Gingerbread Roll Cake

Looking for an irresistible holiday dessert that will also impress the crowd? Our gingerbread roll cake features a tender, spiced cake with a light-as-a-cloud whipped cream filling. It’s a beautiful treat with a dark and light swirl inside and white frosting outside. Even though it looks fancy, this gingerbread Yule log recipe is very doable.

Fans (like me) of The Great British Bake Off have learned a lot about roll cakes (also known as Swiss roll cakes), as they appear almost every season. The show has taught us that a proper roll cake should have a lovely swirl of filling inside and that the cake should roll up without any cracks. If this is your first time making a roll cake, don’t fret. It will come out picture-perfect if you have the right sponge—and some good timing doesn’t hurt. This gingerbread cake roll recipe is one of the prettiest Christmas desserts to share at the holiday table.

Gingerbread Roll Cake Ingredients

• Eggs: Separate the eggs (while at room temperature is best!) with a slotted spoon or using the shells. Whip the whites before folding them into the batter for a light, fluffy cake.
• Flour: This gingerbread Yule log recipe uses regular, all-purpose flour. To make a smooth cake batter, sift the flour and dry ingredients into the bowl with a sifter tool or a whisk.
• Granulated sugar: Add the sugar slowly while whipping the egg whites to stabilize the egg whites as they build into stiff peaks.
• Molasses: It just wouldn’t be gingerbread without the color and flavor of molasses. Different types of molasses are available; choose dark molasses for this gingerbread buche de Noel recipe.
• Butter: Cake batter needs fat for a tender crumb, and in this recipe, that fat comes from melted butter. It doesn’t matter which butter brand you use. Unsalted butter is usually best for baking.
• Baking soda: A little baking soda, activated by the acids in the molasses, helps lighten the texture of this baked gingerbread cake roll recipe.
• Salt: Salt in the cake batter helps the flavors pop.
• Whipping cream: For the filling, beat whipping cream in a cold bowl with a mixer. You can also use heavy cream.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar dissolves quickly and smoothly in homemade whipped cream. You’ll also need confectioners’ sugar to help roll up the cake.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a light flavor to the whipped cream filling. You can use a store-bought brand or homemade vanilla extract.
• Spices: Holiday spices like ground cinnamon, cloves and ginger flavor the gingerbread buche de Noel.

Directions

Step 1: Warm the egg whites and prepare the pan

Place the egg whites in a bowl and let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 15x10x1-inch baking pan (also known as a jelly-roll pan.) Then, press a piece of parchment or waxed paper into the bottom of the pan.

Step 2: Prepare the dry ingredients

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves and ginger, the baking soda and the salt. Set aside.

Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks on high speed until thickened, about three minutes. Beat in the molasses and melted butter. Set aside.

Step 4: Beat the egg whites

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Using clean beaters and a large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating the egg whites on high after each addition until the sugar dissolves. Continue beating the mixture until soft, glossy peaks form.

Editor’s Tip: It’s essential to have a clean bowl and beaters to beat egg whites. If any yolk, water or other substances remain, the egg whites won’t whip into soft peaks.

Step 5: Make the batter

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Then, fold in the flour mixture.

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly.

Editor’s Tip: Prepare for the next step by laying out a large, clean kitchen towel and dusting it lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

Step 6: Bake and roll the cake

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Bake the cake for 9 to 12 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool the cake on a wire rack for five minutes. Invert the cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off the parchment or waxed paper.

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Starting with the short side, roll up the cake in the towel jelly-roll style. Set the rolled-up cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Step 7: Make the filling

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

In a chilled large bowl, combine the whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and ground cloves.

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Beat the mixture until soft peaks form.

Step 8: Assemble the cake

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Unroll the cake; spread half the filling over the cake to within 1/2 inch of the edges.

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Roll the cake back up again without the towel.

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Move the cake to a large serving platter and place it seam side down. Spread the remaining filling over the outside of the cake.

