My cake cracked when I rolled it. Help!

It probably cooled too much before the initial roll. For rescue, fill and roll anyway, chill, then mask cracks with frosting or powdered sugar. Next time, roll while warm.

Can I skip the red food coloring?

Yes. Traditional red velvet relies on cocoa and buttermilk reaction; the color won’t be blazing red but will still taste like red velvet.

Can I make this with whipped cream instead of cream cheese?

Sure, but whipped cream is softer and may ooze. Stabilize with a little mascarpone or gelatin if you prefer whipped cream filling.

How thick should each slice be?

Aim for ½–¾ inch slices to get that perfect frosted spiral without overwhelming portions.

Is this the same as a Red Velvet Roulade?

Yep — roulade, jelly roll, Swiss roll — different names, same delightful spiral.

Ultimate Moist Red Velvet Cake Roll — Decadent, Show-Stopping Dessert

Description

Red Velvet Roll Cake — a tender, cocoa-kissed sponge wrapped around a tangy cream-cheese filling. Light, velvety, and super photogenic — perfect for holidays or any time you want a dessert that looks fancy but isn’t fussy.

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake

¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour — spooned into the cup and leveled
¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
4 large eggs
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
2 Tbsp buttermilk (or 2 Tbsp milk + ½ tsp vinegar; mix and let sit 5 minutes)
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp red food coloring (about one 1-oz bottle)
powdered sugar, optional for dusting

Cream-cheese filling

8 oz (226 g) block cream cheese, cold
½ cup (113 g / 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Warm up the oven & prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the jelly-roll pan with parchment, letting an inch or two hang over the short edges for easy lifting. If any edges of the pan remain exposed, grease and flour them well.
Combine dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk (or use a hand mixer), beat the eggs on medium speed about 4–5 minutes until they’re pale and foamy. With the mixer running, gradually pour in the granulated sugar and oil so they incorporate smoothly.
Add the liquids. Stir in the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and red food coloring until the batter looks uniform.
Fold in the dry mix. Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet batter until just incorporated — don’t overmix or you’ll lose the air you just whipped in.
Bake the sheet cake. Spread the batter evenly across the prepared pan. Bake 13–15 minutes, until the surface springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
Roll while warm. Immediately lift the hot cake from the pan using the parchment and place it on a wire rack. Let it rest 2–3 minutes to release steam. Fold the short end of the parchment over and roll the cake up tightly (parchment and all) from that short end. Leaving it rolled while it cools trains the cake to hold its shape and prevents cracking.
Make the filling. While the cake cools, beat the cold cream cheese with room-temperature butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy. Chill briefly if the filling seems too soft.
Fill and re-roll. Once the roll is completely cool, unroll it gently and discard the parchment. If the cake feels extra sticky, let it sit unrolled 5 minutes to dry slightly. Dollop the cream-cheese mixture over the surface, leaving a ½-inch border along the edge you’ll finish rolling toward. Spread evenly with an offset spatula (keep the spatula tip in the filling as you spread to avoid pulling crumbs into the frosting). Re-roll the cake snugly but without squeezing out the filling.
Chill before slicing. Wrap the finished roll in plastic and refrigerate (or freeze) for 1–2 hours to firm up the filling — this makes slicing neat, tidy, and attractive.
Serve. Unwrap, dust with powdered sugar if you like, and slice into 12 pieces with a serrated knife. Wipe the blade between cuts for the cleanest slices.

Notes

No-parchment / towel alternative

If you don’t have parchment: grease and flour the pan heavily. When the cake comes out of the oven, invert it onto a tea towel dusted generously with powdered sugar, peel the pan off, then roll the cake in the towel while warm. Proceed the same way (cool rolled, unroll, fill, re-roll).

Freezing & storage

To freeze: double-wrap the whole roll in plastic, then foil. Freeze up to 2–3 months. Slice from frozen for best results; let pieces sit 15–20 minutes at room temperature before serving.
To refrigerate: keep wrapped in plastic for up to 5 days.

Quick tips

Beat the eggs until very foamy — that air is your lift and keeps the cake flexible.
Roll while warm the first time to prevent cracks.
Use cold cream cheese for a filling that sets firmly and doesn’t ooze.
Chill before slicing to get clean, pretty rounds.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 262kcal
Sugar: 32g
Sodium: 226mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 81mg