Red Velvet Roulade
 
Makes 8 to 10 Servings
Ingredients
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature and separated
  • ⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3½ tablespoons whole buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 (1-ounce) bottle red liquid food coloring*
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • Peppermint Buttercream (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: crushed peppermint candies
Peppermint Buttercream
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 4 tablespoons whole buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 14½×9½-inch jelly roll pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper; spray parchment.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat egg yolks at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add brown sugar, and beat until mixture is thick and pale and falls in ribbons, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer egg yolk mixture to a large bowl.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in salt. Set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and espresso powder until well combined and espresso granules dissolve.
  5. Add flour mixture to egg yolk mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, folding just until combined after each addition.
  6. Clean bowl of stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium speed until foamy. With mixer on medium speed, add granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream, stopping to scrape sides of bowl; increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter in three additions until no streaks remain. Quickly spread batter into prepared pan; gently shake pan a few times to evenly spread batter. (Do not overwork batter or it will deflate.)
  7. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and springs back when lightly touched in center, 8 to 12 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, using a fine-mesh sieve, sift confectioners’ sugar onto a clean, thin kitchen towel. Immediately loosen cake from sides of pan, if needed; turn out onto prepared towel so short side of cake is nearly flush with short side of towel. Gently peel off and discard parchment paper. Starting at short side flush with towel edge, roll up cake and towel together, and place, seam side down, on a wire rack. Let cool completely.
  9. Gently unroll cake; brush away any excess confectioners’ sugar. Using a small offset spatula, spread 1½ cups Peppermint Buttercream over top of cake, leaving a ½-inch border. Reroll cake without towel. (It’s OK if thin patches of cake’s outer layer stick to towel.) Transfer cake, seam side down, to a serving plate. Spread remaining buttercream on outside of cake, leaving ends exposed, swirling with the back of a spoon. Garnish with crushed peppermint, if desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Peppermint Buttercream
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and salt at medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, gradually add confectioners’ sugar alternately with buttermilk, beating until combined. Add peppermint extract; increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Use immediately.
Notes
*We used McCormick Red Food Color.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/red-velvet-roulade/