Peppermint Roll Cake

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F
2. Line a 15 x 10” jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving an extra 1-inch of parchment sticking up on both 15-inch sides of the pan so that you can easily lift the cake out and roll it up after baking. *Do not spray with cooking spray or butter…greasing the pan messes up the angel food!
3. Mix angel food cake mix with water and 1/4 tsp peppermint extract according to package directions.
4. Pour cake mix into the jelly roll pan, smoothing to make an even layer.
5. Bake at 325F for 15 minutes until slightly browned on top and it has risen to the top.
6. Take the cake from the oven and then lay out a kitchen towel (larger in size than the 10 x 15” cake) and dust it with powdered sugar. Remove the cake from the pan by lifting up on the edges and then place it cake-side down on the towel. Pull away the parchment paper and then dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
7. Starting at one of the 10” sides, start rolling up the cake into the towel while it’s still warm until the whole thing is like a round tube.
8. Place the rolled cake into the fridge to cool for at least an hour (up to overnight).
9. Next, make the filling by placing the whipping cream in a large metal bowl or stand mixer and whisking the cream until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and peppermint extract, red food coloring and 1/4 cup crushed candies and keep beating until stiff peaks form. Keep the filling refrigerated until ready to assemble the cake.
10. When the cake has cooled, unroll it and then spread the filling across the top of it, leaving about 2 inches on one of the 10” sides bare so as to create a seam.
11. Roll the cake from the covered 10” side toward the side that’s bare on 2” which then creates a closure and seam and roll that so the seam is on the bottom.
12. Keep refrigerated and serve chilled.
13. If you want to garnish, you can dust with additional powdered sugar, drizzle with melted white chocolate or top with candied cranberries.
14. You can candy cranberries by heating 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan over medium high heat until it boils and allow it to boil 5 minutes. Then dip the cranberries in the boiled sugar water and then toss with more sugar.