Christmas Gingerbread Roll

 

If you are looking for a fabulous dessert to finish your Christmas celebratory meal with I say look no further!  This wonderful Christmas Gingerbread Roll fits the bill on all counts! 

 

Not only is this really delicious but it is also very simple to make.

 

I am not sure what it is about those warm baking spices and gingerbread.  They go together with Christmas like peas and carrots! 

The smell alone speaks Christmas to me!

 

The cake smells heavenly when it is baking . . .  the scent of Christmas  . . .  ginger and cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and a bit of ground cardamom for good measure . . . 

 

Gets your tastebuds to tingling  . . . 

 

I think Mary Berry herself would be very proud of the distinct roll I achieved, don't you? 

 

I was rather well pleased with how it turned out.

 

Flavoured and sweetened with warm, earthy molasses and fragrant vanilla  . . . mmmm.

I love anything with molasses.  As a maritime Canadian, molasses runs through my veins . . .

 

That filling is lush and moreish  . . .  light . . .not in the least bit heavy or cloying.

 

Its simply whipped cream mixed with lemon curd  . . .  perfectly flavoured. 

 

Lemon and Ginger are perfect partners.

 

Not too sweet, not too tart . . .  just perfect with the sweetness of the cake.

 

You could also stir in a TBS of ginger syrup from a jar of preserved stem ginger if you wanted to inject even more warmth and flavour, but I can assure you it is pretty perfect just as it is.

  

It cuts beautifully into lovely slices . . .  a light dusting of icing sugar is the only adornment it needs  . . .

 

Oh this would be lovely with a hot cup of something like coffee, or tea  . . .  herbal or otherwise  . . .

 

This is the perfect finish for any meal, be it on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day . . .

 

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be happy with a slice of this set before them, can you?

Yield: 10

Author: Marie Rayner

Christmas Gingerbread Roll

This makes for a delicious light dessert.  Spicy gingerbread rolled around a lush lemon cream filling.  Its a lot easier to make than one would suppose.

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

For the cake:

• 105g plain flour (3/4 cup)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp each, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large free range eggs, at room temperature
• 145g caster sugar (3/4 cup)
• 50g soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup, packed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80ml molasses (1/3 cup)
• 65g icing sugar, sifted (for rolling) (1/2 cup)
• 30g icing sugar, sifted for dusting at the end

For the lemon cream filling:

• 480ml double cream (whipping or heavy cream, 2 cups)
• 115g good quality lemon curd (about 1/3 cup)

instructions:

How to cook Christmas Gingerbread Roll

1. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Butter a 10 by 15 inch Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper. Butter the baking paper.
2. Sift together the flour, spices and salt.  Set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs with an electric whisk, slowly adding the caster sugar until light and fluffy.  Whisk in the brown sugar, vanilla and molasses, continuing to whisk with the electric whisk until the mixture becomes thick and billowy.  This will take about 3 minutes.  Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until combined and no white streaks remain.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking tin. Tap gently on the counter to allow the mixture to settle.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until the cake bounces back when lightly touched.
5. While the cake is baking lay out a large clean tea towel on a flat surface. Dust lightly with half of the first amount of icing sugar.
6. Tip the baked cake onto the dusted tea towel as soon as it comes out of the oven and carefully peel off the paper.  Dust with the other half of the first amount of icing sugar. Make a tiny cut along the  width of it at one narrow edge about 1 inch in. Using the tea towel as a lever and beginning at that end  gently roll up the cake tightly. Place onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once the cake is completely cold. Place the whipping cream into a chilled bowl.  Whisk with your electric whisk until it doubles in volume and starts to form soft peaks.  Fold in the lemon curd. It will continue to thicken when you add the lemon curd.
8. Unroll the cake carefully and spread completely with the lemon cream.  Carefully re-roll.  Trim off the ends and place onto a serving plate.  Dust with the remaining icing sugar.  Keep, covered,  in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.   Cut into slices to serve.

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This will probably be the last sweet recipe I post before Christmas.  I think most people's menus have probably already been decided now and you can only eat so much sweetness.  I may post one or two quick ideas for suppers, but we will see how it goes!  In the meantime, don't forget to take some time to relax a bit and to enjoy the sweet spirit of these final few days before the big day itself.  If you are like me, its all done now and you can breathe a bit easier until the big day itself!  I am doing the Easy Turkey from Piper's Farm this year so all I have to do is cook the side vegetables.  The turkey comes with stuffing and bacon wrapped sausages and stock for gravy.  All I have to do is pop it all into the oven.  Easy peasy.  Since there is just the two of us, I am taking the easy route this year!

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