Carrot Cake Roll Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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Stunning carrot cake roll is a wonderful joining of deliciously spiced carrot cake, swirled with tangy cream cheese frosting. It looks fancy but it’s easy to make and so perfect for Easter and Spring themed celebrations!

The flavors of carrot cake are absolutely perfect this time of year. If you’re looking for other delicious carrot cake recipes to try, you’ve got to taste thisCarrot Cake Cheesecake, thisCarrot Cake Bundt Cake, and these incredibleCarrot Cake Cookies.

Carrot Cake Roll Recipe - The Recipe Critic (1)

Carrot Cake Roll Recipe

This festive carrot cake roll is so spectacular, it’s bound to get many oohh’s and aahh’s. Not only does it look gorgeous but it also tastes SO scrumptious and has the best texture. We love to enjoy it in the springtime or at Easter gatherings but it’s actually a really great dessert year-round. The moist cake, warm spices, fresh carrots and fluffy cream cheese frosting simply can’t be beat!

I know a cake roll can seem kind of intimating but they aren’t at all. If I can make one then anyone can!I’ll share all my tips, plus step-by-step photos below so you’ll get it perfect every time!

Ingredients Needed

Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients needed for this carrot cake roll. They are all simple baking ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen. See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

Cake

  • Eggs: Use three large eggs for structure, richness and proper baking.
  • Brown Sugar: Sweetens the cake while adding depth of flavor.
  • Granulated Sugar: For the perfect amount of sweetness.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle warm flavor.
  • Shredded Carrots: To make grating the carrots really fast, use afood processorwith the grater attachment.
  • All-Purpose Flour: The best flour to use for a tender crumb.
  • Spices: A warm blend of ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground nutmeg for that classic carrot cake flavor we love!
  • Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise and get perfectly fluffy while baking.
  • Salt: Intensifies all of the delicious flavors.

Cream Cheese Filling

  • Cream Cheese: An essential ingredient when making the icing for carrot cake. The creaminess and tangy flavor are the most wonderful complement to the moist cake and warm spices.
  • Salted butter: Mixes with the cream cheese for the most delicious filling.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the taste of the frosting.
  • Powdered Sugar: To sweeten the frosting while keeping it smooth.

How to Make a Carrot Cake Roll

Once you see how easy this carrot cake roll is to make, you won’t want to reserve it just for Easter. It’s such a great dessert anytime of the year! Make it for your next baby shower, bridal shower or potluck.

Cake

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line jelly roll pan with parchment. Spray with pan spray and set aside.
  2. Whip Eggs: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the eggs for 2-3 minutes on high, until light and frothy.
  3. Add Sugars: Beat in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Fold in the shredded carrots.
  4. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
  5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold in by hand just until no streaks of white remain.
  6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cake is fully baked in the center and a toothpick comes out clean. While the cake bakes lay out a clean kitchen towel and dust it with about ¼-⅓ cup of powdered sugar.
  7. Cool and Roll the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto the kitchen towel. Using the short side, roll the cake up tightly into the towel. Leave the cake rolled up until it is completely cooled.
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Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Make the Filling: While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth.
  2. Finish with Vanilla and Powdered Sugar: Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Assemble

  1. Add filling: Unroll the cooled cake and spread the cream cheese filling evenly over it, leaving ½ inch of unfrosted cake on one of the short ends.
  2. Roll and Chill: Start on the short end without the unfrosted part and roll the cake up tightly into a log. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
  3. Serve: When you’re ready to serve, you can dust the chilled carrot cake roll with powdered sugar or leave it plain. Slice with a sharp knife for the cleanest slices.
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Carrot Cake Roll Recipe - The Recipe Critic (9)

Helpful Tips

Here are my best tips for making a carrot cake roll, so you can make a perfect dessert that your friends and family will love so much!

  • Be Prepared: Read through all of the instructions before making the recipe. This recipe is straightforward but there are quite a few important steps, so it’s a good idea to read through all of them before starting.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients: For best results, start with room temperature butter, eggs and cream cheese.
  • Carrots: Peel and grate large carrots using a box grater or food processor. Don’t use pre-grated carrots, as they have less flavor and may be too dry.
  • For Presentation: For a pretty presentation, you may want to slice off a small amount of each end of the cake so you can easily see the swirled roll when serving.
  • Prevent Sticking: It’s important to dust the kitchen towel with powdered sugar before using it to roll up the cake. This prevents the cake from sticking.
  • Wrap in Plastic Wrap: Don’t forget to wrap the cake in plastic wrap while it’s chilling in the fridge. This will prevent it from becoming dry.
  • Clean Slices: Ensuring your cake is nice and chilled will help with getting beautiful clean slices. For super clean slices, be sure to use a very sharp knife and wipe it off between each slice.
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Storing Leftovers

You’re lucky if you have any of this amazing treat left! Here’s how to store it, so you can enjoy again later.

