• Home
  • About
    • About Olivia
    • The Pastry Diaries
    • Privacy & Disclosure
  • eBooks
  • Recipes
    • Cakes
      • Birthday Cakes
      • Bundt Cakes
      • Chocolate Cakes
      • Christmas Cakes
      • Classic Cakes
      • Drip Cakes
      • Easter Cakes
      • Fruity Cakes
      • Halloween Cakes
      • Naked Cakes
      • Thanksgiving Cakes
      • Valentine’s Cakes
      • Vanilla Cakes
    • Cookie Cups
    • Cookies
    • Frostings & Fillings
    • Holiday Desserts
  • Shop
  • Tutorials

Subscribe for the latest recipes:

Liv for Cake

Classic Cake Recipes with a Modern Twist

  • Home
  • About
    • About Olivia
    • The Pastry Diaries
    • Privacy & Disclosure
  • eBooks
  • Recipes
    • Cakes
      • Birthday Cakes
      • Bundt Cakes
      • Chocolate Cakes
      • Christmas Cakes
      • Classic Cakes
      • Drip Cakes
      • Easter Cakes
      • Fruity Cakes
      • Halloween Cakes
      • Naked Cakes
      • Thanksgiving Cakes
      • Valentine’s Cakes
      • Vanilla Cakes
    • Cookie Cups
    • Cookies
    • Frostings & Fillings
    • Holiday Desserts
  • Shop
  • Tutorials

Home » Cakes » Watercolor Cake Roll

Watercolor Cake Roll

By Olivia, 47 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Jump to Recipe

An easy way to fancy up a classic swiss cake roll with a pretty watercolor pattern.

A close up of a piece of cake

If you saw me in the kitchen, you’d never guess that I enjoy baking. I’m irritable and stressed out, and that’s when things are going well. If things aren’t, well, it’s best you stay as far away from the kitchen as possible. Ryan can tell you this from experience, for sure. Such was the case with this cake roll.

I’d been psyching myself up to make a cake roll since early January. I don’t know why I was so anxious about it exactly… I had made them in school before, and it wasn’t really a big deal. It is a bit of a process though, or at least I made it out to be one in my head, specifically because I wanted to do a pattern on it. That was my biggest hurdle — deciding how I wanted to do the pattern. I have this perfectionist complex coupled with the laziness of only wanting to do things ONCE, so I procrastinated for weeks.

Overhead shot of the cake roll with a slice cut.

So, the Valentine’s Cake Roll turned into a Spring Cake Roll. I finally mustered up the courage and kinda winged it. A patterned cake roll is actually really easy to do. You basically just pipe/spread a design onto a silicone mat or parchment, chill that, then spread the cake batter on top and bake.

I had some ideas of how I wanted to do the pattern, but none of them worked. I had only made a small amount of paste (just enough for what was needed), so it would have been hard to fill a piping bag and use a tip. I decided to try filling a plastic sandwich bag and clipping off the end. Has anyone actually used this technique with success? It was pretty much the worst thing ever. I tried to pipe nice round dots with it, only to end up with wonky, lopsided ovals. That was Epic Fail #1.

The Ultimate Cake Collection

Over 50 of my very favorite cake recipes all in one place! From Classic Cakes to Holiday favorites and everything in between.

Get your copy today!

Then I tried doing these designs with my offset spatula. Kind of like those fancy schmears you see on dessert plates in restaurants. That was Epic Fail #2.

Slice of the watercolor cake roll.

Finally, I scraped everything off and said &*%$ it. I elaborated on Fail #2 and covered the whole thing with alternating schmears of color. Going for kind of a “watercolor” look and hoping it wouldn’t look like total crap. I couldn’t really tell what it looked like after I had spread it on, since it would be the underside that was visible once the cake was done. Whatever, I was over it, into the fridge it went while I made the cake batter.

The batter was pretty straightforward, except that I made the mistake of cranking my mixer on high right away while whipping the egg yolks and not putting the guard up or covering it with a tea towel. When I finally looked over, I could see that all of the cabinets, counters, floor, and appliances in the vicinity had been nicely splattered with whipped egg yolks. &%^$. Ryan was looong gone by this time. Smart guy.

