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Carrot Cake Roll
Moist and yummy, flavorful carrot cake roll is spiced carrot cake rolled up with rich cream cheese filling inside for an impressive Easter dessert.
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Moist and yummy, carrot cake roll is the classic Easter dessert that you love, with a beautiful twist. Spiced carrot cake is rolled up with rich cream cheese filling inside for a dessert that is as impressive as it is delicious.
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Carrot Cake Roll
Wow friends and family with soft, spiced carrot cake rolled up with an ample amount of velvety smooth cream cheese frosting. Cake rolls are easy to make and delightful to eat.
Made with freshly shredded carrots, warm spices, and luscious cream cheese frosting, carrot cake roll is a sweet way to make classic carrot cake even more fun to eat. Even better, this splendid Easter dessert takes just 20 minutes of prep time.
Flavorful carrot cake is a favorite to serve at Easter, next to a bunny cake or other springtime dessert. But this cake is so heavenly that you’ll want to serve it for a picnic, baby shower, or family get-together.
Carrot Cake Roll Ingredients
- Flour - all-purpose flour
- Cinnamon - ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Ginger - ground ginger
- Nutmeg - ground nutmeg
- Eggs - large eggs
- Sugar - granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract - pure vanilla extract
- Oil - vegetable oil
- Carrots - finely shredded carrots
- Sugar - powdered sugar
- Cream cheese
- Butter - salted sweet cream butter
- Milk
- Linen tea towel - that is 2 inches longer at the top and bottom of the cake pan
Take your time and be patient when rolling and unrolling the cake. If you are in too much of a hurry, that’s when the cake will crack. Don’t use any fabric softener when washing the tea towel you will use to roll your cake as it can transfer to the cake and alter the flavor of the cake.
If you like carrot cake with nuts, sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans on top of the finished cake. Another tasty topping is a drizzle of caramel or a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
To make slicing easier, once the cake is filled and wrapped in plastic wrap and has chilled in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, you can put the cake roll in the freezer for an additional 30 minutes before slicing. Running the knife under hot water and then drying it can also help to make more even slices.
How to Make Carrot Cake Roll
Carrot Cake
FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 375*. Line a 15x10 jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
SECOND STEP: In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. Set it aside.
THIRD STEP: Using a stand mixer, or a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on high, beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until the eggs are a light frothy yellow.
FOURTH STEP: Add the sugar, vanilla, and oil, continue beating until well combined.
FIFTH STEP: Fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the shredded carrots.
SIXTH STEP: Evenly pour and evenly spread the cake batter into the prepared jelly roll pan. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
SEVENTH STEP: Remove the cake from the oven. Using a sharp knife, run the tip along the edge of the sides not covered with parchment paper.
EIGHTH STEP: You will need a large cutting board for the cake transfer.
NINTH STEP: Heavily dust the top of the tea towel with powdered sugar.
TENTH STEP: Immediately place the tea towel on top of the cake.
ELEVENTH STEP: Lay the cutting board on top of the tea towel. The cake pan will still be very hot so you will need to be very careful and protect your hands. Quickly flip the cake over, so it is laying on top of the dusted tea towel.
TWELFTH STEP: Carefully and slowly peel the parchment paper off of the cake, and generously dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
THIRTEENTH STEP: Flip one end of the tea towel over one of the short ends of the cake. Carefully begin to roll one end towards the other. Once rolled, set it aside to completely cool.
Filling
FOURTEENTH STEP: Using a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter for 1 - 1 ½ minutes.
FIFTEENTH STEP: Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend for another 1 minute until smooth.
Glaze
SIXTEENTH STEP: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until completely smooth, set it aside.
Carrot Cake Roll Assembly
SEVENTEENTH STEP: Once the cake completely cools, slowly unroll the cake. (If there are a few small cracks, it will be okay)
EIGHTEENTH STEP: Using a silicone spatula or an offset spatula, smooth the cream cheese mixture over the surface of the cake avoiding the edges. Slowly with even pressure, carefully and slowly roll the cake only back into a “roll”. Wrap the carrot cake roll in plastic wrap, to ensure it holds its shape. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to overnight.
NINETEENTH STEP: Before slicing your carrot cake roll, drizzle the glaze over the top in a zigzag pattern.
TWENTIETH STEP: Using a sharp knife, slice off the ends of the roll. Then carefully slice 10 - 12 even slices.
What pan should I use for a roll cake?
It’s important to use a 10 × 15-inch jelly roll pan for this carrot roll cake as you want it to be nice and thin.
Can I use baby carrots?
Yes, you can purchase other whole carrots or baby carrots to shred. While there are shredded carrots available at the store they don’t always soften as well as fresh carrots.
What kind of towel should I use to roll my cake?
Roll your cake with a clean linen kitchen towel that is 2 inches longer at the top and bottom of the cake pan. Do not use a terry cloth dish towel as the fabric lint will transfer to the cake surface.
How to Store Carrot Cake Roll
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover carrot cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
IN THE FREEZER: Unglazed carrot cake roll can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to one month. Allow the roll to thaw before glazing and slicing.
Carrot Cake Roll
Moist and yummy, flavorful carrot cake roll is spiced carrot cake rolled up with rich cream cheese filling inside for an impressive Easter dessert.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups finely shredded carrots (2-3 whole carrots)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting the cake once baked
- Linen tea towel that is 2 inches longer at the top and bottom of the cake pan
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 ounce package cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter softened
- 1¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons milk
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 375*. Line a 15x10 jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. Set it aside.
- Using a stand mixer, or a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on high, beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until the eggs are a light frothy yellow.
- Add the sugar, vanilla, and oil, 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 - 12 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Using a sharp knife, run the tip along the edge of the sides not covered with parchment paper.
- You will need a large cutting board for the cake transfer.
- 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. The cake pan will still be very hot so you will need to be very careful and protect your hands. 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, and generously dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
- Flip one end of the tea towel over one of the short ends of the cake. Carefully begin to roll one end towards the other. Once rolled, set it aside to completely cool.
Filling
- Using a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter for 1 - 1 ½ minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend for another 1 minute until smooth.
Glaze
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until completely smooth, set it aside.
Carrot Cake Roll Assembly
- Once the cake completely cools, slowly unroll the cake. (If there are a few small cracks, it will be okay)
- Using a silicone spatula or an offset spatula, smooth the cream cheese mixture over the surface of the cake avoiding the edges. Slowly with even pressure, carefully and slowly roll the cake only back into a “roll”. Wrap the carrot cake roll in plastic wrap, to ensure it holds its shape. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to overnight.
- Before slicing your carrot cake roll, drizzle the glaze over the top in a zigzag pattern.
- Using a sharp knife, slice off the ends of the roll. Then carefully slice 10 - 12 even slices.
Nutrition
Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 3936IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
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