Red velvet roulade
Serves: 8
Prep time: 55 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Red velvet roulade
Roll a fluffy, crimson-coloured sponge with tangy cream cheese frosting, then dress to impress with crushed candy canes and coconut pralines
Serves: 8
Prep time: 55 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (serving)
Calories
511Kcal
Fat
30gr
Saturates
17gr
Carbs
53gr
Sugars
41gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
8gr
Salt
0.9gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Senior Food Producer. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Senior Food Producer. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g caster sugar, plus extra to dust
- 50g light brown soft sugar
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra to grease
- 15g tube Dr Oetker red food colour gel
- ½ tsp white wine vinegar
- 100g self-raising flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
For the cream cheese frosting
- 150g slightly salted butter, softened
- 200g icing sugar
- 200g full-fat soft cheese
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
To decorate (optional)
- 2 candy canes
- 5 Raffaello coconut and almond pralines
Step by step
Get ahead
Make the sponge the day before and store rolled up in the paper. Fill and ice a few hours before serving and chill. Add decorations to serve. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Grease a Swiss roll tin or baking tray (about 23cm x 33cm x 2.5cm) and line with baking paper.
- For the sponge, beat the eggs, vanilla and both sugars in a large bowl, until the mixture is pale, thick and mousse-like (about 6-8 minutes with a stand mixer, or up to 12 minutes with a hand-held electric whisk). Test if it’s ready by lifting the whisk out of the mix; it should leave a trail. In a small bowl or jug, use a fork to whisk together the buttermilk, oil, red food gel and vinegar until combined. Add the red mixture to the egg mixture and, using the stand mixer or hand-held electric whisk, whisk until combined.
- Sift over the flour and cocoa powder, add the salt, then fold in with a large metal spoon, knocking out as little air as possible. Pour into the prepared tin, easing the batter into the corners. Bake for 13-15 minutes until risen and springy to the touch. Meanwhile, place a large sheet of baking paper on your work surface and dust with caster sugar. Flip the hot sponge out onto the sugared paper. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then peel away the lining paper. Score a line 2cm in from one of the shorter ends, then roll up from this end, rolling the baking paper inside the sponge. Set aside to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the butter until very pale, soft and creamy. Sift over the icing sugar and beat for a few more minutes. Beat in the soft cheese, followed by the buttermilk, until smooth. Carefully unroll the cooled Swiss roll and spread about half of the frosting evenly over the sponge, leaving a 4cm gap at the far end. Re-roll from the scored short end, finishing with the seam underneath. Transfer to a flat serving plate or board. Cover the roulade with the rest of the frosting, using a palette knife to ensure a smooth, even finish. Ideally chill for 1 hour (or up to a few hours ahead); this firms up the frosting and makes the roulade easier to slice.
- Trim the ends of the roulade. To decorate, place the candy canes in a food bag, seal and then crush with the end of a rolling pin. Scatter the crushed candy canes over the top of the roulade, then lightly press in the coconut pralines to serve.