Watercolor cake roll with a slice cut out.

Thankfully, everything went swimmingly from then on. The cake baked up perfectly in my crappy uneven-baking oven, rolled up with no cracks, and the pattern turned out better than I thought it would!

I watched this video to see how to roll the cake up. It’s actually a good overall video of making a cake roll form start to finish. The only thing I did differently was use a silicone mat and roll the cake right up with the mat. I feel like it’s easier overall, so if you have a silicone mat, just use that!

The most important thing is that you roll the cake up while it’s still hot. DO NOT skip this step or it will crack all over when you try to roll it later. Roll it up hot, let it cool, unroll, frost, roll up again, done.

Close up of a slice of the cake roll.

I thought the cake might be bland and boring but it actually tastes amazing, despite the fact that I forgot to add the vanilla, so… don’t do that. Although, to be honest, it tasted so good that I’m not sure the vanilla is necessary.

This cake is delicious! A delicate vanilla sponge with a light vanilla whipped cream — a perfect and easy dessert for any time of year.

Notes & tips for this Watercolor Cake Roll:

  • Be sure to roll the cake up while it’s still hot. DO NOT skip this step or it will crack all over when you try to roll it later. Roll it up hot, let it cool, unroll, frost, roll up again, done.
  • If using parchment paper – spray sheet pan with cooking spray, line with parchment and spray again.
  • Watch this video for more information on how to make and roll the cake.
Watercolor cake roll with a slice cut out.
Print Rate
5 from 5 votes

Watercolor Cake Roll

An easy way to fancy up a classic swiss cake roll with a pretty watercolor pattern.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 287kcal
Author Olivia

Ingredients

Color Paste:

  • 1/4 cup cake flour 33g
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 25g, room temperature
  • 3 Tbsp powdered sugar 25g
  • 1 large egg white reserve yolk for cake
  • color gel

Cake:

  • 1/4 cup cake flour 33g, sifted
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk from paste recipe
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla optional
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar optional

Whipped Cream:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream 250ml, cold
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Color Paste:

  • Line a 12" x 17" sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper.*
  • Sift powdered sugar into a small bowl. Sift flour into another.
  • Cream butter and powdered sugar with a wooden spoon till smooth and pale. Add egg white and sifted flour and cream until smooth.
  • Separate paste and add a small amount of color gel into each using a toothpick.
  • Spread onto silicone mat in a swirling pattern, alternating colors. Place in fridge to set as you make the cake batter.

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 450F.
  • Whisk flour and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Separate 2 eggs. Place whites into a grease free bowl and set aside.
  • Place the two yolks into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add additional 2 eggs, reserved egg yolk and 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat on high for 5 minutes, until pale and tripled in volume. Beat in vanilla. **
  • Sift flour mixture over beaten eggs in 2 batches. Fold in until no streaks of flour remain.
  • Clean mixer bowl (if you don't have an extra) and wipe down with lemon juice to ensure there is no trace of grease.
  • Whip egg whites until foamy and add in cream of tartar. Whip until soft peaks and slowly add in 1 Tbsp of sugar. Whip until stiff peaks.
  • Gently fold whites into cake batter. Spread evenly in pan (on top of chilled color paste) and bake for 7mins or until cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch.
  • While still hot, loosen the edges with a small metal spatula or knife. Sprinkle cake lightly with powdered sugar and turn out onto parchment.

If using a silicone mat:

  • Flip cake over again with the silicone mat attached and roll up with the mat. Roll entire thing in a clean dish towel and allow to cool.

If using parchment:

  • Remove parchment from bottom of cake. Sprinkle powdered sugar over a clean tea towel. Flip cake over onto tea towel, roll up, and allow to cool completely.

Whipped Cream:

  • Place mixer bowl and whisk into the fridge for 30mins to chill.
  • Place cream, sugar, and vanilla into mixer bowl and whip on high until stiff peaks.

