Gingerbread Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
Gingerbread cake roll is the kind of dessert that instantly makes your kitchen smell like Christmas morning.
Learn exactly how to create a perfectly spiced, tender cake rolled around a luscious cream filling — a show-stopping Christmas dessert that’s as delicious as it is beautiful.
With its cozy aroma, soft texture, and nostalgic holiday flavor, this cake is the ultimate way to celebrate the season.
Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Before you start baking, check out my favorite kitchen essentials that make preparing this recipe even easier and more enjoyable!
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card with detailed ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
How to Make a Gingerbread Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
- Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and lining a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, whisk together the sugars, molasses, and eggs until smooth, then add the dry ingredients — flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Don’t overbake the cake — you want it springy to the touch but not dry, so it rolls easily without cracking.
- While still warm, roll the cake using a towel dusted with powdered sugar) and let it cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting.
- Unroll the cooled cake, spread on the frosting, and roll it back up.
- Refrigerate the finished roll for at least an hour before serving. It firms up, making cleaner, prettier slices.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice, and serve for a festive, spiced holiday dessert.
Roll the cake while it’s still warm — right out of the oven. The heat makes it flexible and helps it hold its shape as it cools.
Yes! You can make it up to 2 days in advance. Keep it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Absolutely. Wrap the cooled, filled cake tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
That’s normal! The steam trapped during rolling can make the cake slightly tacky. A dusting of powdered sugar helps absorb moisture and keeps it from sticking.
Before you start baking, be sure to check out these great Christmas ideas that pair perfectly with this festive treat!
- Add more spice to your season with Gingerbread Recipes that capture the classic holiday flavor everyone loves.
- If you love warm, cozy flavors, this Pumpkin Cake Roll is another fall favorite that’s just as moist and irresistible.
- Level up your desserts with my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes—they’re smooth, creamy, and perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and more.
- Get inspired for the holidays with a variety of Christmas Cake Recipes that are as beautiful as they are delicious.
- Stay organized and stress-free this season with my printable Christmas Baking Planner, complete with shopping lists and make-ahead tips.
Gingerbread Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 t corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 4 eggs room temperature, seperated
- ¼ cup molasses not blackstrap
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
For the Frosting:
- 12 oz cream cheese
- 6 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° and place an oven rack on the upper middle rung. Line a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray and a light dusting of flour. Measure the parchment paper to overhang the short edges by about 2-4 inches (this helps rolling later)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, brown sugar, molasses and eggs. Mix well.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Combine well – stopping the mixer and scraping the sides and mixing again.
- Pour into the prepared pan and spread into the corners.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and spray the long end of the parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray, then fold over the cake.
- While cake is still hot, roll up the cake beginning at the end with the parchment folded over.
- Cool rolled cake on a cooking rack until completely cooled for about 30-40 minutes.
Filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and cream cheese. Add in the vanilla and cinnamon and stir well.
- Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Unroll the cooled cake and spread the icing over the entire cake. Roll the cake back up, removing the parchment paper as you roll.
- Dust with confectioners sugar.
- Slice to serve.
I do not see where the cornstarch is added!
It is added at the same time as the flour.
Hello! Your gingerbread roll sounds delicious and I’d like to try to make it, but I have one question; it says the 4 eggs are separated, are you just using the yolks? Thanks for sharing!
Hello! I fixed it, you use the whole egg.