This Carrot Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling is a combination of two wonderful desserts – spice cake and classic cake carrot. A moist cake is rolled with a smooth, tangy, and sweet cream cheese frosting for a perfect Easter dessert.
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Best Carrot Cake Roll With Cream Cheese Filling
As much as I love both spice cake and carrot cake individually, the combination of the two converted into a carrot cake roll is a phenomenal dessert.
Perfectly spiced carrot cake rolled into a log with a smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting, then sliced and served. A simple, but impressive treat to enjoy anytime of year, but definitely perfect for Easter.
Similar to my pumpkin roll, there are a few tricks to ensuring this carrot cake roll doesn’t crack or fall apart. I’ve included everything you need to create the absolute best carrot cake roll below.
Why You’ll Love This Carrot Cake Roll Recipe
- Perfectly spiced. This carrot cake roll has all the flavors of your favorite carrot cake, right down to the cream cheese frosting and warm spiced flavors.
- Easy to make ahead. Carrot cake roll stores well in the fridge for several days and can be frozen, making this an ideal make-ahead dessert.
- Perfect for Easter. Just like pumpkin roll is perfect for Thanksgiving, this carrot cake roll is perfect for Easter. The thin slices make it ideal for sharing and it’s a great way to finish any meal.
Ingredients Needed
The ingredients in this carrot cake roll are very similar to those you’d need to make a classic carrot cake.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Cake flour – Cake flour creates a more fine and tender crumb than all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder – Helps the cake rise in the oven.
- Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt offer the classic warm carrot cake flavors.
- Eggs – Needed to bind the batter together. They should be at room temperature before starting.
- Sugar – For sweetness.
- Vegetable oil – Helps keep the cake super moist.
- Vanilla – For added flavor.
- Carrots – Finely shredded carrots add the carrot flavor and color to the cake.
- Cream cheese – Softened to room temperature for easy blending.
- Butter – Also softened to room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens and stabilizes the filling.
How To Make Carrot Cake Roll
Making this carrot cake roll does require some attention to detail and some time, as it needs to cool a few times, but the overall process is simple.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Prepare the pan. Line a 10×15-inch rimmed jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all four sides.
- Make the cake batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla for 4-5 minutes until thick and frothy. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients then fold in the carrots until just incorporated.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake at 350F for 16-17 minutes.
- Roll and cool. Immediately transfer the baked cake to a kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Gently peel off the parchment paper. Fold one end of the towel over the short end of the cake and roll. Allow to cool at room temperature rolled in the towel for 2 hours.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy, about 6-8 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, along with the vanilla extract, until creamy.
- Frost the cake. Gently unroll the cake from the towel. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake, leaving a one inch gap along the edges.
- Reroll and chill. Gently reroll the cake (without the towel). Tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Serve. Remove the plastic wrap, dust the top of the carrot cake roll with powdered sugar, and slice.
Tips for Success
Here are some helpful tips for making this carrot cake roll with cream cheese frosting.
- For perfect results, use a jelly roll pan with dimensions of 10×15 inches. Avoid using a larger or smaller pan, as it may lead to uneven thickness. This is the jelly roll pan that I use.
- Immediately roll the baked cake in a kitchen towel. This trains the cake strands and helps it to maintain its shape and prevent any cracking while it cools. If you wait until it cools, you won’t be able to roll it without it breaking.
- Don’t skip the refrigeration step. It helps in obtaining clean slices and prevents the cake roll from cracking. Remember to trim off the ends before serving.
- A few small cracks are common in the roll cake. You can use excess cream cheese frosting or powdered sugar dusting to conceal the cracks.
- For cleaner slices, wipe the knife between each cut. Don’t worry about the edges appearing flawless; you can trim the log before serving and enjoy the scrumptious end pieces as a treat.
- Add in some toasted chopped walnuts or pecans, if preferred. They’ll add a nice texture and the flavors complement the carrot perfectly.
Video: Carrot Cake Roll
Proper Storage
- Fridge. This carrot cake roll with cream cheese frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer. Individually wrap the slices with plastic wrap or freezer-safe Ziploc pouches and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and let sit at room temp for a bit to soften before serving.
More Easter Desserts To Try
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Carrot Cake Roll
This Carrot Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling is a combination of two wonderful desserts – spice cake and classic cake carrot. A moist cake is rolled with a smooth, tangy, and sweet cream cheese frosting for a perfect Easter dessert.
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients
FOR THE CARROT CAKE
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
FOR THE FROSTING
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR SERVING
- powdered sugar for dusting (for towel & serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 10×15-inch rimmed jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all four sides. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer), beat the ingredients on high speed until the mixture becomes thick and frothy, about 4 minutes.
- Gradually fold in the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, stirring to combine. Finally, add the grated carrots and mix just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter onto the prepared pan and spread it evenly, reaching all four corners of the pan.
- Bake for about 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Lay a clean kitchen towel on the countertop and sprinkle powdered sugar evenly over it.
- Once the cake is baked, immediately transfer and invert it onto the prepared kitchen towel while it is still hot. Gently peel off the parchment paper from the cake.
- Fold one end of the towel over the short end of the cake and carefully roll the cake into the towel. Set the cake aside rolled in the towel to cool to room temperature for about 2 hours.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter with an electric hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, along with the vanilla extract, and continue mixing until the frosting is well combined and creamy.
- Carefully and gently unroll the cake from the towel and spread the prepared cream cheese frosting evenly over the cake, leaving a one inch gap at the longest side and the open end of the cake.
- Gently reroll the cake (without the kitchen towel.) Transfer the cake to plastic wrap and roll it compactly, twisting the ends. Place the cake on a platter and refrigerate for an hour.
- Remove the cake from the plastic wrap, let sit at room temperature for just a bit to soften. Dust the top with powdered sugar, and slice to serve.
Video
Notes
Use a jelly roll pan. For perfect results, use a jelly roll pan with dimensions of 10×15 inches. Avoid using a larger or smaller pan, as it may lead to uneven thickness. This is the jelly roll pan that I use.
Immediately roll the baked cake in a kitchen towel. This trains the cake strands and helps it to maintain its shape and prevent any cracking while it cools. If you wait until it cools, you won’t be able to roll it without it breaking.
A few small cracks are common in the roll cake. You can use excess cream cheese frosting or powdered sugar dusting to conceal the cracks.
For cleaner slices, wipe the knife between each cut. Don’t worry about the edges appearing flawless; you can trim the log before serving and enjoy the scrumptious end pieces as a treat.
Add in some toasted chopped walnuts or pecans, if preferred. They’ll add a nice texture and the flavors complement the carrot perfectly.
Nutrition
Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 4745IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg
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