This Valentine’s Day Cake Roll starts with a rich red velvet base and is finished with smooth buttercream in soft shades of pink and red for a festive, holiday look. Simple piping techniques create rosettes and heart details that feel special without being overly complicated. It’s a dessert that’s perfect for sharing and adds a homemade, heartfelt touch to any Valentine’s Day celebration.
Valentine’s Day has always felt like one of those holidays that doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful. For me, it’s about slowing down, doing something with care, and sharing it with the people I love, whether that’s my family around the kitchen table or a sweet surprise for my husband. This Valentine’s Day Cake Roll does exactly that, taking a classic Red Velvet Cake Roll and dressing it up with soft shades of pink buttercream and simple heart details.
It looks like something you’d see in a bakery window, but it’s completely doable at home, even on a busy weeknight. If you’re looking for a dessert that feels thoughtful, festive, and a little extra without being overwhelming, this cake roll is a lovely way to celebrate the day.
Other Valentine’s Day-Inspired Recipes
Heart-Shaped Brownies
With rich chocolate cake and velvety, tangy raspberry mousse, this dessert is a match made in flavor heaven. Whether you’re baking for someone special or treating yourself, this recipe will have you falling in love with every bite.
How to Make a Heart-Shaped Cake
There are many options for sweet treats on Valentine’s Day, but nothing is more fun than a heart-shaped cake. Sounds perfect, right? Except…you just remembered you don’t have a heart-shaped pan in your kitchen. No need to worry! We’re here to show you an easy way to make a heart-shaped cake – no special baking pan required!
Mini Strawberry Dome Cakes
This stunning dessert features velvety smooth white chocolate, strawberry mousse, raspberry jam, and a sweet Strawberry Cheesecake Cake Roll slice. Each element is layered together in a dome mold then covered in a beautiful, clear mirror glaze to give this dessert an elegant finish that’s guaranteed to impress your valentine.
What You’ll Need
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 3 small bowls
- Cake board
- Turntable
- Multiple piping bags
- 2 star tips #18 (for rosettes)
- Round tip #7 (for hearts and border)
- Bench scraper
Storage Information
A frosted cake can last up to a week when stored in the refrigerator. The frosting helps to lock in the moisture of the cake, keeping it fresh while you wait to serve. If you cut the cake first and then want to store it, put the pieces in an airtight container or cover the cut sections with any leftover frosting you may have. The cake can be stored like this for a week in the refrigerator.
You can make this buttercream the day before you assemble your cake roll and refrigerate it overnight. Then, when you’re ready to start decorating your cake, take it out and let it come back up to room temperature. You may need to mix it again for a few minutes before applying.
Tips for Making a Valentine’s Day Cake Roll
- Don’t take your cake roll out of the freezer until you are ready to start putting on the frosting. A cold cake is easier to decorate as it is less delicate. A room temperature cake is tender and fragile which means it is more likely to fall apart.
- Piping a rosette is almost like doing a lowercase “e”. You start in the center and pipe around counterclockwise then gently lift off. You do this as many times as necessary to achieve your desired look. If you need a little more help, I highly recommend this tutorial from CakesbyLynz on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acVfZiNBniY.
How to Make a Valentine’s Day Cake Roll
Valentine’s Day Cake Roll
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate7-8
servings300
kcal8
This Valentine’s Day Cake Roll starts with a rich red velvet base and is finished with smooth buttercream in soft shades of pink and red for a festive, holiday look. Simple piping techniques create rosettes and heart details that feel special without being overly complicated. It’s a dessert that’s perfect for sharing and adds a homemade, heartfelt touch to any Valentine’s Day celebration.
Ingredients
- Cake:
1 Dutch Apron® Bakery Red Velvet Cake Roll
- Buttercream Frosting:
2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
7 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream
- Decorations:
Red gel food coloring
Roses (real or faux)
Directions
- Make the Buttercream Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth, lighter in color, and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1 c. at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream. Mix on low until combined then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Increase speed to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes, until the frosting is smooth, light, and fluffy.
- Color the Frosting
- Divide the buttercream evenly into three small bowls.
- Use the red gel food coloring to turn one bowl light pink, one bowl medium pink, and one bowl red.
- Fit the piping bags with the three piping tips. The light pink and medium pink buttercreams should go into the piping bags with the star tips. The red buttercream should go into the piping bag with the round tip.
- Frost the Cake Roll
- Remove the Red Velvet Cake Roll from its packaging.
- Place a small dollop of light pink buttercream in the center of a cake board.
- Stand the cake roll vertically on one end, pressing gently into the frosting to “glue” it in place.
- Transfer the cake board to a turntable.
- Using a piping bag filled with light pink buttercream, pipe rings around the cake roll, starting at the bottom and stacking upwards until the entire cake – including the top – is covered.
- Hold a bench scraper lightly against the sides while slowly spinning the turntable. Scrape away the excess frosting, wiping the scraper clean between passes, until the sides and top are smooth and even.
- Chill the cake for 10-15 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up slightly before decorating.
- Decorate the Cake Roll
- Using the light pink and medium pink piping bags, begin making your rosettes. Start in the center of each rosette and swirl outward in a tight, circular motion.
- Place the rosettes around the cake in clusters or evenly spaced, depending on your desired look.
- With the red frosting, pipe small hearts around the cake roll. Start by piping two small circles side by side then pull the frosting downward to create the bottom point of the heart.
- Pipe a simple border around the base or top edge of the cake roll with the red buttercream for a polished finish.
- Finish by adding roses as decorative accents if desired.
- Chill the finished cake roll for at least 30 minutes so the buttercream sets before serving.
Valentine’s Day Cake Roll Recipe Video
Notes
- Storage Instructions: A frosted cake can last up to a week when stored in the refrigerator. If you cut the cake first and then want to store it, put the pieces in an airtight container or cover the cut sections with any leftover frosting you may have.
- Special Tools: Stand mixer with paddle attachment, 3 small mixing bowls, cake board, turntable, multiple piping bags, 2 star tips #18 (for rosettes), round tip #7 (for hearts and border), and bench scraper.
- Making the Rosettes: Piping a rosette is almost like doing a lowercase “e”. You start in the center and pipe around counterclockwise then gently lift off. You do this as many times as necessary to achieve your desired look. If you need a little more help, I highly recommend this tutorial from CakesbyLynz on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acVfZiNBniY.
About the Author:
Amber Breitigan joined Dutch Apron® Bakery as the Lead Graphic Designer in 2021 after trading the bright lights of Vegas for the charm of small-town Iowa. From revamping product packaging to designing eye-catching social media posts, Amber brings creativity and warmth to everything she touches. When she’s not juggling design files, she’s likely crocheting with a cat in her lap, baking up creative cakes for her three kids, or enjoying game night with her husband.
