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5 from 1 vote

Carrot Cake Roll

This carrot cake roll is a fun twist on a classic carrot cake. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, this festive dessert tastes as good as it looks. 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Cool Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: brunch or dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 152kcal

Ingredients

For Carrot Cake

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups carrots finely shredded (about 2 large carrots)
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting the cake once baked
  • linen tea towel/ flour sack towel longer than the pan

For Filling & Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese; softened
  • 4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter; softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Making the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger. Set it aside.
  • Beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until the eggs are a light frothy yellow. Don't skip on this. Beat the full five minutes. This works better in a stand mixer however doing it in with a hand mixer also works jus takes more time.
  • Add the sugar, vanilla, and oil then continue beating until well combined. Fold in the flour mixture then fold in the shredded carrots.
  • Evenly pour and evenly spread the cake batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Remove the cake from the oven. Heavily dust the top of the tea towel with powdered sugar. Immediately place the tea towel on top of the cake. Lay the cutting board on top of the tea towel. Quickly flip the cake over, so it is laying on top of the dusted tea towel. Carefully and slowly peel the parchment paper off of the cake. Generally this comes right off if you spread the parchment paper well with the oil.
  • Flip one end of the tea towel over one of the short ends of the cake. Slowly begin to roll one end towards the other. Once rolled, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to completely cool to room temperature.

Filling & Frosting

  • To make the filling, in a medium-size mixing bowl and with a handheld mixer to cream together the cream cheese and butter for 2 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla and powdered sugar slowly. Blend well.
  • Once the cake is cooled slowly unroll the cake.
  • Using a silicone spatula smooth the cream cheese mixture over the surface of the cake avoiding the edges. Frost the cake carefully, as you work towards the unfrosted edge.
    Slowly roll the cake back up making sure to start tucking it tightly but carefully.
    Place on a plate and shift powdered sugar over the top. Cover it with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator to allow it to set. If time allows, freeze it for an hour so that it will slice nicely.

Notes

  • When lining the jelly roll pan with the parchment paper, be sure to leave an extra 1-inch of parchment on both long sides of the pan so that you can easily lift the cake out after it bakes.
  • When pouring cake batter into the jelly pan, be suer to spread to corners of pan.
  • I used a 15-inch jelly roll pan for this recipe. 
  • To make it easier, prepare the roll cake the day before you plan to serve it. Then fill and frost it in the morning.
  • For an easier cake release, spray the parchment paper with a light mist of non stick cooking spray.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 5347IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg