Unicorn Cake Roll

This easy Unicorn Cake Roll Recipe looks like a dream thanks to all of the sprinkle and glitter going on. With several decorating options, you can easily recreate this cake roll recipe for your next birthday party! 

Fun Unicorn Cake Roll Recipe

This is actually love at first sight. The sprinkles, glitters and colorful cake filling makes this pastel cake roll recipe one attractive dessert. A Unicorn Cake is perfect to make for a birthday party since it’s easy, unique and is great for pictures. 

How to make a unicorn cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cake roll pan with foil and spray with floured nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make your batter, place eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat until foamy and yellow. Add sugar and mix until the mixture thickens slightly. Mix in oil, baking powder, salt, and vanilla, then add flour and mix slowly until just combined.
3. Divide batter into three bowls. Color each as desired.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cake springs back when touched lightly. While the cake is baking, lay out a clean kitchen towel onto the counter. Spread with about 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
5. Remove the hot cake from the oven and carefully, using oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself, flip the cake onto the towel. Carefully remove the pan and foil and then, using the towel, roll up the cake from the short side. The towel will be rolled into the cake. Let this cool completely before continuing.
6. Make the filling: Place the heavy whipping cream in a very large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the pudding mix and beat at high speed with an electric or hand mixer until stiff whipped cream forms. This will take anytime between 1-5 minutes, depending on the speed of your mixer. Taste, then add powdered sugar as desired for sweetness, whipping to mix them in.
7. To fill the cake: Carefully unroll the cake. Spread with some of the whipped cream mixture. Carefully roll the cake back up as tight as possible, unsticking it from the towel as you go. 
8. To decorate the cake: divide the remaining frosting into 2-3 bowls. Tint with frosting as desired. 
9.  To decorate: go to town with sprinkles, brightly colored candies, marshmallows and more.
10. Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cover loosely if chilling longer than one hour.

Expert Tips

• To frost as I’ve shown it: place each color in its own ziploc or piping bag, then cut off the tip. Pipe stripes of each color on the cake roll, then swirl with a spatula as desired. You can also use a 1M tip to make roses in different colors, however you like it.
• You can wrap the cooled unfrosted cake in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight before finishing. 
• Garnish with anything your heart desires – candy, sprinkles, you name it! Anything goes on a Unicorn Cake!

Unicorn Cake Roll

4.38 from 8 votes

Unicorn Cake Roll – an easy cake roll recipe that is all things rainbow and UNICORN! Colorful cake and frosting, pudding whipped cream, sprinkles, marshmallows and all things glitter and fun.

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Yield 10 servings

Serving Size 1 /8th slice of cake

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Equipment

• 10×15-inch Jelly Roll Pan

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Ingredients

 

For the Cake:

• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup (93g) all purpose flour
• ▢ Food Coloring see note
• ▢ Powdered sugar to aid in rolling

For the Filling and Topping:

• ▢ 1 quart heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (28g) powdered sugar
• ▢ Food Coloring see note
• ▢ Assorted sprinkles colorful marshmallows and/or candies, etc.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10×15” or 10.5×15” cake/jelly roll pan with foil and spray with floured nonstick cooking spray.
• Place eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed with mixer for 5 minutes until foamy and yellow. Add sugar and mix for 2 more minutes, until the mixture is thickened slightly. Mix in oil, baking powder, salt, and vanilla, then add flour and mix slowly until just combined.
• Divide batter into three bowls. Color each as desired.
• Pour each batter into prepared pan, spreading and swirling as desired with a spatula. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cake springs back when touched lightly. (Mine took 12 minutes, but all ovens differ.)
• While the cake is baking, lay out a clean kitchen towel onto the counter. Spread with about ¼ cup powdered sugar.
• Remove the hot cake from the oven and carefully, using oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself, flip the cake onto the towel. This might make a mess, but that’s okay. Carefully remove the pan and foil (they’re hot!) and then, using the towel, roll up the cake from the short side. The towel will be rolled into the cake. Let this cool completely before continuing.
• Note: you can wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight before finishing.
• Make the filling: Place the heavy whipping cream in a very large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the pudding mix and beat at high speed with electric or hand mixer until stiff whipped cream forms. This will take anytime between 1-5 minutes, depending on the speed of your mixer. Taste, then add powdered sugar as desired for sweetness, whipping to mix them in.
• To fill cake: Carefully unroll the cake. Spread with some of the whipped cream mixture. Carefully roll the cake back up as tight as possible, unsticking it from the towel as you go.
• To decorate the cake: divide the remaining frosting into 2-3 bowls. Tint with frosting as desired. To frost as I’ve shown it: place each color in it’s own ziploc or piping bag, then cut of the tip. Pipe stripes of each color on the cake roll, then swirl with a spatula as desired. You can also use a 1M tip to make roses in different colors, however you like it (see this cake roll for an example of how that looks).
• To decorate: go to town with sprinkles, brightly colored candies, marshmallows and more.
• Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cover loosely if chilling longer than one hour.

Recipe Notes

• Make sure to beat the eggs for at least 3 full minutes if using a stand mixer (on high speed) or 5 minutes using a hand mixer. They should be thick, frothy, and dark yellow.
• I like using instant vanilla pudding but any flavor instant pudding mix will work for the whipped cream.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1/8th slice of cake | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1456mg | Sugar: 45g

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

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Last Updated on May 8, 2023