Grandma's Flavorful Gingerbread Roll

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 3 large eggs, separated
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ½ cup dark molasses
• 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, or more as needed
• Spiced Cream:
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Step 1

First, heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with cooking spray. Lay a piece of waxed paper on top and give that a quick spray too.

Step 2

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they get foamy. Slowly add the sugar while continuing to beat until you see stiff peaks. In another bowl, whip the egg yolks on high speed until they’re thick and creamy, about five minutes. Mix in the molasses and melted butter, then gently fold in the egg whites.

Step 3

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt in a separate bowl. Sift these dry ingredients over the batter and carefully fold them in until just combined. Spread the batter evenly over your prepared baking sheet.

Step 4

Pop the pan in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 8 to 10 minutes. While it’s still warm, dust a kitchen towel with powdered sugar, flip the cake onto it, and peel off the waxed paper. Roll the cake up carefully in the towel and let it cool with the seam side down for around half an hour.

Step 5

While the cake cools, whip up the spiced cream by beating together heavy cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves until it’s thick and spreadable like frosting. Once the cake has cooled, gently unroll it and spread half the cream over the surface. Roll it back up without the towel, then spread the remaining cream over the top and sides for a lovely finish.