  • In the Refrigerator: If you have some leftover carrot cake roll, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Then, place it in your fridge and it will keep for up to 3 days!
  • In the Freezer: Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then wrap in aluminum foil. It will keep for about a month. Write the date on it! Before serving, thaw for about an hour at room temperature. Then, slice and enjoy!
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More Cake Roll Recipes

Cake rolls look super impressive and fun! Here are some of our other favorite cake roll recipes!

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Carrot Cake Roll

By: Alyssa Rivers

Stunning carrot cake roll is a wonderful joining of deliciously spiced carrot cake, swirled with tangy cream cheese frosting. It looks fancy but it's easy to make and so perfect for Easter and Spring themed celebrations!

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

chill time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

Cake

Cream Cheese Filling

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line jelly roll pan with parchment. Spray with pan spray and set aside.

  • In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the eggs for 2-3 minutes on high, until light and frothy.

  • Beat in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Fold in the shredded carrots.

  • Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold in by hand just until no streaks of white remain.

  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cake is fully baked in the center and a toothpick comes out clean. While the cake bakes lay out a clean kitchen towel and dust it with about ¼-⅓ cup of powdered sugar.

  • Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto the kitchen towel. Using the short side, roll the cake up tightly into the towel. Leave the cake rolled up until it is completely cooled.

Cream Cheese Filling

  • While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth.

  • Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Assemble

  • Unroll the cooled cake and spread the cream cheese filling evenly over it, leaving ½ inch of unfrosted cake on one of the short ends.

  • Start on the short end without the unfrosted part and roll the cake up tightly into a log. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

  • When you’re ready to serve, you can dust the chilled cake with powdered sugar or leave it plain. Slice with a sharp knife for the cleanest slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 232mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 1gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 5710IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

Read More About Me

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Carrot Cake Roll Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Why is my carrot cake not fluffy? ›

The key to a soft and fluffy carrot cake is to have the carrots bake into the crumb. If you coarsely grate the carrots, then they will not bake as quickly and will stay as threads through the cake which can get stuck in your teeth. For maximum flavor and the best texture, you'll need to grate them finely.

Why is my carrot cake dense and heavy? ›

Adding too many mix-ins

The promise of a cake bursting with nuts, raisins, and a hint of coconut seems like a flavor jackpot. However, too many mix-ins can lead your carrot cake down a dense and heavy path, and that's a baking detour you might want to avoid.

Why is my carrot cake soggy in the middle? ›

When a cake is wet in the middle it is because the edges have cooked faster than the centre. This happens because of the way the cake cooks naturally in the tin – the sides of the cake tin heat up first.

Why does carrot cake taste so good? ›

Carrots add sweetness and moisture to a batter. Carrot cakes have been around for centuries, but the modern carrot cake can be traced back to World War II when carrots were suggested as a way to add sweetness to cakes when sugar was being rationed, according to the World Carrot Museum of Skipton, England.

What is the secret to a very fluffy cake? ›

Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.

What ingredient makes cake Fluffy? ›

Cakes and pastries are fluffy and light in nature due to the presence of baking soda in it. When baking soda is combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid, it becomes activated. Upon activation, Carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked products to rise and become light and fluffy.

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

Carrot cake is oil-based, rather than butter-based. This keeps it moist and helps it last for days. Unfortunately, it also means you lose the leavening power that creaming butter and sugar would bring. (Creaming, or beating together the two ingredients on high speed, aerates the butter.)

How fine should carrots be grated for carrot cake? ›

Think thin

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

Why does my carrot cake always sink in the middle? ›

There's too much liquid. Opening the oven or moving pans during baking. Oven temperature is too low, or cake isn't baked long enough.

Why do carrots turn black in carrot cake? ›

Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance. When the shreds of carrot come into contact with the alkaline baking soda, a chemical reaction takes place that causes the pigments to change color.

Why does carrot cake turn green? ›

Our answer. The green flecks are carrot but the colour has been changed by the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in the mixture.

What makes a cake more fluffy? ›

The most crucial tip? Instead of buying an entire box of cake flour, simply incorporate two tablespoons of cornstarch into 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. This blocks the formation of gluten in the flour, which produces a lighter, fluffier cake.

Why is my cake dense and not fluffy? ›

One of the key factors that can lead to dense cakes is the incorrect ratio of ingredients. Baking is a science, and even a small deviation from the recipe can have a big impact on the final texture of your cake. Too much flour or not enough leavening agents like baking powder can result in a dense cake.

Why did my cake not fluff up? ›

Correct oven temperature is necessary to allow the cake to rise before the structure sets. If the oven is too hot, the cake will set too fast before the air bubbles have formed. If the oven is not hot enough, the cake will rise too much, then fall in the center before it is set.

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