Description
This Japanese cotton candy cake roll is a light and airy dessert featuring a fluffy sponge cake infused with delicate cotton candy flavoring. The cake is baked to perfection, filled with creamy whipped cream, and gently rolled to form a beautiful log. Optional food coloring in pastel pink and blue adds a whimsical touch, making it as delightful to look at as it is to eat. Perfect for special occasions or a sweet treat with tea.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 4 large eggs
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 80 grams (2/3 cup) cake flour
- 40 ml (1/6 cup) milk
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- A pinch of salt
Filling
- Whipped cream (quantity as desired for filling)
- Optional: Food coloring (pink and blue)
- Optional: Additional sugar for sweetening whipped cream
Instructions
- Prepare the cake batter: In a mixing bowl, beat the 4 large eggs and 100 grams of granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and pale in color. This aeration is key to achieving the light texture of the cake.
- Sift and fold dry ingredients: Sift the 80 grams of cake flour together with a pinch of salt to ensure there are no lumps. Gently fold the dry mixture into the egg and sugar blend, being careful not to deflate the batter, to maintain its airiness.
- Add wet ingredients: Incorporate 40 ml milk, 30 ml vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring into the batter. Fold gently until just combined, preserving the light texture.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter evenly into a prepared baking pan lined with parchment paper or greased. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 12-15 minutes, or until the cake springs back lightly when touched.
- Prepare the whipped cream filling: While the cake is baking, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Optionally, add some sugar and cotton candy flavoring for extra sweetness and flavor. You may tint portions of the cream with pink and blue food coloring for a decorative effect.
- Cool and assemble: Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Then spread a generous layer of whipped cream evenly over the cake’s surface.
- Roll the cake: Carefully roll the cake from one edge into a log shape, using the parchment paper to help guide it if needed. Be gentle to avoid cracking.
- Chill before serving: Wrap the cake roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the cream and enhance flavor melding before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs for better volume when beating.
- Sift the flour carefully to avoid lumps in the batter.
- Folding technique is critical; fold gently to maintain airiness in the batter.
- You can customize the filling by adding fruit or different flavors to the whipped cream.
- For a firmer roll, chill the cake briefly after baking before adding whipped cream.
- Food coloring is optional but adds a fun, playful look to the cake.
- Store leftover cake wrapped in the refrigerator and consume within 2 days for best freshness.
