Description
This festive Christmas Gingerbread Swiss Cake Roll combines the warm, spicy flavors of gingerbread with a creamy, sweet cream cheese filling. The light, fluffy cake is infused with traditional holiday spices and molasses, rolled carefully with a smooth ginger and vanilla cream cheese filling, and garnished with confectioners’ sugar and optional gingerbread cookies. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this elegant yet approachable dessert offers a delightful balance of spice, sweetness, and creamy texture.
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
Garnish (optional):
- Gingerbread cookies
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to prepare for baking the cake.
- Prepare Pan: Grease the bottom of a 13x18x1 inch half-sheet baking pan and line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, baking soda, and kosher salt until evenly combined.
- Beat Egg Yolks: In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks on high speed until thickened and pale, about 3 minutes. Then mix in the molasses and melted butter until smooth.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a separate clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the ¼ cup sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed after each addition until sugar is dissolved and glossy stiff peaks form.
- Combine Mixtures: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then carefully fold in the flour and spice mixture until just blended, taking care to keep as much air in the batter as possible.
- Pour and Bake: Pour the batter 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: Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-8 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a clean tea towel sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the cake lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Starting at the short end, gently roll the cake along with the towel. Let the rolled cake cool completely to 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.
- Unroll and Fill Cake: Once cooled, unroll the cake gently without the towel and spread an even layer of the cream cheese filling over the surface.
- Roll and Chill: Roll the cake back up carefully without the towel this time. Place it on a platter, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve to allow flavors to meld and filling to set.
- Garnish and Serve: Prior to serving, dust the cake roll with confectioners’ sugar and optionally garnish with gingerbread cookies or other holiday decorations. Slice with a sharp knife into even portions.
- Storage: Refrigerate any leftovers to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs help create a lighter, more stable batter.
- Folding the egg whites gently maintains the airy texture essential for a tender cake.
- Rolling the cake while warm prevents cracking.
- Using a tea towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar makes rolling and unrolling easier without sticking.
- Chilling the cake roll improves slicing ease and flavor melding.
- Optional garnishes add festive presentation but are not necessary for great taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/10 of cake)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