Assembly:

  • Gently unroll cake. Spread whipped cream evenly over surface leaving a 1/2" border. Roll up tightly and refrigerate for 30mins or up to 3 hours. Serve same day.

Recipes You May Like

  • A bundt cake on a white cake stand sitting on top of a wooden table.
    Rum & Eggnog Bundt Cake
  • A cake with fruit on top of a table
    Cranberry Orange Cake
  • This spiderweb cake is perfect for Halloween! A rich black cocoa cake with an orange flavoured buttercream. | livforcake.com
    Spiderweb Cake
  • A decorated cake on a table
    Pink Champagne Cake

Notes

* If using parchment paper - spray sheet pan with cooking spray, line with parchment and spray again. ** At this point i transferred the beaten eggs to a large bowl as I needed to reuse the mixer bowl for the whites. Watch this video for more information on how to make and roll the cake. Cake roll recipe adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible.
Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 55mgPotassium: 79mgSugar: 19gVitamin A: 690IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 0.6mg
The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

photo collage

Learn How to Bake the Perfect Cake!

Tips, techniques, and troubleshooting to help ensure your cakes come out perfect every single time!

Get your copy today!

Hungry for more?

Join our Baking community on Facebook!
Follow Liv for Cake on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter
Or sign up to get free recipes by email!

Subscribe for the latest recipes

March 13, 2016

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. sophie says

    November 18, 2020 at 11:57 AM

    5 stars
    awesomeeeeeee
    i love this so much!
    what fillings do you recommend without using cream tyy!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      November 18, 2020 at 2:59 PM

      Hi Sophie! So glad you love it! You can use a buttercream if you prefer or a mousse, or even just something simple like jam.

      Reply
  2. Maya says

    July 26, 2020 at 8:11 PM

    Beautiful cake! I was just wondering what the texture of the color paste is like once it’s baked? Does it separate from the actual sponge is some places? 🤔 just wondering whether to use the cake batter itself for patterns..(before adding the egg whites of course)

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 27, 2020 at 2:07 PM

      Hi Maya! It doesn’t separate at all! I know some people just use the cake batter for it though.

      Reply
  3. Lauren says

    May 2, 2020 at 7:40 AM

    I made this for my mother’s birthday. It was a really delicate and light treat! When I took the cake out of the oven I was worried because it looked a lot more brown than the photos but once I put a dusting of powdered sugar on it, it got that nice pastel finish. Next time I think I will make a bit more paste as there were some areas that I could not spread to cover the whole cake. Thanks for the great recipe and instructions!

    Reply
  4. Sheila says

    April 25, 2020 at 11:53 AM

    5 stars
    Just finished making this. I love your recipes. I’ve made a number of rolls in the past but first time to do inlay. Your directions were great and love the way it turned out. So springy like the season and the texture. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 26, 2020 at 4:07 PM

      Hi Sheila! Thanks so much for the amazing feedback. I’m so glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  5. Brittany says

    March 15, 2019 at 1:56 PM

    Looks beautiful! What colors and amount did you use? Thanks! 😁

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 16, 2019 at 10:27 AM

      Hi Brittany! I’m sorry I didn’t mention it. I don’t remember which ones I used! Any pink or blue would do, and just enough to get the colors you like. I used a toothpick to color it.

      Reply
  6. Paloma says

    April 13, 2017 at 9:58 PM

    5 stars
    I think we have a lot in common when it comes to baking because reading this was like seeing myself! I laughed so hard because I know how irritated I get if things go wrong and my boyfriend knows to stay far…far away too.

    I love this post I can’t wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 14, 2017 at 1:17 PM

      Haha, I am glad I’m not alone!! I hope you like this and have less issues than I did 😉

      Reply
  7. Danielle D says

    December 15, 2016 at 4:38 AM

    Beautiful! For some reason mine turned out tasting just like a fried omelet? Any advice

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      December 15, 2016 at 9:09 AM

      Hi Danielle! It sounds to me like maybe the batter was deflated before baking. Possibly during the folding process? It should be very light and airy and you need to bake it right away so it doesn’t deflate. Does that sound like it was the culprit?

