This pretty pink velvet roulade is perfect for any occasion and its color makes it a lovely edible centerpiece.


A little over two weeks ago, tornadoes wreaked havoc in Alabama and the surrounding states. I feel very fortunate that the damage we suffered here in East Tennessee was mild comparatively. We’ll be getting a new roof and vinyl siding, but many people in Alabama lost everything they owned, and worse.
That evening, after the storm was over, we emerged from our designated safe-place to find our yard completely covered with soft-ball sized hail. Wow. I’ve never seen anything so strange and scary!
Since then, I find myself gravitating toward creature comforts, or better said – things to soothe jangled nerves. I’ve spent more time with my recipe journal-slash-sketchbook and Bic Cristals in black (do other writing instruments exist?). I keep inspiration close by in the form of a sparkly vintage brooch. I indulge in too many cups of coffee as well as the nerdiest art books…

…and I bake, of course. It’s strange how I can completely abandon my worries while whisking eggs and measuring sugar. I know many of you feel the same way.
I’ll bet you didn’t know that cake rolls are my favorite thing to make, ever. They are so simple and beautiful. It’s been much too long since I last posted a roulade, so I’ve decided to put forth a little extra effort and post a video of my roulade making process.
I almost hesitate to call this roulade “pink velvet” even though it has everything that a velvet cake is supposed to have, specifically, buttermilk and vinegar. Unlike most true velvet cakes, it has a very mild flavor and isn’t overly tangy. Without the pink coloring, it would be a good all purpose, basic cake roll. I used vanilla Swiss buttercream for a filling, and the overall balance and texture is as pretty as the cake looks.


