Rainbow Roll Cakern

close up shot of Rainbow Roll Cake on a wooden board

A delightful vision of vibrant rainbow stripes, this rainbow roll cake is moist and sweet with a creamy buttercream filling inside.

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Table of Contents

Rainbow Roll Cake Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Rainbow Cake Roll Recipe
How To Serve This Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe
Storing This Rainbow Swiss Roll Cake
Why We Love This Recipe
More Recipes You’ll Love
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It’s hard to resist the allure of this vibrant rainbow roll cake with the bright colors of the moist cake wrapped around a creamy buttercream filling that is just begging to be eaten. So get ready to impress your friends and family with this delicious show-stopper!

Rainbow Roll Cake Ingredients

Rainbow Roll Cake raw ingredients that are labeled

If you’re a fan of colorful and whimsical desserts, then the rainbow roll cake is definitely worth a try.

This vibrant dessert features a layer of light and airy sponge cake that is dyed in a variety of bright colors and then rolled up with a sweet filling.

You’ll need:

For The Rainbow Cake:

¾ cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of pure almond extract
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food color
Powdered sugar for dusting

For The Buttercream Filling:

¾ cup of salted sweet cream butter, softened
1 teaspoon of clear vanilla flavoring
½ teaspoon of almond extract
2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of heavy cream

Substitutions And Additions

FOOD COLORING: We recommend gel food coloring in this rainbow cake recipe. You will get a nice bright color with only a few drops, while liquid food coloring will require quite a bit for equally vibrant rainbow colors.

SPRINKLES: Add rainbow sprinkles onto the filling once it has been spread for an extra pop of color in the middle of your cake.

FILLING: Get creative with your filling choices! Instead of the classic buttercream, try using flavored cream cheese, Nutella, or fruit preserves for a unique taste.

Consider incorporating fresh fruits like strawberries, raspberries, or sliced kiwi to complement the cake’s sweetness and add a burst of freshness.

TOPPINGS: Customize your cake further by adding toppings like chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or chocolate shavings to the whipped cream before rolling.

How To Make This Rainbow Cake Roll Recipe

To make this rainbow dessert, you’ll need a little bit of time to create the colorful rainbow cake, but you will be rewarded with a beautiful treat once it is ready.

Our step-by-step instructions will walk you through the process.

Rainbow Cake

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10x15x1-inch baking sheet (jelly roll pan) with parchment paper. Set it aside.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Make sure you are using an actual jelly roll pan. You cannot substitute a cookie sheet for a jelly roll pan as it will not produce the cake you are hoping for.

STEP TWO: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

STEP THREE: Beat eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, and almond extract for five to six minutes until thickened and light yellow.

Use either a stand mixer or a medium bowl and a handheld electric mixer at high speed.

eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract blended together in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Gently fold in the flour mixture until combined.

PRO TIP:

It is very important to be gentle when folding in the flour and the color. It’s important to keep as much of the air bubbles in the batter as possible to keep the cake fluffy.

flour mixture added to the egg mixture and then folded together in a bowl

STEP FIVE: Quickly and gently divide the batter between six small bowls, about two-thirds of a cup each.

STEP SIX: Add one color of the gel food color per bowl.

Depending on how dark you want to tint the batter, we recommend three to five drops.

Gently fold the gel into the cake batter.

STEP SEVEN: Spoon the individual colors into six disposable piping bags or quart-size Ziploc bags. Secure the tops of the bags.

PRO TIP:

Place each bag in a bowl or cup with the cut end up so the batter doesn’t spill out while piping the layers in the cake pan.

piping bags with cut tips with end point pointing up

STEP EIGHT: Lightly spray the prepared baking sheet with nonstick spray, paying close attention to the edges.

STEP NINE: Snip off a small corner of the bag. Starting at one corner of the prepared baking sheet, gently squeeze a small amount of the red batter.

Be sure to keep the line as straight as possible. Next, gently squeeze a line of orange batter ¾ inch-1 inch wide.

Follow with the yellow, green, blue, and purple batter. Continue until the pan has been covered.

Lightly tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles in the cake batter. Bake for eight minutes.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.

red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple squeezed into parchment sheet

STEP TEN: Remove the pan from the oven. Measure out a piece of parchment paper to roll the cake in.

PRO TIP:

You can use a tea towel to wrap the warm cake roll in, but the rainbow colors will stain the tea towel. The parchment paper is disposable and will not stain.

