Are you looking for a special dessert that doesn't require a lot of effort?
This delicious Carrot Cake Roll is basically an inside out carrot cake. The moist carrot laden cake is stuffed with a luscious pineapple cream cheese filling making a lovely, but surprisingly easy, dessert.
Cake Rolls, also called Swiss Cake Rolls or jelly rolls if filled with jelly, seem to have fallen out of favor in the baking world lately.
I love both making and eating them. They bake up quickly and look festive without the need for a load of decorating. Plus, you get loads of filling to cake with is a bonus.
Where are the Carrots?
You might be thinking "I don't see any carrots in there."
From painful experience, I have learned to use pureed carrots because Sir Snubs A Lot does not like to see the carrots in his Carrot Cake or Carrot Bread.
He knows they are in there, and will readily eat it, but if he can see flecks of carrots I hear "But Mooooooom! You made it WRONG!".
The joys of motherhood, amiright?
But, in this case, the pureed carrots gives the cake a lovely orange hue.
What type of pan should I use for a Cake Roll?
No matter what you call the finished cake, the official pan is called a jelly roll pan. It is smaller than a traditional half sheet pan (which is 18 x 13 x 1 inch).
Most are 15 x 10 x 1 inch. You can also use a 17 x 12 or even a 13 x 9 pan as replacements.
The smaller the length and width of the pan, the thicker the cake will be. A half sheet pan will produce a thin cake which is more likely to crack when rolling.
Tips for Making a Roll Cake
If you have never made a roll cake before here are a few tips:
1 - parchment paper is a must (not waxed paper, foil might work if you grease it first)
2 - roll it while it is hot to prevent breakage
3 - unroll gently when the cake is completely cool
4 - go a little thin on the filling on the edges, more than likely when you re-roll it the filling will squirt out the sides. Big mess, waste of filling!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup pureed carrots
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecans (finely chopped)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
- ½ cup butter (room temperature)
- 6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple (drained with juice reserved)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- With an electric mixer, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and carrots until smooth.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder nutmeg and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and blend until fully combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the batter.
- Bake at 350℉ until cooked, about 14 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some of the powdered sugar on a large tea towel and place sugar side down on top of the cake. Place a cutting board or wire rack on top and invert the cake.
- Remove the parchment paper, fold the sides of the towel over the cake. Roll the cake up in the towel and cool in the refrigerator thoroughly, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- With an electric mixer, combine the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter and crushed pineapple. Thin slightly with the reserved pineapple juice. You want it spreadable but not too runny.
- Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread the mixture on top of the cake.
- Gently re-roll the cake up and refrigerate it until you're ready to slice and serve. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Linda Cassidy
This looks delicious.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
That looks so good - I'd add that to a Mother's day brunch! I'd love it if you shared this at our What's for Dinner party - http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-146/
Lisa Kerhin
I can never roll one of these cakes Love trying but never comes out right - still tastes good lol. Yours is making want to try again, like this week! YUM!