🌌 Galaxy Roll Cake 🎂
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar (or natural sweetener of choice)
¼ cup additional granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or any milk)
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Gel food coloring: black, deep blue, teal, and purple (a few drops each)
For the Filling:
4 oz (½ block) full-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar (or sugar-free powdered substitute)
2 cups whipped topping (such as Cool Whip or homemade stabilized whipped cream)
For the Ganache:
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2–3 drops black gel food coloring (optional, for dramatic depth)
Instructions
Prep the pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the short sides. Lightly grease the paper.
Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Whip the eggs: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed for 3 minutes until pale, thick, and slightly foamy.
Add sugars: With the mixer running, gradually add both the ½ cup and ¼ cup sugar. Continue beating until the mixture is light and ribbons form when the whisk is lifted (about 2 more minutes).
Incorporate wet ingredients: Reduce speed to low. Add oil, milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix just until combined.
Fold in flour: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a silicone spatula until no streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Divide and color: Split the batter evenly into four small bowls. Tint each with a different color: one with black, one with blue, one with teal, and one with purple. Use gel-based coloring for intense, non-diluted hues.
Swirl in the pan: Randomly dollop the colored batters into the prepared pan. Use a butter knife or offset spatula to gently swirl them together in a marbled pattern—don’t over-swirl or colors will muddy.
Bake: Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched and edges just begin to pull away from the pan.
Roll while warm: Dust a clean kitchen towel generously with powdered sugar. Immediately invert the hot cake onto the towel. Carefully peel off the parchment. Starting from a short end, tightly roll the cake up inside the towel. Place seam-side down on a wire rack to cool completely (about 1 hour).
Make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped topping until fully incorporated and fluffy.
Unroll and fill: Once the cake is cool, carefully unroll it. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the surface, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges.
Re-roll: Gently roll the cake back up (without the towel this time). Place seam-side down on a serving platter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Prepare ganache: Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Pour over chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Stir in black food coloring if using. Cool slightly until thickened but still pourable (about 10–15 minutes).
Glaze and decorate: Pour the ganache over the chilled roll, letting it drip down the sides. Immediately sprinkle with star-shaped or “galaxy” sprinkles. Return to the fridge for 20–30 minutes to set the glaze before slicing.