Red Velvet Roll Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Filling
Less than a week separates February 8th and February 14th, but those days are jam-packed with all sorts of life happenings in my little world. Almost all good life happenings, with a side of bittersweetness thrown in…
February 8th is my Chief Culinary Consultant’s birthday (yay for presents and celebrating and birthday cakes!).
February 10th is my grandma’s birthday. She would have been 94 this year; I miss that lady like crazy.
February 11th is BEB’s birthday! Tomorrow will be SEVEN years since I started this little ol’ blog of mine. (Stay tuned for a big giveaway tomorrow to celebrate!)
And of course, February 14th is Valentine’s Day. While my Chief Culinary Consultant and I never go nuts over the holiday, it’s always fun to try a new restaurant and splurge on some good eats. The week surrounding Valentine’s Day also makes me want to inhale everything that is red, pink or chocolate. Or a combination of all three, preferably… including red velvet (which may or may not have as much to do with cream cheese frosting as it does with red velvet itself).
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with red velvet – if a recipe isn’t spectacular, it usually goes the route of specatularly bad. Dry, crumbly cake that’s only redeeming quality is a pile of cream cheese frosting piled on top.
However, when you get a knock-out red velvet recipe, it can be the stuff of dreams. A moist, fluffy cake with just a hint of cocoa, and then that pile of cream cheese frosting becomes, literally and figuratively, the icing on the cake.
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I had to go a few iterations deep to get to a great red velvet roll cake recipe, but it was certainly worth the time and experimentation.
This one is just a slight modification of the same recipe that I use for my favorite red velvet cupcakes, which I have also adapted for my red velvet cheesecake cake and red velvet poke cake. As you can see, it’s one that has definitely served me well.
I opted to switch up the filling and go for a combination white chocolate/cream cheese frosting, which turned out phenomenal.
The white chocolate adds a little more sweetness to the filling, cutting some of the tang from the cream cheese. You could certainly go the all cream cheese route, if you’d prefer, and it would be just as amazing.
Whether you want to celebrate love with your significant other… or love with your mom, dad, brother or sister… or friendship love with your BFF… or a special birthday… or you just want to have coffee with your grandma, this would be a fabulous cake for simply saying…
I love you, you’re important to me, and I’m so happy you’re in my life.
I think everyone could use more of that in their life!
One year ago: Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Two years ago: Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies
Three years ago: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies and Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Four years ago: Icebox Cake
Seven years ago: Italian Wedding Soup
Red Velvet Roll Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup (125 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
For the White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) white chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the pan, tapping out excess flour.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla extract and vinegar; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the red food coloring and mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the batter, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing as needed.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread to the edges of the pan, smoothing the top. Bake until the cake is set and the top springs back when lightly touched with a finger, about 18 to 25 minutes. While the cake is in the oven, place a piece of parchment paper (or a clean kitchen towel that is not terry cloth) on the counter and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Turn the cake out onto the prepared piece of parchment paper. Carefully peel off the parchment paper from the top of the cake and discard. Starting with a short end, carefully roll up the cake with the parchment paper. Place the rolled cake on a wire rack seam-side down and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Make the White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the melted white chocolate and continue to beat until the chocolate is completely incorporated into the cream cheese mixture, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl at least once. Add the softened butter and beat until the butter is completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble the Cake: Carefully unroll the cake. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the cake. Re-roll the cake, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, place the cake roll on a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar. Leftovers should be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I love this cake, looks delicious =D
So pretty!
Yum! Two of my favorite things…cream cheese frosting and red velvet.
This looks so beautiful and delicious, Happy Valentine’s to you!
How much powdered sugar in the filling???? my husband and daughter are both red velvet freaks, so I am going to make this for valentines day! Thanks
Hi Laura, ½ cup of powdered sugar, it is the last ingredient in the list.
The cream cheese frosting is always the huge plus for any red velvet cake, this frosting look delicious!
red velvet is my favorite. this looks delish!
Looks delicious!
You make preparing this roll so easy! I’ve tried but my cake always tears. Ugh. Great recipe and beautiful roll!
It’s perfect! Love the red and white color combo, especially all the powdered sugar on top!
This looks so yummy I may brave making it! One quick question-when “rolling” the cake to cook, do you roll it with the parchment paper IN the roll, so it helps with the un-rolling, or does it remain outside? Just got some white chocolate today thats calling my name to be used…..
Hi Kristin, I assume you mean when rolling the cake to cool? If so, yes, I roll it with the parchment inside the roll. Enjoy! :)
Red Cake Roll – GET IN MY BELLY! Happy BEB Anniversary tomorrow!
The red and white swirl looks so whimsical, such a pretty roll cake. I do love roll cakes, mainly because of the awesome frosting to cake ratio! But, I’ve never tried red velvet cake, not hugely popular here in Oz. I do adore cream cheese frosting, and adding white chocolate sounds like the best thing since sliced bread. :)
What lovely twists on the classic red velvet cake — I love the addition of white chocolate in the frosting and that the cake is rolled! Thank you for the inspiration!
This red velvet roll looks absolutely delicious. I most definitely will have to give it a try.
I just want to thank you for your site. Last week I went in to the OBGYN for my 10 week appointment with my first baby and found out that it stopped growing a few days before and there was no longer a heartbeat. After several heartbreaking days of crying I had a DNC on Friday and was laid up in bed all weekend with the IPad and spent some time looking at some things that I hope to make in the near future to take my mind off of things out of my control.
Jackie, I’m so sorry for your loss :( I hope that baking provides some therapy for you and that there are some delicious baked goods in your future. xo
Could you do a “red velvet week”?? (It’s the week before valentine’s day) I’ve seen them on a couple other blogs and a red velvet roll cake sounds like a perfect way to start a red velvet party :)
Your roll cake is gorgeous! What a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s day! I have always wanted to make one, but they intimidate me. I need to try your recipe!
Beautiful twist on red velvet cake, and I love white chocolate with cream cheese frosting!
Red velvet and white chocolate! Yum!
This looks so yummy. I am thinking peppermint cream cheese filling would be tasty too! I used to be so put off by rolled cakes but once I tried making pumpkin rolls they are really not difficult. Have a good week Michelle.
This looks amazing!!! I’m having a galentines day party on Friday (Parks and Rec reference, anyone??) and this cake will be making an appearance!
My sister and her girlfriends have a galantine’s day party every year, they just had theirs on Saturday :) (Also, I love Parks & Rec!)
plz mention the size of pan iz it
ten
by length or what
Hi Bilal, The pan size is in step #1 – you should use a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan.
GORGEOUS!!!
Happy Birthday to you and your CCC. May this year be the best ever.
This is one beautiful roll cake!! I love the combination of white chocolate and cream cheese :)
I have yet to make a jelly roll cake and I really need too. Your Red Velvet Cake with the frosting looks so amazing!!!! I don’t think I would be able to keep my hands off it! :)
This looks seriously amazing! Like, I want it right now for breakfast kind of amazing. That white chocolate cream cheese filling? I just died.
Michelle this is truly one of the most beautiful RV cake rolls I’ve ever seen! I’ve made pumpkin rolls and I admit that I don’t find them to be super easy to do :) You clearly have a knack for them because yours is perfect! And that white choc + cream cheese filling…pass the spoons! pinned
What a perfect “roll”! I’ve had less-than-stellar outcomes with roll cakes before, but this one looks so good I may have to give it another go. I’m a fan of cream cheese frosting to a point, but if the cream cheese flavor is too prominent, the whole thing becomes off-putting. Love that you cut the cream cheese with white chocolate!