assemble the cake roll soon after the cake has cooled.

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (8)

Compressing the Cake Roll

This method of compressing the red velvet cake roll is amazing. Say goodbye to cracked cake rolls and hello to a uniform, compact, and lovely roll of deliciousness.

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (9)

Conclusion

The recipe may seem a bit lengthy, but don’t be alarmed. You basically see all of the steps in the photos above. The hands-on time is not bad at all and the cake only takes 10 minutes to bake. I hope you try it out and love it as much as I do!

More Cake Roll Recipes:

  • Carrot Cake Roll Recipe
  • Peppermint Ice Cream Cake Roll
  • Lemon Cake Roll Recipe
  • Cinnamon Roll Cake

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Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (10)

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (11)

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe

Moist and delicious red velvet cake roll with white chocolate cream cheese filling.

4.65 / 5 ( 17 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 12

Adjust Servings: 12

Equipment

  • 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan

  • Medium bowl

  • Large bowl

  • Electric mixer

Ingredients

Cake

Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 5 ounces white chocolate melted
  • 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
  • cup powdered sugar, sifted 1 1/4 ounces

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with non-stick cooking spray (to keep the foil in place). Then line the pan with foil, leaving about a 2-inch overhang at each short end of the pan. Butter and flour the foil, tapping out the excess flour, or use Baker's Joy cooking spray.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together milk, vanilla, and vinegar. Set aside.

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-low speed for about 1 minute. Increase mixer speed to medium and add the sugar in a steady stream. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  • With mixer at medium speed, add the egg and mix until combined. At low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the milk mixture, mixing after each addition. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the last 1/2 of the milk, then the last 1/3 of the flour, mixing after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the food coloring at low speed until combined. Without delay, spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly with a spatula.

  • Bake until cake is set and springs back when lightly pressed in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan by lifting the foil and transfer to a cooling rack. Quickly use a sheet of foil to make a shallow tent over the cake. Let cool for about 45 minutes.

  • In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth. Mix in 1/2 of the melted chocolate and beat until smooth, then mix in the remaining chocolate until smooth. Add the butter, then the sugar, and beat until smooth and creamy.

  • Remove the foil tent and transfer the cake to a work surface. Place the cake so one long side is parallel to the edge of the surface nearest you. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling evenly over the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the long edge furthest from you. Begin rolling the cake by gently flipping the edge nearest you over onto itself. Then continue to roll the cake up with gentle pressure. Use the foil to touch the cake as you roll to keep the cake from sticking to your hands.

  • Place the rolled up cake in its foil across the bottom 1/3 of a long sheet of parchment paper. Bring the top edge of the parchment paper toward you and over the cake roll. Place the edge of a rimless baking sheet, cooling rack, or other long edge at a 45-degree angle to the roll and your surface. Apply pressure to the roll, trapping the edges of the parchment paper. Push the long edge, while pulling the bottom end of the parchment paper toward you to compress the cake roll. This will help eliminate any cracks in the cake.

  • Carefully lift the cake roll in its foil and set it, seam side down, on a fresh sheet of foil. Wrap the cake in this second piece of foil and place it on a baking sheet or shallow tray. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

  • Remove cake from refrigerator, peel off and discard the foil. Carefully lift the cake onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar. Use a serrated knife and sawing motion to cut the cake roll into 1/2- or 1-inch-thick slices. Refrigerate leftovers and cover loosely with plastic wrap to keep cake from drying out.

Recipe Notes

(See blog post for helpful photos.)

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Sodium: 252mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Luxurious Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What gives red velvet cake its unique flavor? ›

Flavor profile

While there are cocoa undertones, red velvet is not chocolate cake because it balances both chocolate and vanilla flavors. It contains cocoa but not the same quantity as traditional chocolate cake, resulting in a more subtle cocoa flavor and tanginess due to the buttermilk and vinegar.

What does vinegar do in a red velvet cake? ›

The vinegar

You also can't have red velvet cake without vinegar. The vinegar reacts with the baking soda which gives your cake an extra lift as it bakes, giving you a much fluffier cake. I use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar works great too.

What makes red velvet cake so good? ›

Red velvet cakes also generally contain both buttermilk and vinegar, which, when combined with unprocessed cocoa, make for a tighter crumb texture and a tangier flavor than traditional chocolate cake.

