Japanese Carrot Cake Roll with Stabilized Mascarpone Cream

The fluffiest carrot cake roll made in the Japanese-style using a light and airy chiffon cake base and semi-sweet stabilized mascarpone whipped cream. So unique and delicious!

What Does Carrot Cake Taste Like?

Traditional carrot cakes are usually denser, richer cakes that are made with grated carrots. Besides the carrot flavor, it can also have flavors of spice (ex. cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves) and nuts (ex. pecans, walnuts), depending on the recipe. Sometimes, other ingredients like shredded coconut, raisins and pineapples are added as a natural sweetener.

Carrot cakes are so delicious and are such a great dessert choice for both Easter and Fall with all those warm spices and all. I decided to use the classic flavor profile of the carrot spice cake to create a delicious Japanese-style chiffon swiss roll to add to my cake roll collection. Many of you have found great success with the tried and tested recipes in this collection (Matcha Cake Roll, Chocolate Cake Roll, Strawberry Cake Roll, Coffee Cake Roll, Earl Grey Cake Roll, Gingerbread Cake Roll, Pumpkin Spice Cake Roll, Fancy Pattern Cake Roll) so I'm happy to have this new version for you in time for the upcoming Fall season.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Light & Fluffy - this carrot cake roll uses a chiffon cake as the base so it's super light and airy.
• Semi-sweet - made in the Asian dessert style, both the mascarpone filling and the cake is not too sweet.
• Simple Ingredients - this recipe uses common ingredients that are available year round at every grocery store.
• Pipeable Whipped Cream - unlike regular un-stabilized whipped cream, the stabilized mascarpone whipped cream in this recipe is sturdy enough for use in cake rolls without drooping and for piping designs.
• Carrot and spice - a delicious combo that is perfect for Easter celebrations or the Fall season.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Dry Ingredients

• Cake Flour - cake flour is a low protein flour which will help make this cake lighter and softer than if using all purpose flour. You can also use "cake & pastry flour" which many stores sell, This is a blend of both flours with a lower protein than AP. It's ok to use AP flour if that is all you have.
• Baking powder - it acts as a leavening agent in case there is any weaknesses in the meringue.
• Ground cinnamon, nutmeg - nutmeg can be substituted with ground ginger or more cinnamon.
• Sea salt - use half the amount if using table salt.

"Wet" Ingredients

• Carrots, finely pulverized - be careful not to over-pulverize resulting in too much juices being released from the carrots.
• Coconut shreds (fine), unsweetened - chiffon cakes are known to be soft and fluffy so finely shredded coconut is better than medium. This can be substituted with finely chopped pecans if you do not like the taste of coconut.
• Granulated sugar - this first set of sugar is added into the wet ingredients to help add moisture.
• Neutral Vegetable oil - canola, grapeseed, avocado are all good choices.
• Orange juice
• Orange zest - adds an extra dimension to the overall taste of the carrot cake. 2 teaspoon of zest is roughly around half an orange.
• Vanilla extract - rounds out all the flavors in the cake.

Meringue

• Egg whites - fresh egg whites, large size. Preferably at room temperature.
• Granulated sugar - use only granulated sugar, powdered sugar does not work for whipping meringue.
• Cream of tartar - is an acid that helps to stabilize the meringue. It can be substituted with double the amount of lemon juice or vinegar.
• Optional: Raisins and/or chopped pecans

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

• Mascarpone cheese - it can usually found in the "gourmet" cheese section of the grocery store by the deli, sometimes away from where the regular cheese and yogurts are kept. The Tre Stelle brand was used in this recipe. More about this triple-creme cheese in this dedicated post: Stabilized Mascarpone Whipped Cream.
• Granulated sugar
• Heavy cream 36% M.F. - has a milk fat content of at least 36%. It can be substituted with whipping cream (with minimum 30% milk fat) but heavy cream will produce an even more sturdy frosting. It needs to be completely chilled before whipping or else it won't whip up.
• Vanilla extract
• Gelatin powder, unflavored - the Knox brand was used in this recipe. It can usually be found in the baking aisle by the yeast.

Step-By-Step

To make the carrot cake: Line a 8 X 12" rectangular cake pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 F. In a small bowl, combine all the "wet" ingredients together with a whisk and set aside (this includes first portion of sugar). In a large mixing bowl, sift in dry mix. Stir to combine.

