Celebrate the holiday season with this scrumptious vanilla cake that's filled to the brim with a tangy-sweet cream cheese filling and topped with melted white chocolate! Plenty of red and green sprinkles add the PERFECT festive flair to this stunning holiday dessert recipe that's perfect for all your holiday entertaining needs and parties! Easy enough for novice bakers!
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Cooling Time2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs40 minutesmins
Course: Cakes & Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake recipes for Christmas, Christmas cake ideas, Christmas cake roll, Christmas roll, Christmas roll cake
Servings: 10
Calories: 527kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Cake
3large eggs
½cupgranulated sugar
1tablespoonvegetable or canola oil
1teaspoonvanilla extract
¾cupall-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonChristmas sprinklesor as desired
Cream Cheese Filling
8ouncescream cheesesoftened to room temp (use brick style cream cheese, nothing lite or spreadable)
6tablespoonsunsalted buttersoftened to room temp
1cupconfectioners' sugarsifted
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2tablespoonsChristmas sprinklesor as desired
White Chocolate Topping
½cupGhirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers
OR 1/2 cup white chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon coconut oiloil is optional but highly recommended if using chocolate chips
2tablespoonsChristmas sprinkles. or as desired
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F and line a 10x15x1-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, making sure to keep an overhang of 1 to 2 inches. I spray the parchment paper with cooking spray but it's optional. Set pan aside.
Cake - To a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and whisk or beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and pale yellow; set aside momentarily.
To a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients, including the flour, baking powder, salt, and whisk to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking or mixing just enough to combine, but don't overmix.
Turn the batter out into the prepared pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cake bounces back slightly when touched.
Roll Up (First Time) - Immediately (use hot mitts) life the entire sheet of parchment paper off the jelly roll pan, place it on the counter, and from the short side (10 inch side), roll up the cake as tightly as you can. Note - You are rolling up the cake WITH the parchment paper in it; this comes out later, don't worry.* (See Notes for Rolling Tips)
Place the rolled cake, seam side down, on a cooling rack to cool for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's fully cooled. Tips - Don't rush the cooling process because you want the cake to really set, kind of like your hair in hot rollers, don't remove until fully cooled for best results. Plus, a warm cake will melt the filling in the next steps, which is also undesirable.
Cream Cheese Filling - While your cake is cooling in the final moments, you can make the cream cheese filling. To a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, and beat with a handheld electric mixer, until smooth and fluffy. Tip - Make sure you are starting with very well-softened, room temperature ingredients, or this is nearly impossible to achieve.
Add the sifted confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and beat until smooth and fluffy. Tip - Make sure to use sifted confectioners' sugar or your cream cheese filling may look lumpy.
Unroll the cooled cake.
Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the interior flat surface. Spread it nearly to the perimeter but not quite, and leave a 1/2-inch bare margin.
Evenly sprinkle the sprinkles over the cream cheese filing.
Roll Up (Second Time) - Roll up the cake again, this time do NOT roll it up with the parchment paper. Roll just the cake itself.
Allow the cake roll to rest and set for about 30 minutes, seam side down. Tips - I personally wrap it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to really set it with the cool air. This also helps set the cream cheese filling.
White Chocolate - After the cake has rested/chilled, to a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers (strongly recommended) and heat in the microwave according to package directions, and the white chocolate can be stirred smooth. Alternatively, add white chocolate chips plus coconut oil (or shortening like Crisco) to a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in 15 second bursts, until the white chocolate can be stirred smooth; do not overheat because the chocolate will have a tendency to seize and you will have to start over.
Evenly spread or drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top of the cake roll.
Evenly add more sprinkles sprinkles.
Allow the white chocolate to fully set before slicing and serving. Christmas cake roll will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Note - Depending on the quality of the sprinkles used, they may have a tendency to run and bleed, making the visual appearance not quite as desirable. However, the taste will be fine.
Notes
*Cake Rolling Tips
Line the jelly roll pan with parchment paper and make sure the paper is about 2 inches longer than the pan on the ends.
When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately fold the parchment paper over the cake on one end and roll it up. If the cake has time to cool (more than just a minute or two), it will crack and won't roll properly.
When you spread your frosting over the cooled cake, make sure to spread it nearly all the way out to the edges, minus a bare 1/2-inch margin.
Then, roll the cake right back up and cover it with plastic wrap.
The best way to make sure the icing has time to really set is to place the rolled cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This also helps so when you frost it with the melted white chocolate, you know the frosting will set nicely.
Bottom Line - Take your time, but remember it's fine if there are slight tears or small rips in the cake. Many of them are going to be covered anyways as you roll it all up and then cover the top in melted white chocolate.
If you are really concerned, you can dust the rolled cake (before you frost it) with a fairly thick dusting of confectioners' sugar. Yes it'll be sweeter, but the sugar will conceal the imperfections just like I do with my Pumpkin Cake Roll.