You’re going to love this super moist and flavorful carrot cake roll — it’s everything you love about carrot cake, but rolled up beautifully with a cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cake But ROLL IT UP
It’s carrot cake season, people! And we’re so thrilled to be sharing this carrot cake roll — it’s never dry and packed with flavor, plus, you’ll absolutely love having cream cheese frosting in every bite.
Why you’ll love it!
- It is an easy dessert to make that feeds a crowd.
- The carrot cake layer is moist and so flavorful.
- You can choose to make your own cream cheese frosting or use store bought that will make this carrot cake roll your own.
- Who doesn’t like desserts with cream cheese!
Carrot Cake Roll Ingredients
- Canned pineapple
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Ground cardamom
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Shredded carrots
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese frosting
How to Make a Carrot Cake Roll
Caramelize the Pineapple & preheat oven
Heat a medium skillet over low/medium heat and add butter and melt.
Add diced pineapple to the skillet and cook slowly until it becomes a dark golden color, about 15-20 minutes. Once it is done, set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 375℉ and prepare a jelly roll pan (10-15-inch baking sheet) with parchment paper and cooking spray.
Mix Dry ingredients
In a large bowl mix flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking sugar and set aside.
Shred carrots & Mix wet ingredients
Take the shredded carrots and give them a rough chop. The pieces should be roughly half the size.
In another bowl beat the eggs and sugar for 1-2 minutes or until it becomes light and foamy. Next add oil, vanilla, caramelized pineapple, and carrots to the egg mixture and mix until combined.
Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Once combined, pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.
Bake carrot cake
Bake at 375ºF for 10-13 minutes.
Prepare Rolling Station
While the cake is in the oven sprinkle ¼ cup of powdered sugar onto a clean kitchen towel.
When the cake is done take it out of the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully flip the cake out of the pan onto the kitchen towel.
Roll Carrot Cake
Starting at one of the short ends, roll the cake, and place it seam-side down to cool completely. About an hour.
Frost cake and roll again
Once the cake has cooled, slowly unroll it. Spread on the cream cheese frosting, leaving about ½ inch along the border. Roll the cake back up and sprinkle with the remaining powdered sugar.
Top Tips for Perfect Carrot Cake Roll
- For the shredded carrots: It is important to give the carrots a rough chop. The baking is so quick the carrots don’t have enough time to cook otherwise. You can also grate your own carrots. We recommend a medium/coarse grate.
- Why use a kitchen towel for rolling? The purpose of the kitchen towel is to absorb some of the moisture coming from the cake during the cooling process. You can easily swap out with parchment paper but be aware of possible condensation.
- If you do choose to use parchment paper for rolling: at step 12 in the recipe card, you will flip the cake out onto the paper. You can easily roll it in the paper it is on, but then the bottom of the cake is outside. Which is fine, just not as aesthetically pleasing.
Storage
Store this carrot cake roll in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Carrot Cake Roll
Ingredients
- 8- oz. canned pineapple drained and diced (~1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- ½ cup powdered sugar divided
- 2 cups cream cheese frosting we used store-bought
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet over low/medium heat and add butter and melt.
- Add diced pineapple to the skillet and cook slowly until it becomes a dark golden color, about 15-20 minutes. Once it is done, set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and prepare a jelly roll pan (10-15-inch baking sheet) with parchment paper and cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking sugar and set aside.
- Take the shredded carrots and give them a rough chop. The pieces should be roughly half the size. Set aside.
- In another bowl beat the eggs and sugar for 1-2 minutes or until it becomes light and foamy.
- Next add oil, vanilla, caramelized pineapple, and carrots to the egg mixture. Mix until combined.
- Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Once combined, pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.
- Bake at 375ºF for 10-13 minutes.
- While the cake is in the oven sprinkle ¼ cup of powdered sugar onto a clean kitchen towel.
- When the cake is done take it out of the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, carefully flip the cake out of the pan onto the kitchen towel.
- Starting at one of the short ends, roll the cake, and place it seam-side down to cool completely. About an hour.
- Once the cake has cooled, slowly unroll it. Spread on the cream cheese frosting, leaving about ½ inch along the border.
- Roll the cake back up and sprinkle with the remaining powdered sugar.
- Slice and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
- It is important to give the carrots a rough chop. The baking is so quick the carrots don’t have enough time to cook otherwise. You can also grate your own carrots. We recommend a medium/coarse grate.
- The purpose of the kitchen towel is to absorb some of the moisture coming from the cake during the cooling process. You can easily swap out with parchment paper but be aware of possible condensation.
- If you do choose to use parchment paper for rolling. At step 12 you will flip the cake out onto the paper. You can easily roll it in the paper it is on, but then the bottom of the cake is outside. Which is fine, just not as aesthetically pleasing.
No photos? I went to pin the recipe, but there was nothing to pin! It looks amazing, though!