Description
This festive Christmas Gingerbread Swiss Cake Roll combines the warm spices of gingerbread with a creamy, tangy cream cheese filling. Light and fluffy, the spiced cake is rolled into a neat swirl filled with sweet, ginger-studded cream cheese frosting, making it the perfect holiday dessert to impress your guests while adding a cozy seasonal flavor to your celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 3 eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ¼ cup sugar
- Confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)
Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup minced crystallized ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- Gingerbread cookies (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13x18x1 inch half-sheet baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, baking soda, and kosher salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Beat Egg Yolks Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks on high speed for about 3 minutes until thickened and pale. Next, add the molasses and melted butter, beating until incorporated.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the ¼ cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until the sugar dissolves and the peaks become glossy and firm.
- Fold Mixtures: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Then carefully fold in the dry flour mixture, combining just until no streaks remain, to maintain the batter’s lightness.
- Pour and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes, until the cake springs back lightly when touched.
- Cool and Roll Cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 to 8 minutes. Then invert the cake onto a clean tea towel lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar, peel off the parchment paper, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top, and roll the cake gently inside the towel from the short side. Allow the rolled cake to cool completely to retain shape.
- Prepare Filling: While the cake cools, beat together the softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, minced crystallized ginger, kosher salt, and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble Cake Roll: Once the cake is fully cooled, carefully unroll it and spread an even layer of the cream cheese filling over the surface. Roll the cake back up without the towel. Place it seam side down on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve and Garnish: Before serving, dust the cake roll with more confectioners’ sugar and optionally garnish with gingerbread cookies or any preferred decoration. Slice with a sharp knife into even pieces and enjoy. Store leftovers refrigerated.
Notes
- For best results, ensure eggs are at room temperature before beating for better volume.
- Be gentle when folding egg whites to keep the batter airy and light.
- Cooling the cake rolled in a towel helps prevent cracks when rolling with filling later.
- The minced crystallized ginger adds a lovely spicy contrast to the creamy filling; do not skip it.
- This cake roll is best served chilled and consumed within 3-4 days when refrigerated.
- Use a sharp serrated knife for clean slices without squashing the roll.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of cake roll)
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
