This low carb gingerbread cake roll is holiday happiness in a sweet little package. Full of sugar-free vanilla cream, it’s a keto dessert you won’t want to miss.
You can’t see me, but I am dancing around with excitement at sharing this recipe with you. It’s the first day of December and I do declare Gingerbread open for the season. And the absolute best way to celebrate is with this spectacular low carb gingerbread cake roll. Seriously, this is the bomb-diggity. And I don’t say that lightly. In fact I never say it at all. It’s a phrase that heretofore has never passed my lips. So you know it’s going to be good, if I stoop to using teenager-like terminology to describe it. Wait, is that even teenager terminology? Maybe it’s too old for that. Those kids have probably moved on to much more interesting phrases. So I am stuck here in old fogey-land, trying to make myself sound hip and cool and messing it all up. But what do I care? My mouth is too full of this cake to pronounce it properly anyway.
So yes, serious holiday deliciousness that you don’t want to miss. It’s my new favourite low carb cake, honestly. Actually, don’t listen to me when I say stuff like that because I say it all the time. I am a fickle cake lover, and am always switching allegiances to whatever new cake strikes my fancy. I have many favourite cakes and if you held a gun to my head, chances are I wouldn’t be able to name the one I love the most. Boston Cream Poke! No wait, White Chocolate Cranberry! Ohhh, hold on a sec, is that Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter? Look, something shiny! Oh no, wait, that’s just chocolate ganache pouring over Death By Chocolate Cheesecake.
You catch my drift? That said, this really is a delicious cake and worth all the trouble of whipping the egg whites and carefully rolling the cake in a tea towel while you make the filling. It’s an impressive looking thing, too. So you can make it for holiday gathering where all those non-low carb naysayers will be talking about how nothing can taste as good as wheat and sugar. Oh no, they are so glad they don’t have to eat low carb or gluten-free, because that stuff tastes like sawdust. But look at this pretty gingerbread cake roll, you must try a slice! It’s so good, it just has to be made with high carb ingredients. Right? Right?
Word to the wise on low carb cake rolls. You really don’t want to skip the grassfed gelatin, as it helps it be flexible and not crack as much. You may be able to sub in an envelope of Knox gelatin but I am not certain because I have yet to try that.
Now go. Go make this bomb-diggity cake and impress the heck out of your friends and family. And yourself. Happy Gingerbread Season!
Low Carb Gingerbread Cake Roll
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon grassfed gelatin
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 large eggs room temperature, separated
- ¼ cup granulated Swerve Sweetener divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Vanilla Cream Filling:
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups whipping cream divided
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 11x17 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and pan sides very well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, powdered sweetener, cocoa powder, gelatin, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
- In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with 2 tablespoon of the granulated sweetener until lighter yellow and thickened. Beat in the vanilla extract
- Using clean beaters and a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until frothy. Beat in the remaining two tablespoon sweetener until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the whites. Then gently fold in the almond flour mixture, taking care not to deflate them, until no streaks remain.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.
- Remove from the oven and let let cool a few minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen. Cover with another large piece of parchment paper and then a kitchen towel. Place another large baking sheet overtop and flip over.
- Gently peel the parchment from what is now the top of the cake. While still warm, gently roll up inside the kitchen towel, starting from one of the shorter ends. Don't roll too tightly or it will crack. Let cool while preparing the filling.
Vanilla Cream Filling:
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with ¼ cup whipping cream until smooth.
- In a large bowl, beat the remaining whipping cream with the sweetener and vanilla extract until it holds soft peaks. Then add the cream cheese mixture and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Do not over-beat. Remove ½ cup and set aside for decorating.
- Gently and carefully unroll the cake. Do not try to lay it completely flat, let it curl up on the ends. Spread with the remaining filling to within ½ inch of the edges. Gently roll back up without the kitchen towel. Place seam side-down on a serving platter.
- Sprinkle with some more powdered sweetener, if desired. Pipe remaining vanilla cream mixture in stars or other shapes down the center of the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate 1 hour before slicing. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Leanne says
Hi Carolyn! I want to make this however I would like to make it a couple days ahead of time and I find whipped cream melts even when mixed with cream cheese. I’m wondering if I should mix some gelatin in the whipping cream to make something I’ve only ever read about stabilized whipped cream? But I’m not 100% certain how to do it or when to add gelatin and do I have to bloom the gelatin powder first? Sorry just really worried that I’ll spend all the time and end up with a soupy mess and all the expensive ingredients wasted. A litre of 35% m.f. Is $10!!! It’s crazy prices today anyway I’m just stressing but still really would love to try a Yule log for the first time. Advice? Suggestions? Thanks I absolutely LOVE all your recipes!!!
