I made and wrote this before the SCOTUS decision to repeal the ban on homogamous marriage. What a beautiful Pride present!

Somehow in a conversation about fairy bread last year, my then-foodie-buddy, now-partner confessed to me that they loves sprinkles. Loves them. So, with a birthday coming up during Pride Month, what would be more festive that the loudest cake ever–complete with homemade sprinkles?

There are three parts to this cake: the sprinkles, the rainbow jelly roll, and the frosting.

Sprinkles

Time: 15 minutes (active), 24 hours (drying)

The sprinkles are from Food 52. They’re dairy-free but contain egg. I would recommend piping them on to a piece of parchment paper for ease of clean up–and you can reuse that paper for the cake. I made vanilla-flavored sprinkles in three colors (green, blue, and purple), and just poured each into my reuseable pastry bag without cleaning it out so I would get a gradation in color. If you’re making three distinct colors or different flavors, get three bags or clean in between. I also used a thicker, star-shaped frosting tip and cut up the sprinkles with a chef’s knife. You can make these ahead.

Whipped Cream Topping

Time: 10 minutes

The inside of the roll is blackberry jelly. The “frosting” is actually whipped cream. I made about half this recipe from Joy of Baking.

Rainbow Jelly Roll

Adapted from “Jelly Roll” in Maida Heatter’s Cakes (p. 39-40)

Time: ~45 minutes (~15 mixing, ~15 general assembly, ~15 cooking)

Ingredients
4 eggs (at room temperature)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp orange blossom water (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3/4 cup (75 g) sifted cake flour
1/2-3/4 cup (120-180 mL) tart jelly
Additional granulated sugar for sprinkling on cake
Butter or butter substitute for greasing the pan
Food coloring

Equipment

Jelly roll pan
Parchment paper or foil
Sifter
Standmixer or handmixer
Silicone spatula
Six small bowls for mixing the colors
A tea towel (smooth cotton towel)
A cookie sheet

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
2. Prepare the jelly-roll pan by lining it with tin foil or parchment paper, making sure to have about 1-in (2-cm) lip over the short edge. Press into the pan. Grease with butter or butter substitute. Set aside.
3. Place eggs, baking powder, and salt into the stand-mixer bowl with the whisk attachment; or, if using a hand mixer, a large bowl. Beat at high speed until very fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Reduce the speed slightly and gradually add the sugar.
5. Increase the speed to high again and beat for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is thick and “falls in a wide and heavy ribbon” when you raise the beater(s).
6. Beat in the orange blossom water or other flavoring, then sift the (already sifted) flour over the mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicon spatula.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the six bowls (about 1/3-1/2 cup each) and dye red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Try not to handle more than necessary.
8. Starting with either the purple or the red, scrape the colors in the correct order in “strips” from one short end to the other (see photos) and gently smooth the top.
9. Bake for 13 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed lightly. While the cake is baking, whisk the jelly to make it more spreadable.
10. When the cake is done, sprinkle the top with sugar, cover it with a tea towel, then cover the towel with the cookie sheet. Flip the pan and cookie sheet; remove the cake pan, and peel off the parchment paper or foil–leave the tea towel.
11. Spread the jelly over the cake in a thin layer. Cover all but about 1/2 in (1 cm) at one of the narrow ends.
12. Using the towel to help start the roll, gently and tightly roll the cake from the narrow end opposite the one with the 1/2 inch with no jelly.
13. Transfer the cake, “seam” down to a plate or serving platter. Frost with whipped cream or frosting of choice or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
14. Serve at room temperature or refrigerated.