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This light and refreshing Rainbow Sherbet Cake Roll will be the highlight of any spring or summer celebration. The colors and fun spiral makes this easy on the eyes……and with just two ingredients, it’s also easy on the wallet!
The inspiration for this recipe comes from the ice cream cake roll my Grandma Virginia makes for family gatherings. I used the same concept but wanted something light, bright, and colorful – something perfect for spring and Easter holiday gatherings. This Rainbow Sherbet Cake Roll fits the bill to a tee!
Ingredients Needed
- Angel Food Cake Mix – You’ll want a box mix like Betty Crocker. Generic brands like Hy-Vee or Great Value will do. Don’t forget the ingredients to make the mix!
- Powdered Sugar – This is to dust the towel used while rolling the cake
- Rainbow Sherbet– If you can’t find rainbow, any sherbet flavor will work just as well.
There’s something so fun about a rolled dessert – though it can feel intimidating, it’s really not bad at all! My Swiss Cake Roll is another rolled favorite! Once you give it a try, you’ll be hooked! Let me show you the ropes!
How to Make A Rainbow Sherbet Cake Roll
Line the bottom of a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make the angel food cake batter as directed and pour into the pan.
Bake about 20 minutes or until the cake is set. Let cool on the counter for 2 minutes.
Quickly lay out a clean kitchen towel and cover it with the powdered sugar.
Run a knife along the edges of the jelly roll pan and then invert the cake onto the towel.
Remove the parchment paper from the cake and gently roll the cake and towel together (from the short side) into a log.
Allow the cake to cool before unrolling it again.
Scoop the sherbet onto the cake and give it time to soften, then spread the sherbet evenly across the cake.
Tightly but gently roll it bake up, cover it in plastic wrap, and freeze before slicing into it and enjoying!
Variations
- Use only raspberry or strawberry (pink) sherbet for occasions like baby showers or Valentine’s Day, or celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with all lime sherbet.
- For extra color use a confetti angel food cake! This would be great for Easter or children’s birthday parties.
- Make it gluten free by using a gluten free angel food cake mix, and double checking the sherbet is gluten free.
- Try it tropical in the summer months, using a mix of pineapple, mango, and orange sherbet, dolloping them randomly on the cake!
- Ditch the sherbet altogether and use ice cream. Any ice cream would work, just be careful with large mix-ins as they might cause more cracking… the limits are up to your creativity!
- Use peppermint ice cream for Christmas, and Blue Moon or strawberry ice cream for baby showers.
- Double down on the cake and sprinkles by using confetti angel food cake mix and birthday cake ice cream.
Tips for Making Cake Rolls
- Be careful with the cooling time and don’t forget to run a knife around the edges of the pan before inverting, messing these up could cause the cake to stick to the pan and break!
- Use powdered sugar on the towel, it will keep it from sticking while it is unrolled. Also, the warm cake will melt some of the powdered sugar creating a delicate sweet flavor.
- Let the cake cool completely before trying to add the sherbet, if added too soon, it will melt into the cake, causing it to be soggy and harder to handle.
- Roll the cake up tightly if you want sherbet in every slice and a beautiful cake swirl.
- Give it the full freezing time– or longer! Trying to cut into the cake prematurely will cause the sherbet to squish out of the cake and ruin the spiral.
Other Fruity Desserts You’ll Love
- Strawberry Lemonade Poke Cake
- Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
- Triple Lemon Poke Cake
- Raspberry Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Creamy Lemon Pie
Rainbow Sherbet Cake Roll
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan (13×18")
Ingredients
- 1 box angel food cake mix (16 ounces)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 cups rainbow sherbet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line the bottom of a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Mix the angel food cake batter according to the box's instructions and pour into the prepared pan.1 box angel food cake mix (16 ounces)
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the cake is set.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on the countertop for two minutes (and no longer). While cooling, quickly lay out a large kitchen towel on a flat surface and spread the powdered sugar over the towel.1 cup powdered sugar
- Take a knife and go around the outside of the cake to make sure it will not stick. Then, turn the cake onto the towel and remove the pan and parchment paper.
- Using the towel, gently roll up the cake (and towel) into a spiral and let cool for 30-60 minutes.
- Slowly unroll the cake and remove the towel.
- Scoop the sherbet onto the cake and let it soften for 5-10 minutes before using a knife to spread the sherbet evenly over the cake.3 cups rainbow sherbet
- Roll the cake back up gently and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 6 hours or until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Blog post updated in March 2025 to include new photos and more detailed instructions.
Which way do you roll it? From short side or long side?
Ah good question! Roll it from the short side. Either would work fine, but rolling it from the short side will give you a wider roll and therefore give a better-looking swirl! 🙂 I hope that makes sense!