Pink Velvet Roulade
Equipment
- Jelly roll pan 10 x 15
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup extra fine granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 tsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 drop or small dab of Wilton rose gel food coloring Americolor pink would also work
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Swiss buttercream filling
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg white use two whites if your eggs are small
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter 1 1/2 US sticks
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10×15 jelly-roll pan with white vegetable shortening and line with parchment; grease parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer for 5 full minutes – set a timer if you need to! Properly whipped eggs will lighten in color considerably and have the appearance of yellow cake batter.
- With the mixer still running, slowly add sugar and oil to the whipped eggs. Next, add buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract and food coloring (add food coloring a little at a time until desired color is achieved).
- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to the liquid ingredients. Mix until well combined.
- Sprinkle a cotton tea towel with powdered sugar and rub sugar into the towel with your hands. Terry-cloth towels and towels with texture (such as waffle pattern) are NOT ideal for making cake rolls.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Check at 12 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back when pressed with fingers.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and tilt pan to distribute batter evenly.
- When cake is baked turn it out onto the tea towel – do this without delay! Peel off parchment and immediately roll cake into the tea towel, beginning at the narrow end. Roll tightly and as evenly as possible. Place rolled cake on a wire rack seam-side down and let cool completely.
Swiss meringue buttercream
- Whisk egg white(s) and sugar together in a large heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar melts into the egg white. Check consistency by rubbing a bit between two fingers. If sugar granules remain, keep heating/whisking.
- When sugar and egg white are blended, transfer to a stand mixer. Whip until the mixtures doubles in size. Add vanilla extract, and then whip in softened butter a little at a time until mixture has thickened to buttercream icing consistency.
Assembly
- Carefully unwrap/unroll velvet cake, allowing the most tightly rolled end to curl slightly (see video). Frost inside with Swiss buttercream and roll cake tightly. Cut into pieces with a serrated knife and serve.
- Pretty when garnished with sweetened whipped cream and glace’ or maraschino cherries.
What a beautiful roll, it looks like it would cut so easily and the filling looks so deliciously smooth!
In my opinion, you can never have enough pink. So pretty!
So pretty! A lovely roulade. Great video too.
Cheers,
Rosa
Love this! And the video is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Your little pugs are the coolest.
Lindo!
:o)
Beautiful!! I loved the video. Sometimes seeing it in action is better than words. Thank you! What is the song that's playing? It's great too 🙂
Heather, this is GORGEOUS!! You make the most beautiful things…is it possible to LIVE in a blog? Because I'm thinking I'd like to live here for awhile. Everything's so pink and magical.
Looks so beautiful. It's my daughter's birthday son. Now I know what cake to make her!
Thank you so much for the video! I've never made Roulade and you make it look like it is something I could pull off. Your photographs are stunning.
Glad that you did not suffer too much damage from the tornadoes but Alabama is still suffering and will be for a long time to come. Horrific what happened to so many in such a brief few moments in time.
So pretty! And love the video too.
Looks absolutely gorgeous! I want to make one RIGHT NOW! 🙂
Mmmmm. I've never made a roll cake, which is seeming like a shame, especially since the color of that is so stunning.
Heather, I LOVE your video! Besides being helpful, the song is perfect and the assistants are cute:) Gorgeous roulade! I'm glad your damage wasn't more severe…that must have been so scary:(
This is gorgeous, beautiful stunning! I love it!
This is beautiful!!! You really make the cutest prettiest food ever! I know what my birthday cake is this year 😉
LOVE the video! You're a pastry rockstar, Heather. xoxo
This is the prettiest dessert I've ever seen! You are so talented.
Adore that third photo. I did think about you during the devastation of the tornado. I'm sorry about the damage to your home. New roof and siding is pretty major.
I couldn't help I notice at the bottom of your post, the cupcakes with the mustache. My husband grew a mustache with goatee this year. That would be so funny to make for him!!
Yep. Had to come back. The video!!! Adorable!! I giggled the whole way through. It is fantastic, entertaining, and informative. But…the entertaining part I love!
That is the most beautiful dessert I have ever seen. Just looking at the picture makes me happy. I would really like to post this and link right back to you if that is ok. Just beautiful.
GORGEOUS! I love making roulades too, but somehow I always forget I love making them, thanks for the reminder 🙂
Gorgeous as usual! I was just looking at a roulade recipe in a new German cookbook I bought today. Your great video may just give me the confidence to try and pull it off. I love your squishy faced co-stars and your pink mixer is beyond adorable.
This is a great creation, loving your composition in this set of pictures too! You get better and better, one of my MOST favorite blogs to read.
This is so freaking beautiful! Great cake!
So much beauty in one post, really! And the video was perfect. I'm adding this to my list of to-makes.
Just gorgeous. The video is super cute and helpful as well. So glad to hear you and your home are ok.
Very pretty & tasty I sure!
oh my goodness this is one of the cutest and most beautiful little cakes I have ever seen! Love love love this!
Es una delicia de postre. Con un color tan bonito!! Te feliciot por esta receta tan fantástica.
Besitos,
so sorry to hear you got caught up with the earth quakes but glad to hear the damage was only minor. Love the roulade how yummy and lovely, dee x
This looks like something my hubby would love, but I must admit I'm more of a chocolate lover myself. It sure did turn out pretty!
Good to hear you made it through the tornadoes. We can only imagine how frightening it must have been, and still is, for many. I agree, "creature comforts" are best at a time like this, and how nice of you to include us by giving us this recipe. It's so bright and cheery… simply stunning, as is your website! I can't wait to make it (it will be my first roulade!). All the best to you and yours, and all the others who have been affected by those tornadoes.
The video is completely adorable!!! I'm in MA so I'm pretty far away from any tornado damage, but I'm sure those who are going through tough times because of it will be cheered up by your video.
those are absolutely stunning! such a happy confection to bring joy to the world.
This looks so pretty!
Ok. This was the cutest thing I've ever seen…….I thought the dessert itself was adorable until I watched the video….Oh. My. Gosh.
*squee*
I loved your little helpers, too!
Ann
Those are just beautiful!
What a beautiful cake, great video too!
This is fabulous! I am so glad you included the video for those of us that need to visually see something to understand…such as myself 😉
Oh, Heavenly Heather! This is just so pretty and gorgeous AND heavenly! You take the best photographs of your creations also. I am saving this recipe and hope to try it one day. You are the master!
Best,
Gloria
ok. . . I am OBSESSED with your video! 🙂 WOW! 😉 makes it look SO easy!
SO pretty!
Did you hear the loud gasp that just came from my side of the computer screen? Seriously, this is the prettiest cake roll I've ever seen. Gorgoise!
so pretty! I am loving this!
Adorable! Almost too pretty to eat. Almost. 🙂
Laura
This is so pretty! And I loved the video too!
Love the video! Looks like fun to make. 🙂
I don't know what I like better: your roulade or the fact that you enjoy Bic Cristals just as much as I do.
Thank you for another lovely post and recipe!
Hi, I loved your blog, it´s beatiful, I´m Spanish, I don´t speak English but CONGRATULTIONS FOR YOU BLOG!!!!
It looks wonderful