This Honey Vanilla Cake Roll with Candied Almonds features a light and fluffy honey and vanilla sponge cake and a creamy ricotta & cream cheese filling. Topped with homemade candied almonds for some crunch!
Fluffy & delicate, this Honey Vanilla Cake Roll is literally bakery-worthy!
Honey Vanilla Cake Roll
Today I’m bringing you a Honey Vanilla Cake Roll with homemade candied almonds. And – you guys – if heaven had a flavor I’m sure it would be honey, vanilla & almonds!
This cake roll is just so dreamy and easy to make, it’s sure to be a hit at your next party!
Here’s why you’ll love this Honey Vanilla Swiss Roll:
- Flavor. Ultra fluffy cozy and delicate honey-flavored vanilla sponge stuffed with a sweet, creamy, milky ricotta and cream cheese filling, topped lots of crunchy candied almonds – so delicious!
- Texture. The sponge cake is extremely airy and light, rolled up with lots of creamy filling and topped with a fun crunch from the candied almonds!
- Tried and true. This is my mom’s famous cake roll recipe, she’s been making this exact sponge cake for years and this was one of her latest flavor combos: honey vanilla + candied almonds – I just had to share it with you guys!
- Ease. This is an easy vanilla cake roll recipe with some honey for extra flavor and fluffiness, a 5-minute cream cheese filling, and some candied almonds that only call for 4 simple ingredients! It tastes bakery-worthy but it’s so easy to make!
- Make-Ahead for the Holidays or special occasions, truly the perfect make-ahead dessert!
If you love delicate desserts, you’ll truly love this one!
Ingredients
Eggs for structure, these are the main ingredient in sponge cakes so make sure they’re fresh!
Sugar, white granulated sugar for the sponge and the candied almonds.
Honey. Use a mild liquid honey such as acacia. This adds the honey flavor to the vanilla sponge cake *AND* makes the sponge cake even fluffier as honey draws and retains moisture!
Vanilla extract, for flavor.
Flour, all- purpose, for structure.
Potato starch, my mom’s secret ingredients for cake rolls: potato starch creates a finer, softer crumb while retaining moisture making the cake ultra fluffy, light, and more flexible which means easy rolling and no cracking! This is her master cake roll recipe that she’s been making for years and just look how fluffy it is!
Salt, for flavor.
Almonds. While you can use store-bought candied almonds, I recommend you make your own at home because they turn out so delicious and they’re so easy to make! All you need is a bag of blanched almonds (or skin on, and then blanche them at home, takes 60 seconds, here’s how).
Water, for the candied almonds.
Ricotta cheese, for the filling. Use cow-milk ricotta! Adding ricotta to the cream cheese filling makes it more delicate and milkier which is what makes the filling so good! It’s not just plain tangy cream cheese which would be a bit too overpowering for the vanilla and honey flavor combo!
Cream cheese, for the filling, for some tang and richness!
Powdered sugar, to sweeten the filling: it melts quicker and easier than regular sugar!
Step-by-step instructions
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a 10 x 15 inches (25 x 38 cm) baking pan with parchment paper. Prepare a clean kitchen towel on your working surface and sprinkle it with about 3-4 tablespoon of white granulated sugar, you will need this in step 5 when the cake roll is done baking!
STEP TWO: Prepare the dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, potato starch and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside. You will add these to the cake roll batter in a few minutes.
STEP THREE: Make the cake roll. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy and lighter in color (2-3 minutes). Pour in the honey and gently fold it into the batter using a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
STEP FOUR: Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, gently smoothing out the top, if needed. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden and dry to the touch. I bake my honey vanilla cake roll for 6 minutes.
STEP FIVE: When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and immediately invert it onto your kitchen towel with sugar, peel off the parchment paper layer that was on the bottom of the cake when it baked and gently roll up the cake starting with the narrow end. Cool down to room temperature rolled up! Meanwhile, make the almonds and the filling.
STEP SIX: Make the candied almonds. Line your baking pan with parchment paper again and set aside. Place a medium pot over medium heat, add sugar, salt, and water and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will start to bubble and foam (this might take 5-10 more minutes).
Continue stirring until the mixture starts to turn thicker and darker in color. If you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 238F (114C). Once ready, quickly add the almonds and stir to combine and coat all the almonds. Remove from the heat and dump the almonds onto your prepared baking pan. Cool down completely and break up any larger chunks.
STEP SEVEN: Make the filling. In a large bowl, beat together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
STEP EIGHT: Fill the cake roll. Gently unroll the room temperature cake, remove the towel and spread about 1 and 1/2 cup (about 350 g) onto the cake roll leaving a 1/2 inch (about 1 cm) border around the cake. Roll the cake back up and place it on a serving plate. Frost the rolled up cake with the remaining filling.
STEP NINE: Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours or overnight (best). Top with chopped candied almonds right before serving to keep them from softening up with the frosting. Keep any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
HAPPY BAKING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love this Honey Vanilla Cake Roll as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More dreamy desserts:
Honey Vanilla Cake Roll with Candied Almonds
Ingredients
For The Honey Vanilla Cake Roll
- 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (60 g) potato starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup (110 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 and 1/2 tbsp (50 g) honey (liquid, mild-flavored honey such as acacia honey)
For The Candied Almonds
- 2 cups (300 g) whole almonds (washed)
- 1 cup (220 g) white granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon high-quality pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (115 g) water
For The Ricotta Filling/Frosting
- 16 oz (453 g) ricotta cheese (drained)
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more up to 1 and 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a 10 x 15 inches (25 x 38 cm) baking pan with parchment paper. Prepare a clean kitchen towel on your working surface and sprinkle it with about 3-4 tablespoon of white granulated sugar, you will need this in step 5 when the cake roll is done baking!
- Prepare the dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, potato starch and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside. You will add these to the cake roll batter in a few minutes.
- Make the cake roll. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy and lighter in color (2-3 minutes). Pour in the honey and gently fold it into the batter using a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, gently smoothing out the top, if needed. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden and dry to the touch. I bake my honey vanilla cake roll for 6 minutes.
- When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and immediately invert it onto your kitchen towel with sugar, peel off the parchment paper layer that was on the bottom of the cake when it baked and gently roll up the cake starting with the narrow end. Cool down to room temperature rolled up! Meanwhile, make the almonds and the filling.
- Make the candied almonds. Line your baking pan with parchment paper again and set aside. Place a medium pot over medium heat, add sugar, salt, and water and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will start to bubble and foam (this might take 5-10 more minutes). Continue stirring until the mixture starts to turn thicker and darker in color. If you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 238F (114C). Once ready, quickly add the almonds and stir to combine and coat all the almonds. Remove from the heat and dump the almonds onto your prepared baking pan. Cool down completely and break up any larger chunks.
- Make the filling. In a large bowl, beat together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
- Fill the cake roll. Gently unroll the room temperature cake, remove the towel and spread about 1 and 1/2 cup (about 350 g) onto the cake roll leaving a 1/2 inch (about 1 cm) border around the cake. Roll the cake back up and place it on a serving plate. Frost the rolled up cake with the remaining filling.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours or overnight (best). Top with chopped candied almonds right before serving to keep them from softening up with the frosting. Keep any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Patty says
Made for my mother’s birthday. Will definitely make again. There were no leftovers. Thank you for the recipe!
Tayna says
This was a delicious cake roll, thanks!