Easter Cake Roll - A delicious and gorgeous vanilla cake roll swirled with buttercream and pastel colors. A beautiful dessert for spring and Easter!
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If you’re on the hunt for a fun and festive springtime dessert, this Easter Cake Roll is the perfect choice! With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a sweet and tasty treat that will look great on the Easter dining table.
This festive cake roll is a light and creamy take on the classic cake roll. It is super simple to store and serve compared to regular cake, making it an amazing option for Easter weekend or, really, any time of the year!
HOW TO MAKE AN EASTER CAKE ROLL
Before you get started, make sure grab the following ingredients:
- White boxed cake mix
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Food coloring gel (Purple, yellow, pink and blue)
PREPARING THE CAKE ROLL BATTER
Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, preheat the oven to 325ºF and prepare a jelly roll pan with shortening and flour, then follow the steps below for a fun and festive Easter dessert!
- Prepare cake batter according to the box directions.
- Separate batter evenly into 4 bowls, add a color of food dye to each bowl and mix until the colors are uniform throughout.
- Transfer the batter into 4 ziplock bags and cut a small corner off of each bag.
- In a diagonal pattern, squeeze strips of each color until the pan is filled. If you have batter remaining, you can go back and fill in as needed. Gently shake the pan to even out the cake batter.
BAKING THE CAKE ROLL
- Using a toothpick, draw swirls in the batter to create a tie dye look.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until the cake is set, then remove from the oven and immediately prepare to roll the cake.
- Place a towel on a flat surface and sprinkle flour on it. Flip the cake out of the pan and onto the towel.
- Sprinkle a small amount of flour on the top side of the cake and cover it with another towel. Starting on one end, roll the cake up with a towel on each side. Try to keep it as tight as possible. With the cake tightly rolled, set it aside to completely cool.
If you want to speed up the cooling process, you could set the cake roll in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
FROSTING & ROLLING A CAKE ROLL
- When the cake has cooled, gently unroll it.
If you put the cake roll in the refrigerator to cool, do not try and unroll the cake when it's really cold or it could crack. Allow it to warm up for a few minutes on the counter. - Prepare the frosting and then spread it on the top of the cake.
- Begin rolling the cake from one end, using one towel to help guide you. When the cake is completely rolled, wrap the towel tightly around it to help hold its form. Refrigerate the roll for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and cut into slices.
TIPS FOR MAKING AN EASTER CAKE ROLL
- Begin to roll the cake into shape while it is still warm. It will actually help to prevent any cracks in the cake roll. Also, take your time with rolling the cake so that it doesn’t break or lose shape!
- For an even more festive presentation, you can dye shredded coconut green to look like grass and place mini chocolate eggs and edible flowers to surround the roll. This creates the perfect springtime scenery for your cake roll!
- If you want to use a different frosting than the one listed in the recipe, cream cheese frosting is another great option. Feel free to dye the frosting fun colors as well for a super vibrant and bright look!
CAN CAKE ROLLS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, they can. To make this cake roll recipe ahead of time, wrap the cake roll in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to two days before serving.
HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER CAKE ROLL?
This cake roll is super easy to store! Just put the cake roll in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
CAN YOU FREEZE A CAKE ROLL?
I wouldn't recommend freezing the cake roll because the cream filling will lose its creamy and light texture, however, if you really want to freeze the cake roll, just do so before you add the filling.
To freeze the cake roll, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Go ahead and freeze for around 3-4 months.
MORE EASTER DESSERTS YOU'LL LOVE
- Easter Bunny Donuts
- Easter Cake Pops
- Peanut Butter Bird's Nest Cookies
- Easter Peanut Butter Eggs
- Bunny Butt Funfetti Easter Cheese Ball
- Homemade Carrot Cake
- Peeps Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
- Easter Trifle Dessert
Easter Cake Roll
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix (including ingredients in box directions)
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- Purple (yellow, pink, and blue food coloring gel)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Prepare a jelly roll pan with shortening and flour. This step will ensure that your cake does not stick. Set aside for later
- Prepare cake batter according to the box directions.
- Separate batter evenly into 4 bowls.
- Add a color of food dye to each bowl and mix until the colors are uniform throughout.
- Transfer batter into 4 ziplock bags. Cut a small corner off of each bag.
- In a diagonal pattern, squeeze strips of each color until the pan is filled. If you have batter remaining, you can go back and fill in as needed.
- Gently shake the pan to even out the cake batter.
- Using a toothpick, draw swirls in the batter to create a tie dye look.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until the cake is set. Remove from oven and immediately prepare to roll the cake.
- Place a towel on a flat surface and sprinkle flour on it.
- Flip the cake out of the pan and onto the towel.
- Sprinkle a small amount of flour on the top side of the cake and cover it with another towel. Starting on one end, roll the cake up with a towel on each side. Try to keep it as tight as possible.
- With the cake tightly rolled, set it aside to completely cool.
- When cool, gently unroll it.
- To prepare frosting, beat butter and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar and enough milk to reach the consistency you desire.
- Spread on the frosting, covering the top of the cake.
- Begin rolling the cake from one end, using one towel to help guide you.
- When the cake is completely rolled, wrap the towel tightly around it to help hold its form. Refrigerate the roll for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and cut into slices.
Notes
- Roll the cake while it is still warm; it will help prevent any cracks.
- Cream cheese frosting also works really well for this cake roll recipe.
- To store, place your cake in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to five days.
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