If desired, sprinkle cinnamon over the surface of the cake. Serve the cake immediately, or hold it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

Editor’s Tip: To show off the swirl, slice about 1 inch off both ends of the frosted cake.

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

Gingerbread Roll Cake Variations

• Use a different frosting: For a more substantial dessert, skip the whipped cream filling and use a sweeter cream cheese frosting, easy chocolate frosting or white chocolate ganache.
• Add dried fruit: Gingerbread is delicious with raisins or dried cranberries. Sprinkle 1/2 cup dried fruit over the unrolled cake before spreading the whipped cream filling.
• Decorate the gingerbread Yule log: After rolling up the filled cake, slice a small section off the end at a diagonal; position it against the side of the cake roll to look like a branch. Frost the entire outside of the cake with the whipped cream filling. (Or, use chocolate frosting for a chocolate Yule log.) Drag the tines of a fork lengthwise through the frosting to make it look like bark. Garnish the gingerbread buche de Noel with meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries, or use fondant to make leaves and berries.

How to Store Gingerbread Roll Cake

Store the gingerbread cake roll recipe in the refrigerator to keep the whipped cream filling fresh and stable. Wrap leftover cake on a platter or transfer slices to a sealed container, then pop it in the fridge. Your gingerbread roll cake will last three to four days.

Can you freeze gingerbread roll cake?

Yes, this gingerbread roll cake freezes well, so it’s one of our favorite Christmas cakes to make in advance. Roll up the cake with the whipped cream filling inside, wrap it well and set it on a level spot in the freezer until it’s solid. (Because the whipped cream is so soft, wait until you thaw the cake to frost the outside.) You can keep the cake frozen for up to three months. Allow it to thaw, still wrapped, in the fridge overnight before covering it with whipped cream.

Can you make gingerbread roll cake ahead of time?

There are a few ways to prep this gingerbread roll cake in advance:

• Make the cake: Roll up the baked cake in a towel, cool it and cover it with storage wrap. Store the cake at room temperature for up to one day.
• Make the whipped cream filling: The whipped cream filling can also be made a day in advance and held in the fridge.
• Make the filled and rolled cake: Fill and roll the baked cake, wrap it well and store it in the fridge up to two days in advance. Wait to add the whipped cream and cinnamon to the outside of the cake until you’re ready to serve it.

Gingerbread Roll Cake Tips

Josh Rink for Taste Recipes

How do you prevent a roll cake from cracking?

One tip to prevent a roll cake from cracking is not to overbake it. If the cake is too dry, it won’t be flexible enough to roll. During baking, check the thin cake after nine minutes—as soon as it springs back when lightly touched, pull the cake from the oven. Another tip is to roll the cake while it’s still warm; a cooled cake won’t roll without cracking. Give the cake just five minutes to cool in the pan before inverting and rolling it. (Heat-proof gloves will make it easier to handle the hot cake.) If your cake still cracks a little, just remember: The whole thing gets covered in frosting, so no one will ever know!

How can you decorate a gingerbread roll cake?

We use a light whipped cream filling to frost our cake. You can also use another type of homemade frosting, such as silky Italian meringue buttercream. You can even frost it with convenient canned frosting (made more delicious with one of our store-bought frosting hacks). Gingerbread roll cake is also lovely sans frosting and with a dusting of snow-like confectioners’ sugar. Add festive garnishes like sprigs of rosemary, sugared cranberries or gingerbread men cookies perched in dollops of whipped cream. Holiday marshmallows in snowman or Christmas tree shapes are easy decorations to add to the platter.

What can you serve with gingerbread roll cake?

Like almost all cakes, slices of gingerbread roll cake call out for a big scoop of ice cream on the side. Pair the spiced cake with homemade vanilla ice cream, coffee ice cream or a festive pumpkin ice cream. The lightly sweet cake is also delicious with drizzles of caramel sauce, lemon sauce or old-fashioned hard sauce. You can also serve the cake with a fruity side of cinnamony fried apples.