Carrot Roll Cake

Love carrot cake? Try this carrot roll cake—fluffy, spiced, and swirled with cream cheese filling for a fun, flavorful twist on a classic favorite. 

You might also like lemon cake roll, carrot cake cookies, carrot cake pancakes, carrot cake cupcakes, or carrot cake slow cooker oatmeal.

Why You’ll Love It           

An attractive treat: The spiral pattern made by rolling the cake up with the filling, is pretty and eye-catching.
Delicious flavors: Warm spices, a caramel-like brown sugar flavor and the taste of carrots gives the cake plenty of flavor appeal, and the smooth creamy filling is also delicious.
Easy to make: There’s nothing difficult about making a Swiss roll cake, as long as you use the right baking pan and roll up the cake correctly. And don’t worry – even if it doesn’t come out perfect, you can frost, glaze or sprinkle powdered sugar over any mistakes!

Carrot Cake Swiss Roll Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Carrots: In order to drain, gently squeeze your hands together to drain the majority of the moisture. The carrots don’t need to be completely dry—just squeeze out most of the excess moisture. Make sure to drain the carrots before you measure.
Spices: I like to use ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg for warm, earthy flavors.
Brown sugar: For sweetness and to add a rich taste.
Baking powder: To achieve an airy texture which makes the cake easier to roll up.
Salt: Makes the sweet flavors pop.
Powdered sugar: To dust the cake and to sweeten the frosting.
Cream cheese: For the frosting. Bring it to room temperature first, for easier mixing.
Heavy whipping cream: Make sure it’s very cold. Very cold cream whips faster.

How to Make Swiss Roll Carrot Cake

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Make the cake batter: Beat the eggs and brown sugar and stir in the grated carrots. Whisk the flour, spices, salt, and baking powder in another bowl and then combine both mixtures. Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined jelly roll pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake the cake: Bake until the cake is springy when touched and the lift it out of the pan, roll it up and let it cool completely.
Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then beat in the heavy cream and powdered sugar, beating until thick.
Add the filling to the cake: Unroll the cake, spread the filling over it and roll it up tightly.
Chill the cake: Wrap the carrot cake roll in plastic wrap and chill for an hour before slicing.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour.
Brown sugar: The brown sugar can be substituted with white granulated sugar. Coconut sugar offers a less refined alternative.
Spices: Pumpkin pie spice can be used to replace the cinnamon and nutmeg in the cake, or you could add some ground ginger or allspice for a slightly different flavor.

Serving Suggestions

With brunch: Enjoy a slice of this delicious carrot cake roll with savory breakfast items for a contrast, perhaps breakfast lasagna or sausage breakfast burritos, or crispy bacon with eggs benedict.
For dessert: This carrot cake roll is perfect for dessert.
As a sweet snack: Serve it with an iced lavender matcha latte or mango-a-go-go smoothie (a Jamba Juice copycat).

How to Store Carrot Cake Roll

Store: Store your carrot cake roll in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to keep it fresh and creamy.
Freeze: If you want to make it ahead or save leftovers for longer, you can freeze it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 2 months. Freezing in individual slices also makes for an easy treat to grab whenever you crave a bite.
Thaw: Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.