Gingerbread Cake Roll – Deliciously moist and fluffy gingerbread cake roll that is loaded with warm, cosy flavours, and filled with spiced whipped cream!
I hope you have been enjoying my Gingerbread Cupcakes because today I bring you a new gingerbread recipe that is just as delicious, and even more fun to make!
I bring you my Gingerbread Cake Roll!
This cake roll is incredibly moist, so fluffy, and perfectly spiced with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fill this cake with a thick layer of homemade spiced whipped cream, and you have yourself the perfect Christmas dessert.
How to make Gingerbread Cake Roll
Ingredients you’ll need:
- large eggs (separated)
- caster/granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- greek-style yogurt
- molasses (or black treacle)
- cake flour (see recipe notes on how to make your own!)
- baking powder
- ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- salt
For the filling, you’ll need:
- heavy/double cream
- icing/powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- ground ginger and cinnamon
To make this cake roll, simply whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and thick. Mix in the vanilla, yogurt and molasses. Add the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt, and mix until combined.
Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
Pour the batter into a greased 10×15-inch cake roll pan, and spread out evenly. Tap the pan lightly on top of the surface a few times to level out the batter. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
Immediately invert the cake onto a tea towel generously coated with icing/powdered sugar. Leaving the parchment paper on, roll the cake up with the tea towel, starting at a short end. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
For the filling, whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add the icing sugar, vanilla, and spices, and whip to stiff peaks.
Unroll the cake, gently peel off the paper, and spread the whipped cream evenly over the cake. Re-roll without the tea towel. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Dust with icing sugar if desired before serving.
The printable recipe card with the full list of ingredients, their measurements, and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
This Gingerbread Cake Roll is:
- quick and easy to make
- super moist, light and fluffy
- packed full of festive flavours
- filled with a spiced, creamy whipped cream
How long will this cake roll last? This cake roll can be covered tightly and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze this gingerbread cake roll? Yes! This cake roll, with filling, freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a ⭐️ review! I’d love to see your take on it — snap a photo and tag me on Instagram or Facebook with #simplybakeblog!
Try these cake rolls next!
- Chocolate Swiss Roll (my FAVOURITE!)
- Strawberries and Cream Swiss Roll
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Originally Published: December, 2015 | Updated: November, 2017
Gingerbread Cake Roll
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) caster/granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60g) Greek-style yogurt
- ¼ cup (80g) molasses/black treacle (not blackstrap)*
- 1 ¼ cups (156g) cake flour**
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling
- 1 cup (240ml) double/heavy cream
- ½ cup (60g) icing/powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 10×15-inch cake roll pan, and line the base with parchment paper.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and thick. Beat in the vanilla, yogurt and molasses. Add the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt, and mix until combined. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread out evenly. Tap the pan lightly on the surface a few times to level out the batter. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Immediately invert the cake onto a tea towel dusted generously with icing/powdered sugar. Leaving the parchment paper on, roll the cake up with the tea towel, starting at a short end. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Filling
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add the icing sugar, vanilla, and spices, and whip to stiff peaks.
- Unroll the cake, peel off the paper, and spread the whipped cream evenly over the cake. Re-roll without the tea towel. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I cooked mine an extra 2 minutes, even though it sprang back at 10 minutes….when I unrolled it, I had a pile of mush!!!!! So disappointed….
Really yummy! I used OliveNation’s molasses powder and cinnamon and mine which made it really tasty and easier to make! Highly recommend!
The first time i made this cake it came out slightly chewier than i would have liked. I think i will try it again and try to work the batter less, curious if you have any in put on what else might help this issue. Thanks 🙂
Hi Elizabeth! The cake can become chewy or rubbery if the batter has been overmixed. Overmixing the batter increases the development of gluten which then increases the cake’s gumminess. I hope this helps 🙂
Our Family’s New Favorite! We traditionally bake a chocolate Buche de Noel, but needed to accommodate a non-chocolate lover this year. Every single one of us LOVED this moist, springy, perfectly-spiced version! I cut the sugar in the filling by about half, but then frosted with a vanilla buttercream and decorated with white chocolate chips and dustings of cinnamon and nutmeg (to create a Yule log look). Everyone’s already requested I make this again next year!