      Reply
  8. Megha says

    October 20, 2016 at 10:08 AM

    Hi Olivia, I love how this looks and wanted to make it for my daughters birthday. I saw your recipe says ‘Serve same day’. But, I was wondering if I could make it Sunday afternoon and serve Monday afternoon? Will it still be fine.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      October 20, 2016 at 3:51 PM

      Hi!! Truthfully, I did eat it the next day and it was fine. It’s just “better” to serve it same day due to the whipping cream. It should be fine the next day though! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jane says

    September 9, 2016 at 8:08 PM

    hi Olivia! Love the colors on your cake roll 🙂 pastels always appeal to me… please bear with me but is it correct to assume that the color paste is first spread on the baking pan, chilled then the batter spread on top of it after, then baked? It wasn’t indicated in your procedure where the paste goes after making the batter. Hope it’s okay asking this…

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 10, 2016 at 9:03 AM

      Hi Jane! Yep, that’s right. It’s the last step listed under Color Paste in the instructions, but I will clarify it in the cake section :).

      Reply
  10. Karla k says

    June 9, 2016 at 9:14 PM

    Thank you Olivia!! I made this today and I love it!! Delicious!! I share your blog… 😘

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 10, 2016 at 8:38 AM

      Hi Karla! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  11. Melonie says

    April 29, 2016 at 8:28 PM

    This is such a pretty cake. I’m toying with making it for a church potluck this Sunday. 1/2 cup pastry flour doesn’t seem like very much for a whole cake. Is that a correct measurement?
    It really is beautiful though.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 30, 2016 at 11:19 AM

      Hi Melonie! That’s the correct amount, since this is a sponge cake it’s heavy on the eggs and lighter on the flour. Let me know how you like it!

      Reply
  12. June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says

    March 19, 2016 at 11:24 AM

    I can relate to your cake roll anxiety 😛 I’ve had bad experiences with them in the past, but honestly they are so worth the effort…this one looks incredible, I love the colors!!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 19, 2016 at 11:42 AM

      They ARE worth the effort, I agree :). Thanks so much June! xo

      Reply
  13. Nancy @ gottagetbaked says

    March 16, 2016 at 4:07 PM

    Lol, as much as I love baking, i’m usually stressed out and irritable in the kitchen too! Why is that?! I love hearing about your angst and type-A perfectionist ways. It’s part of your charm! And Liv, this cake is simply gorgeous. Those colours are so soft and pretty, perfect for spring. I’ve never made a roll cake because they’re intimidating as hell but you’ve inspired me to try. And thanks for all the tips, especially rolling it while still hot. You’re the best!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 17, 2016 at 9:15 AM

      Haha, somehow I am not surprised that you are the same in the kitchen!! 😉 Cake rolls were mega intimidating to me too, but now that I’ve done one I don’t know what I was so worried about. You should try one! And thank you!! xo <3

      Reply
  14. Megan @ Meg is Well says

    March 16, 2016 at 8:00 AM

    Ah, thanks for sharing! I thought I was the only one like that in the kitchen. I’ve had no luck with plastic bags either. I always end up doing more “abstract” decorations instead because I suck so much at piping. I love the look of it though! It looks exactly like water color.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 16, 2016 at 8:54 AM

      Thanks Megan!! 😀

      Reply
  15. jacquee | i sugar coat it! says

    March 16, 2016 at 5:16 AM

    Love the light spring colours – like a roll of cotton candy!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 16, 2016 at 8:54 AM

      Thank you Jacquee! <3 🙂

      Reply
  16. Catherine says

    March 15, 2016 at 10:43 AM

    Dear Olivia, your roll cake is absolutely stunning! What a gorgeous dessert my dear..almost too pretty to eat. You are an artist! xo, Catherine

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 15, 2016 at 11:30 AM

      Thank you so much Catherine! You are too sweet 🙂

      Reply
  17. Charlotte says

    March 15, 2016 at 3:02 AM

    5 stars
    I just rated this a 5 on looks only. It looks so good and it will make a beautiful Easter dessert. I’ll let you know how it turns out. If I can master the cake, I suppose you could use many color combinations. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 15, 2016 at 10:40 AM

      Thanks Charlotte! I am sure you will knock it out of the park! It’s actually really easy. Just make sure to roll the cake up while it’s still hot :).