Why does red velvet cake have cream cheese frosting? ›

Red velvet cake tastes like very mild cocoa with a slightly tart edge. The cream cheese frosting is the most forward flavor. Perhaps even more important than the taste is the texture: smooth, soft, tender and light with creamy icing.

How do I make my red velvet cake more red? ›

The trick to using our Red Velvet Color when baking cakes and cupcakes is to lower the pH. Some ways to do this is by substituting baking powder in place of baking soda, using a natural non-alkalized cocoa powder, adding more white vinegar or buttermilk to your red velvet recipe, to achieve a bright red color.

Why red velvet cake is so expensive? ›

The cocoa powder is used in less quantity and the taste develops by the mixing of vinegar and buttermilk with the cocoa powder. The recipe involves many ingredients in small quantity. The frosting- if used cream cheese is an expensive element in itself.

What kind of cocoa powder for red velvet cake? ›

The Best Cocoa for Red Velvet Cake Is Natural Cocoa

Natural cocoa is the best cocoa for red velvet cake for two reasons. With a higher acidity, natural cocoa works with the cake's baking soda and buttermilk to leaven the cake to a tight, tender crumb. The results are an almost melt-in-your-mouth tender cake.

Why did my red velvet cake turn brown? ›

The red food colouring makes the cake batter prone to splitting, and turns everything it touches red; a couple of grams over on the cocoa powder and the cake goes brown instead of a rich red; the cream cheese frosting has a tendency to turn to gloop at the very last minute for no apparent reason; and the list goes on.

Can I use distilled white vinegar in red velvet cake? ›

White Vinegar: It sounds like a strange ingredient in a cake, but it is essential in a red velvet cake. This recipe calls for baking soda to leaven the cake (make the cake rise). The small amount of added vinegar allows the soda to do its best work.

What was the original red velvet cake made of? ›

The earliest velvet cakes date back to Victorian times, when bakers in both the United States and England began to use cocoa powder to produce cake of a fine, crumbed texture, one that was much softer than the traditional yellow or white varieties.

What's the difference between red velvet cake and blue velvet cake? ›

Red velvet cake is bright red, while blue velvet cake has a blue Cookie Monster hue. Red velvet typically adds buttermilk and vinegar, while blue velvet calls for a small amount of white vinegar and sometimes a bit of almond extract to enhance the flavor.

What pairs with red velvet? ›

Because red velvet isn't quite as rich as chocolate cake, I would still pair it with a red wine, but something lighter than a merlot. Instead, I would pair red velvet cake with gamay or pinot noir.

Is buttercream or cream cheese frosting better for red velvet? ›

Cream Cheese Frosting Is Perfect For Spiced Cakes And Breads

It's also, of course, the perfect frosting and filling for your red velvet cupcakes and cakes.

What is better, butter cream or cream cheese frosting? ›

When properly mixed, buttercream has a tendency to be more firm and have a smoother finish. On the other hand, cream cheese frosting can be a little greasy, prone to lumps, and have an unusual texture. However, both cake coatings are good options, depending on the recipe used and what you like.

What filling goes best with red velvet? ›

In my opinion, cream cheese frosting pairs best with red velvet's flavor and this frosting recipe is really simple. You need brick-style cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, a splash of milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness. It glides on seamlessly and is silky smooth.

What is the real Flavour of red velvet cake? ›

Due to the fact that it uses cocoa powder rather than chocolate, red velvet cake is more subtle in chocolate flavor than a chocolate cake. In terms of the cocoa flavor concentration, we like to think of red velvet cake as somewhere between a vanilla/white cake and a chocolate cake.

What makes red velvet different from other cakes? ›

The difference between Red Velvet Cake and other cakes are its ingredients and colors. No other layer cake uses buttermilk and vinegar in the recipe. When mixed with cocoa powder, the buttermilk and vinegar cause the chemical reaction that turns the cake red. The vinegar also helps preserve the cake's iconic color.

What makes red velvet cake different from vanilla cake? ›

The flavor of vanilla cake is light and sweet, with a delicate vanilla taste. Red velvet cake: Red velvet cake is a type of chocolate cake that is made with cocoa powder, buttermilk, and food coloring to give it its distinct red color.

How does red velvet cake taste different from chocolate? ›

In terms of flavor, Chocolate Cake is known for its rich, deep chocolate flavor. Red Velvet Cake, on the other hand, is more subtle in its taste. It has a slightly sweet, tangy flavor, with a hint of cocoa.

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