Carrot cake Swiss roll

Carrot cake Swiss roll is a roll cake with a moist carrot cake sponge filled with creamy mascarpone with each slice having the form of a spiral. The sponge is cooked in a Swiss roll tin, rolled while still hot, left to cool, filled with mascarpone frosting and then re-rolled.

Similar to Bakewell tart, pistachio frangipane and almond cake slices, it makes an attractive dessert, snack or teatime treat.

If you enjoy carrot cake, you may also like to try these carrot cake muffins which are individual sized versions of a traditional carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting.

This Swiss roll cake recipe is sufficient for about 10 slices.

Ingredients for the carrot cake sponge

• 150 grams finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium sized carrots).
• 90 grams flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• A pinch of ground cloves
• A pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 90 grams Demerara sugar - or light muscovado sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the cream cheese filling

• 250g mascarpone 
• 250g icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate

• About 1 tablespoon icing sugar to decorate plus extra for rolling.

Prepare the sponge

Finely grate the carrots. Coarsely grated carrots work well for a traditional carrot cake but as the sponge in this roll cake is shallow it gives a better result if the carrots are finely grated.

Measure the flour, baking powder, spices and salt into a bowl and mix.

Place the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk. Add the sugar, vanilla extract and grated carrots and mix.

Fold the flour and spices into the the bowl of wet ingredients and mix.

Line the base of a 25 cm by 38 cm (10" by 15") Swiss roll tin with non-stick parchment paper and lightly grease.

Spread the carrot cake mixture evenly over the lining paper in the tin.

Bake

Bake at 190^oC, 375^oF, gas mark 5 until the sponge has risen and is firm to the touch (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Roll the hot Swiss roll sponge

Lay a clean kitchen towel out and sprinkle with icing sugar.

As soon as the sponge is cooked, carefully turn the cooked sponge over onto the towel with one of the shorter sides of the rectangle at the front.

Tightly roll the sponge inside the towel away from you (from one short side to the other) until the cake forms a roll. Leave to cool.

Prepare the cream cheese filling

Prepare the filling while the cake is cooling.

Place the mascarpone and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix.

Add the sifted icing sugar a little at a time and beat with an electric mixer.

Chill until you are ready to fill the cake.

Fill and roll the Swiss roll

Carefully unroll the cake roll.

Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the carrot cake sponge up to the edges.

Tightly reroll the sponge making sure there are no gaps.

Wrap your carrot cake Swiss roll in cling film and chill for at least an hour before slicing.

Serving instructions

• Dust icing sugar over the Swiss roll immediately before serving.
• Slice the cake to serve individual portions.
• After storing in the fridge you will need to dust with icing sugar again.

Storage instructions

While this cake is at its best on the day it is baked it can be stored in the fridge until the next day.

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