      Reply
  18. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    March 14, 2016 at 6:57 PM

    Wow Olivia, what a PERFECT spring dessert! I just love the colors! Sometimes I have to muster up the courage to try different things in the kitchen too! Glad you tried this and thanks so much for sharing it!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 14, 2016 at 7:18 PM

      Thank you so much Mary Ann! I’m happy with how the colors turned out 🙂

      Reply
  19. Suchi @ Elegant Meraki says

    March 14, 2016 at 12:28 PM

    5 stars
    Love the colors! I just came across your blog and its beautiful. Cake looks absolutely delish. I like how you moved from doing dots to this.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 14, 2016 at 12:47 PM

      Thank you Suchi! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Mel @ The Refreshanista says

    March 14, 2016 at 9:15 AM

    Haha sounds like me in the kitchen! I’m a total perfectionist, my husband knows to stay far away from me while I’m cooking, I get a little scary! This cake is so pretty 🙂

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 14, 2016 at 10:41 AM

      Haha! So funny. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only crazy person out there! Thanks so much. xoxo

      Reply
  21. [email protected] says

    March 14, 2016 at 5:55 AM

    I can relate to being stressed in the kitchen – you’re describing me! I think it’s perhaps because we’re perfectionists and what things to be just perfect…
    …This roll cake certainly is!!!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 14, 2016 at 8:43 AM

      Yes, it’s for sure the perfectionism!! And thank you!! 🙂

      Reply
  22. calista says

    March 13, 2016 at 7:16 PM

    Oh. My. Goodness. <333
    Teach me your ways.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 13, 2016 at 7:17 PM

      🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you!!

      Reply
  23. Dini @ The Flavor Bender says

    March 13, 2016 at 6:55 PM

    This is so beautiful! Absolutely loving it! I just pictured myself when you described how you are when you bake – I am the same way and shamefully have experienced full blown melt downs when things have gone wrong! 😀 I love making roll cakes but never attempted colouring it for fear of another meltdown! I think I’ll have to clear a safe zone and just give it a go one day! This definitely inspired me to 😀

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 13, 2016 at 11:25 PM

      Thanks so much Dini! Glad to hear I’m not alone 🙂 I have had my fair share of meltdowns! The coloring was actually super easy once I stopped trying so hard to make it perfect — go figure. I hope you try it!

      Reply
  24. Samantha @MyKitchenLove says

    March 13, 2016 at 5:53 PM

    Beauty! It looks like you got it perfect the first time even if that wasn’t the case! Love the colours you picked; perfect for Spring!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 13, 2016 at 6:49 PM

      Ahh thank you!! I’m happy with how it turned out :). xo

      Reply
How To Bake The Perfect Cake

Learn How to Bake the Perfect Cake!

Tips, techniques, and troubleshooting to help ensure your cakes come out perfect every single time!

Get your copy today!

Featured Posts

A cake sitting on top of a wooden table

Tiramisu Cake With Mascarpone Buttercream

Slice of chocolate ganache tart on a plate with caramel drizzle.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart

A decorated cake on a cake stand

Chai Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Pear & Walnut Cake with Honey Buttercream is the perfect way to kick off the Fall season. | livforcake.com

Pear & Walnut Cake with Honey Buttercream

A cake sitting on top of a table

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake

A close up of a stack of cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

featured
olivia

Welcome to liv for cake!

I'm Olivia, a professionally trained pastry chef, recipe developer, and photographer from Vancouver, BC. Creating classic cake recipes with a modern twist.
Read More

sig

Subscribe for the latest recipes:

Copyright © 2010 - 2021, Liv for Cake. All Rights Reserved. Privacy & Disclosure
Design by Pixel Me Designs