You will need to leave about a 2-inch overhang to begin the cake roll. Lightly dust the baked cake.

cake dusted lightly before removing form pan

STEP ELEVEN: Have a large cutting board or cooling rack ready to aid in the cake transfer.

STEP TWELVE: While the cake is warm, lay the piece of parchment paper over the powdered sugar-dusted cake.

Place the cutting board or cooling rack on top of the parchment.

Carefully flip the cake over so that the cake is resting on the dusted piece of parchment and cutting board/cooling rack.

cake cover with parchment and flipped onto a cutting board or cooling rack

STEP THIRTEEN: Remove the upside-down cake pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper that the cake was baked on.

STEP FOURTEEN: Fold the overhanging end of the new piece of parchment paper up onto the cake.

Gently and patiently, start rolling the shorter side of the cake towards the other short side.

The parchment paper will be rolled up inside the cake. Once rolled, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

PRO TIP:

Be patient when rolling and unrolling the cake roll. Unrolling too quickly can cause cracks in the cake.

Buttercream Filling

STEP ONE: Beat the softened butter for 1 to 1½ minutes until smooth.

Use either a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed.

STEP TWO: Add the clear vanilla and the almond extract and continue mixing for another 30 seconds.

STEP THREE: Lower the mixer speed to low speed and beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time.

Alternate with heavy cream. Increase the speed back up to medium-high and continue mixing for one more minute until smooth.

powdered sugar and heavy cream blended together in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Once the cake has completely cooled, gently unroll the cake.

Using either a silicone spatula or an offset spatula, spread the layer of buttercream filling over the surface of the cake roll, avoiding the outer edges.

filling spread over the cake avoiding edges

STEP FIVE: Tear off two sheets of plastic wrap to overlap the long edges and lightly spray with nonstick spray. This is for tightly wrapping the filled cake roll.

STEP SIX: Slowly roll the cake back up as before. Transfer the cake roll to the prepared plastic wrap. Roll the finished cake roll up in the plastic wrap.

Once finished wrapping, twist the ends tightly to seal the cake roll securely. Chill in the refrigerator for six hours.

Remove just before serving to slice the cake into ten ½-inch slices.

cake wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated on a tray

How To Serve This Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

This delicious rainbow roll cake would be a fun alternative to a traditional birthday cake.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of whipped cream on top for a fabulous way to celebrate any occasion.

For something to drink, try pairing it with a warm beverage such as a homemade hot chocolate or latte.

Once you get the hang of making roll cakes, our strawberry roll cake and caramel banana cake roll are two more recipes that should not be missed.

MORE ROLL CAKE RECIPES

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Carrot Cake Roll With Cream Cheese Filling

Poke Cakes

Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake

Storing This Rainbow Swiss Roll Cake

If you are planning to make this yummy cake for a special event, consider making it ahead of time and have it checked off your list before things get busy.

MAKE AHEAD: You can bake the colorful sponge cake layers ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.

You can also whip up the filling and keep it refrigerated separately for the same duration.

When you’re ready to assemble the cake, simply follow the assembly steps in the original recipe.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of this rainbow Swiss roll recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the cake roll for up to three months. Wrap the plastic-wrapped cake roll in a layer of aluminum foil.

Allow the cake roll to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

close up shot of a slice of Rainbow Roll Cake on a plate

Why We Love This Recipe

VISUALLY STUNNING: The cake is a feast for the eyes. Its vibrant, colorful layers make it a showstopper at any gathering or celebration. It’s the perfect dessert to add a pop of color.

LIGHT AND FLUFFY TEXTURE: The sponge cake layers are incredibly light and fluffy, providing a delicate and airy texture that contrasts beautifully with the creamy filling.

CROWD-PLEASER: This cake is a guaranteed hit with both kids and adults. Its combination of colorful appeal and delightful taste makes it a dessert that everyone will enjoy.

This eye-catching treat is perfect for a birthday party or special occasion, and it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. Whether you’re a kitchen novice or an experienced baker, you can create a beautiful rainbow roll cake with just a few simple steps.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is a jelly roll pan the same as a baking sheet?

A jelly roll pan is different from a baking sheet. It’s important to use a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan for this cake as you want it to be nice and thin. A baking sheet will not work for this recipe.

Can I freeze this rainbow cake roll?

This easy rainbow roll recipe can be frozen, well-wrapped, for up to four months.

Why did my rainbow roll crack?

Your cake needs to be rolled into the towel as soon as it comes out of the oven. When the cake is rolled while warm, the heat and moisture will help give you a crack-free cake. The cake is much more likely to crack if it is rolled when cooled.

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