Introducing our Grinch Cake Roll which is perfect for the holiday season. This fluffy vanilla cake is rolled with vanilla frosting, drizzled with green ganache and topped with colorful red hearts.
This super festive grinch themed cake roll is a fun Christmas dessert that your friends and family are sure to love. When we put this one together, we wanted to make sure it was equally delicious and festive and we certainly achieved that goal.
Grinch themed desserts are popular during the holiday season. We have also made grinch macarons with red velvet ganache, grinch hot cocoa bombs and grinch cupcakes.
This cake roll does have several steps to make it, but it's only about 25 minutes of active prep and baking time. The rest of the time is chill time for the cake.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Green Food Coloring
- Butter - unsalted + softened
- Powdered Sugar
- Green Candy Melts
- Heavy Cream
- Red Heart Sprinkles
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make a Grinch Cake Roll
Follow these super easy step-by-step instructions and process shots to bake up your very own Grinch Cake Roll.
Step one: Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 12x17 pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
Step two: In a bowl, add eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Mix on medium for about 5 minutes.
Step three: Add vanilla, green food coloring, flour and cornstarch. Fold together until well combined.
Step four: Combine egg whites and sugar in a separate bowl. Whip for 2 - 3 minutes.
Step five: add whipped egg whites to other bowl with cake batter and gently fold until well combined.
Step six: Pour batter into pan and bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until light brown.
Step seven: Once cake is cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with parchment paper that extends over the cake by 2 inches.
Step eight: Flip the cake so that it is on the parchment paper on the counter out of the pan. Sprinkle with another layer of powdered sugar.
Step nine: Carefully roll the cake so that the parchment is rolled into the cake and set aside to completely cool.
Step ten: Mix butter, powdered sugar and vanilla on low until combined. Then mix on medium for 2 - 3 minutes until it gets fluffy. Unroll the cake and spread the frosting over top.
Step eleven: Carefully reroll the cake as tightly as possible without the parchment paper included and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step twelve: In a bowl add green candy melts and heavy cream. Heat at 30 second intervals in the microwave until melted.
Step thirteen: Pour the green ganache over the cake, using a spatula to even it out. Top with red heart sprinkles.
Hint: make sure to roll the cake as tightly as possible without causing it to break or fall apart. This will help keep it formed in a nice roll.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Use a wire rack: when adding the ganache to the top of the cake - set the cake on a wire rack and that way it can fall through onto parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Make sure to chill: cooling the cake at each step is important. If it's too hot, it won't easily come out of the pan or the frosting can melt.
- Use a serrated knife: when cutting the cake into slices a serrated knife works best to get a nice clean cut without tearing it apart.
Storage
This cake should be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 - 4 days. If it will be kept longer, it should be frozen.
It can be frozen whole or in slices and then placed in an airtight container or freezer bags for up to a year. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Grinch Cake Roll
Equipment
- Parchment Paper
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 12x17 pan
- Microwave Safe Bowl
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 whole Eggs
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 3 Egg Whites
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Sugar plus 1 tablespoon
- ⅓ cup Flour
- 3 tablespoon Cornstarch
- Green Food Coloring
- 1 cup butter unsalted + softened
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 cup Green Candy Melts
- 3 tablespoon Heavy Cream
- Red Heart Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 12x17 pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
- Mix 2 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks and ½ cup sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes until it turns pale yellow and thickens.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, several drops of green food coloring, ⅓ cup flour and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Fold together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine 3 egg whites and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Whip on high for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Combine whipped egg whites with cake batter and gently fold together.
- Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Center should be set and cake should be light brown.
- Allow cake to cool for 5 - 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle cake with thin layer of powdered sugar and top with parchment paper 2 inches larger than cake.
- Flip cake so that it is on the new parchment paper on the counter and carefully remove pan.
- Sprinkle cake with another light layer of powdered sugar. Then roll cake up so that the parchment paper is rolled with it.
- Allow cake to continue cooling.
- Add 1 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and combine on low speed.
- Once everything in combined, bump speed to medium for another 2 - 3 minutes or until it is smooth and fluffy.
- Once cake is totally cooled, unroll and spread frosting on top.
- Carefully reroll cake as tightly as possible without the parchment paper.
- Chill cake for at least 30 minutes.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add 1 cup green candy melts and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Heat in microwave at 30 second intervals until melted.
- Pour green ganache over top of the cake roll using a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle red heart sprinkles on top for decoration.
Notes
- Make sure to allow cake to cool at each step noted so that it comes out of the pan easily, doesn't crumble during rolling and the frosting doesn't melt.
- Use a wire rack with adding ganache so it can drip through to parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Use a serrated knife for cutting clean slices.
- Make it faster by starting with a cake mix.
- Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 - 4 days. Or freeze whole or in slices for up to a year.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