Can I make a cake instead of a roll?
Sure! The batter can be divided between two round cake pans, and filled with the whipped cream filling.
I made this cake today, it needed an extra 3 minutes for a toothpick to come out clean, split when I was rolling it back up with the cream and the cake was quite dense and rubbery not light. Not the best recipe but it looked ok.
the cake cracked a LOT – I have made a lot of roll cakes and never had one split in 3 pieces. it seemed thicker than other cakes and maybe that is why. I managed to roll it up anyway. It is not much to look at. I snuck one little bite and it seemed a little rubbery as mentioned above but still good and the flavor is very good. The whipped cream is amazing. So good! I am going to make more to garnish the cake when serving and to hide the cracks. I would make it again, but possibly try a larger pan.
Sorry to hear your cake cracked! I’m sorry I can’t tell you what went wrong without being there, but I can give you a few tips.
Firstly, be sure the cake batter is spread evenly in the pan. This will promote even baking and help your cake remain moist. A moist cake has less chance of cracking. I always tap my pan on the surface a few times to level out the batter, and pop any air bubbles too.
Overbaking could also be the culprit for a cracked and rubbery cake. The thin layer of cake batter in the typical 15×10″ by 1″ baking pan takes only about 10 to 15 minutes to bake. Once done, the top of the cake should spring back when lightly touched.
Remove the cake from the pan onto a towel as soon as you take it out of the oven. Rolling a HOT cake will help prevent cracking.
I hope this helps! 🙂
Hi! I just made this and everything tastes great! Unfortunately, my cake turned out a bit rubbery. Do you think I folded the egg whites in too much? Any idea what I could do to fix it next time?
Thanks!
Hi Erin! There are a few possibilities why a cake roll can become rubbery and dense.
1. Overbaked. Leaving the cake in the oven too long can cause this. Because it’s such a thin layer of cake, it doesn’t need long at all and it’s very easy to overbake.
3. Overmixing. Too much gluten development caused by too much mixing.
4. The most likely reason is the oven was too hot. If you don’t already, I recommend testing your oven with an oven thermometer to make sure it’s on the right temperature.
I hope that helps! 🙂
Yummy yummy! This is the perfect special treat to impress company with!
You promised delightful gingerbread sweet treats, and you delivered!!! Big time! This cake roll looks absolutely amazing, Marsha! I’m pinning, of course! And drooling. Wishing you can awesome weekend ahead. 🙂 xoxo
Thank you, Demeter! 😀
What showstopping pictures Marsha, wow! I’ve never made a cake roll before, but pretty sure I have to now that gingerbread is involved! 😀 And spiced whipped cream? Talk about a heavenly combination with the gingerbread cake. Now I’m stuck trying to decide whether I should make this or your gingerbread cupcakes first, hehe, I love both recipes! One quick question though: I’ve never heard of a cake roll pan, do they differ significantly from regular cookie sheets?
Thanks, Shannon! A swiss roll pan has 1-inch high sides specially designed for making thin layers of cake, perfect for rolling up! 🙂
This gingerbread roll look absolutely divine Marsha. I bet those warm gingerbread spices make the whole house smell irresistible. This could be the excuse I need to try my hand at making a roll cake.
Thanks, Lynn!
oh my! I just love the flavors in the recipe. Its amazingly delicious 🙂
Thanks, Kushi! 🙂
I absolutely love the idea of a gingerbread cake roll, Marsha! It looks scrumptious!!!
Thanks, Sam! 🙂
OMG! I could probably eat this entire thing by myself! Lol! I love gingerbread!
Thanks, Leticia! 🙂
Our son is very excited, for Christmas! This gingerbread roll looks perfect! 🙂
Thanks, Vanessa! 🙂