The irresistable holiday flavor combination, peppermint and chocolate, is perfected in a light, sweet roulade cake. Crunchy cushed peppermint and a creamy filling provide a nice texture. Print an online template of snowflakes and place it under the parchment when you make your designs for easy tracing. To keep from covering your designs in powdered sugar when rolling your cake, leave it on the parchment paper, roll both, and let it cool. Then unroll it, spread the filling and sprinkle 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint, and remove the parchment.
How to Make It
Prepare the Snowflakes: Coat a rimmed baking sheet with baking spray, and line with parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, butter, and egg white in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Transfer mixture to a disposable piping bag; snip a very small opening in the tip of the bag. Pipe snowflake designs onto prepared baking sheet.
Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift flour and cocoa into a bowl. Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment on medium speed until pale yellow and thick, 2 to 3 minutes, adding 1/4 cup of the sugar in 3 additions. Continue to beat on medium speed until thick and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Using a clean, dry whisk attachment, beat egg whites in a bowl on medium speed until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes; increase speed to high, and beat until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gently fold one-third of egg white mixture into yolk mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Sprinkle flour mixture over top of egg mixture; gently fold in flour mixture being careful not to deflate batter. Gently spread batter on top of snowflakes in prepared pan; quickly smooth batter with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and firm, 8 to 9 minutes.
Run a knife around edges of pan to loosen cake; turn cake out onto a large lint-free kitchen towel. Place a second towel over top of cake. Invert cake and towels so the parchment side of the cake is facing you; remove first towel. Starting at 1 short side, roll up cake, parchment, and towel together, jelly-roll fashion. (Snowflake pattern will be on the outside.) Place rolled cake on a wire rack until completely cool, about 30 minutes.
Prepare the Filling: Place powdered sugar, butter, cream, salt, and peppermint extract in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium, and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is reached.
Assemble the Roulade: Carefully unroll cake on a work surface. Carefully remove parchment, and invert cake again as before. Spread Filling over surface of cake (on the side without snowflakes) to within 1/2-inch of edges. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over Filling. Re-roll cake, starting at short side. Place cake roll on a serving plate, seam side down. Trim ends of cake if desired. Using a very fine mesh sifter, sprinkle with powdered sugar.