Gingerbread Roll Cake
from https://www.tasteofhome.com/
Looking for an irresistible holiday dessert that will also impress the crowd? Our gingerbread roll cake features a tender, spiced cake with a light-as-a-cloud whipped cream filling. It’s a beautiful treat with a dark and light swirl inside and white frosting outside. Even though it looks fancy, this gingerbread Yule log recipe is very doable.
3 eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, cloves and ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
Confectioners' sugar
Filling:
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Additional ground cinnamon, optional
Place egg whites in a bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. In a small bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thickened, about 3 minutes. Beat in molasses and melted butter.
With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Fold in flour mixture. Transfer to prepared pan, spreading evenly.
Bake 9-12 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
One tip to prevent a roll cake from cracking is not to overbake it. If the cake is too dry, it won’t be flexible enough to roll. During baking, check the thin cake after nine minutes—as soon as it springs back when lightly touched, pull the cake from the oven. Another tip is to roll the cake while it’s still warm; a cooled cake won’t roll without cracking. Give the cake just five minutes to cool in the pan before inverting and rolling it. (Heat-proof gloves will make it easier to handle the hot cake.) If your cake still cracks a little, just remember: The whole thing gets covered in frosting, so no one will ever know!
In a chilled large bowl, combine the first five filling ingredients; beat until soft peaks form. Unroll cake; spread half of the filling over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again, without towel. Place on a platter, seam side down. Spread remaining filling over cake. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon. Refrigerate until serving.
There are a few ways to prep this gingerbread roll cake in advance:
- Make the cake: Roll up the baked cake in a towel, cool it and cover it with storage wrap. Store the cake at room temperature for up to one day.
- Make the whipped cream filling: The whipped cream filling can also be made a day in advance and held in the fridge.
- Make the filled and rolled cake: Fill and roll the baked cake, wrap it well and store it in the fridge up to two days in advance. Wait to add the whipped cream and cinnamon to the outside of the cake until you’re ready to serve it.
This gingerbread roll cake freezes well, so it’s one of our favorite Christmas cakes to make in advance. Roll up the cake with the whipped cream filling inside, wrap it well and set it on a level spot in the freezer until it’s solid. (Because the whipped cream is so soft, wait until you thaw the cake to frost the outside.) You can keep the cake frozen for up to three months. Allow it to thaw, still wrapped, in the fridge overnight before covering it with whipped cream.
Yield: 12 servings
