I like to think that my love for all things winter is intrinsic, that it has been a part of me since my birth on the winter solstice on a day so cold oil froze. I’ve counted down the months until winter every year since I was a child, holding my breath until the first flakes of snow fell from the sky.
Since I’ve started baking, I wait for the cooler months to make my favorite kinds of treats. Warmly spiced and citrusy creations take center stage and I can never, never get enough cranberries. This recipe is a take on a traditional rolled cake in which the layers are wrapped around each other to form what looks like a standard layer cake, only when you slice into it do you reveal the lovely pink cranberry curd striating the cake vertically.
Cake design inspired by Linda Lomelino’s beyond gorgeous vertical roll cakes.
vanilla sponge cake
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 1 cake
Ingredients
- 1 c (120 g) cake flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- ¾ c (150 g) superfine sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a half sheet pan or jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat eggs and sugar on high speed until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated, then add the vanilla and water and gently finish by hand with a wooden spoon.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, gently nudging the batter nearly to the edges of the pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes, just until the cake springs back to the touch and is beginning to pull away from the walls of the baking sheet.
- Generously sprinkle granulated sugar on a large, clean kitchen towel. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan by running a knife around the edges, then invert onto the kitchen towel. Trim any crisp edges, then gently but firmly roll the cake up in the towel, beginning with a short end. Allow the cake to come to room temperature on a cooling rack with the loose edge underneath.
- When the cake has cooled, unroll it onto a large work surface, keeping the towel underneath. Measure and cut 3 equal, long strips of cake, cutting from short side to short side. If the layers aren’t perfectly even they can be leveled later.
- Spread a layer of cranberry curd on each layer, then begin to roll the first layer firmly and evenly. Place the end of the second layer next to the loose end of the first and continue to roll, repeat with the last layer. Turn the cake upright (swirled side up) on a serving plate or cake stand and level with a serrated knife if necessary.
- Thinly ice the cake, then refrigerate for 15 minutes and coat the cake in a thick layer of icing, decorate if desired, and serve. Best if served immediately.
spiced cranberry curd
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: about 2 c
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries, preferably fresh
- ½ c fresh orange juice
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 egg yolks plus 3 whole eggs
- 1 c (198 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ c butter, cut into cubes
- ¼ c lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Place cranberries, orange juice, cinnamon stick and cloves in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Reduce, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop and sauce is very thick. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare a double boiler by placing a stainless steel bowl over a pot containing 1 inch of simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly but not touch the surface of the water. Remove the bowl and set aside until ready for use.
- Strain the cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl. Use a wooden spoon to force it through the strainer if needed. Combine ⅔ c of the cranberry reduction, the eggs, yolks, and sugar in the stainless steel bowl and place over the pot of simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then remove from heat. Slowly add the butter a piece at a time while stirring, then add the lemon juice, stir, and strain the curd into a small bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and allow to cool. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
eggnog buttercream
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 3 c
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, at room temperature
- 2 c (227 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 tbsp egg nog
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 8 minutes. Add vanilla extract, egg nog, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Best if used immediately.
This cake is just stunning! I love how perfect it is for Christmas too. Gorgeous ❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Madeline!
This is stunning and I’d love to attempt it. Is it possible to make it as a layer cake and not a roll? If so, can you please tell me the size pans I’d need and how many? Thank you.
Yes, of course! I’d use the cake recipe from my thyme butter cake, if you shoot me an email at ohhoneybakes@gmail.com I’d be more than happy to send you the modifications! You could make it with 3 x 6 inch pans or 2 x 8 inch. Sorry I’m just now seeing your comment!