Carolyn says
Make it adn freeze it. That solves that issue right there. 🙂
Renee says
I just made this. Now for the long hour wait until I can eat it!
From the bits that broke off and licking the bowl I know it’s delicious!
It cracked when I rolled it but I stuck it together with the filling.
Limor says
Perfect result, easy to make and roll after baking. Thank you.
Gloria says
Love this beautiful seasonal dessert tor Thanksgiving and or Christmas. We loved the flavors of the Spicy Gingerbread with the flavorful sweetened Cream Cheese mixture. A perfect Keto dessert anyone would love <3
Susan says
I made this for my family Christmas Eve gathering, for myself and my diabetic brother. EVERYONE gobbled it down! It was delicious and if I hadn’t told them, no one would know it was ‘keto’. One note: I overbaked mine so it cracked, though still tasted good. 8 min would have been enough.
Danielle says
Hi, can it be freeze and then thawed for Xmas?
Carolyn says
Yes, it should freeze well, actually.
Danielle says
THAnk you so much. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and family
Mariana says
Hi
Can you help me to adapt this to a chocolate cake instead of gingerbread?
I’ve always wanted to do a cake roll. I’m thinking chocolate cake with raspberry jam and the whipped cream.and a chocolate buttercream frosting!????
Carolyn says
I already have a chocolate cake roll! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-buche-de-noel/
Valerie says
Hi carol I was wanting to make this recipe but I dont see any grams/metric measurements? I usually weigh all my ingredients out and I was hoping to see the grams listed.
Carolyn says
I just added the metric conversion button. It’s time consuming because the automatic weights for almond flour are always off so I have to do them by hand. 🙂
Betty Lee says
What size pan did you use?
Carolyn says
It’s right in the recipe, first step.
Michele says
Hello, if doing a paleo version can I use coconut cream/full fat coconut milk? Thanks
Carolyn says
For the cream cheese? I think coconut cream, the thickest you can find, would work.
Fara says
Hi Carolyn, I love this recipe but I like to change it to a summertime recipe. Do you think if I omit all the winter spices should I add anything else instead or Vanilla is enough? Thank you
Carolyn says
I think that sounds good.
Metqa says
I made this for my work’s Winter Holiday office party, It was a hit! I used a French Buttercream filling and German Buttercream frosting on it and made crispy bracket mushroom shaped meringue cookies with egg white and xylitol.
I made a photo of the cake if you’d like to see how it came out: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ssgxu8fbGZVpegEf6
Thanks for the recipe
Megan says
Oh my…This is delicious!!! I had minor issues with the cake (I misread the instructions which led to having to troubleshoot ingredients) and was worried that it wouldn’t turn out right, so it was a relief when everyone agreed it was great. I will definitely be making this in the future! Thank you so much????
Laura says
Can this be made with allulose? My stomach doesn’t appreciate erythritol! Thanks
Carolyn says
And mine doesn’t do well with allulose. I am sure it would be fine in the cake, though.
Lucy says
Hi, I have a questions if I can use different sugar instead of Swerve Sweetener? Is no able to buy it in my country. Thanks
Carolyn says
What can you get?
Vivian says
Oh, Carolyn! How did I miss THIS one?! I have it down for the holidays this year! Looks delicious! I’m the same way with my “favorite cake”! This could be adapted with any of the new delicious low carb ice creams (I will refrain from brand names but you probably know the ones). 😉
JanP says
I want to try this. Only 1 question….what is the cocoa for?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
Hi Jan, I answer that question right in the blog post!
KT says
Where? I read the entire blog post twice and even searched the page for “cocoa” but I don’t see any explanation about what the cocoa is for. Chocolate triggers my daughter’s heart arrhythmia, but she loves gingerbread, so I’m also wondering how necessary the cocoa powder is for this recipe.
Kristyn says
Love these cake rolls!! Love the gingerbread in this one with the filling! It’s delicious!
Toni says
This is absolutely amazing!! My family really loved it!
Kim says
What a gorgeous recipe. Maybe someday I’ll be brave enough to try it!