Create a well in the center. Inside it, add all the "wet" ingredients. Combine until just incorporated, do not over mix as it will result in a tough cake, set aside.

In a clean and dry, non-plastic mixing bowl, whip egg whites on slow speed until frothy, add cream of tartar. Increase speed to medium, once the whites become opaque and bubble size have tightened up, add the second portion of sugar a little bit at a time.

Increase speed to med-high, whip until stiff peaks. You've now made a meringue.

Gently fold ⅓ of the meringue into the carrot-flour mixture to get it moving. Once incorporated, fold in the rest of the meringue. Do not stir. Use batter immediately. Pour batter into lined cake pan from one spot, spread out the batter evenly with an angled spatula. Tap the pan on the counter to release large air pockets.

Bake for 10-12 min. at 325 F until a skewer pulls out clean and cake springs back in the center. Let cool in pan for 5 min. Place cooling rack over cake pan.

Flip cake over onto the rack, gently remove paper. The side facing up will eventually become the top of the cake roll. Let it sit on cooling rack for 5 min. Place a new piece of parchment paper on top of the cake.

Flip the cake over and start rolling, allowing the parchment paper to be in between the folds. This will prevent the cake from sticking to itself. It's important to roll the cake before it cools completely, otherwise, it will crack while rolling. Let it cool in this wrapped condition while making the mascarpone cream.

To make the stabilized mascarpone cream: Refrigerate mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes. This will help the cream whip better. Place water in a heatproof cup and sprinkle gelatin on top to bloom. Wait 5 minutes. Place cup in a small sauce pan filled with simmering water. Once gelatin becomes liquid, take it out of the water. Let cool on the counter.

Immediately start beating the mascarpone cheese and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the chilled bowl. Whip on low speed until it loosens up. Add chilled whipped cream, increase to medium and keep whipping until beater starts leaving tracks inside the cream.

Check on the gelatin. It should no longer be hot but still runny. Once the beaters leave tracks in the cream, pour the gelatin into the bowl slowly and steadily. Aim for the area in between the whisk and the bowl. Increase speed to medium-high.

Stop beating once the cream turns stiff. Do not over whip. Optional: Gently fold raisins or pecans into mascarpone cream. Use cream to assemble the cooled cake immediately.

Assembly: Gently unwrap rolled cake and spread an even layer of mascarpone cream on it. Carefully roll up the cake from the short edge using the parchment paper to help push the cake onto itself. Wrap with plastic wrap or a new piece of parchment paper and place in refrigerator to set before cutting.

Unwrap assembled cake. If desired, pipe swirls of mascarpone cream onto the top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Tips for Baking the Fluffiest Carrot Chiffon Cake

• Use cake flour instead of AP flour.
• Always sift cake flour to prevent clumps.
• Gently incorporate the dry-mix and wet ingredients together until no lumps of flour can be seen. Do not over mix as it will result in a tough cake.
• For the meringue, use room temperature egg whites for better volume.
• Whip the egg whites in a clean non-plastic bowl free of oil and water.
• Gently fold the meringue into the carrot cake batter, retaining the air that you've built into the meringue. Do not stir.
• Use parchment paper to line the cake pan and for rolling. It prevents sticking and tearing of the cake.

How to Roll Up The Cake Without Cracking

There are several tricks to rolling up the cake for Swiss cake rolls without it cracking: first roll up the cake on it's own when it is no longer hot but still warm; use parchment paper to roll it to prevent sticking; and let it continue to cool down in this wrapped condition to retain 'muscle memory' until it's time to add the cream. There is no need to roll the cake very tightly, let it be somewhat loose to prevent adding stress to the cake. When it's time to add the cream, unroll it gently and transfer it to another clean piece of parchment paper before adding the cream.

For this recipe, add a layer of cream about ½" thick. Depending on the volume your cream attains once whipped, not all of the cream may be needed. (Tip: I like to add a little bit more cream along the short edge where I begin to roll, it gives it a bit more "cushion" in the beginning to prevent it from cracking.) After that, with one hand, gently push the cake onto itself with the parchment paper and the other hand rested on the cake to stabilize and tuck it in.

FAQ

Other Cake Rolls You'll Love

All of these other cake rolls use a Japanese-style fluffy and light chiffon cake base and have a similar method of preparation. Give them a try too:

• Chocolate Cake Roll with Chocolate Whipped Cream
• Coffee Cake Roll with Kaluha Cream
• Fresh Strawberries and Cream Cake Roll
• Matcha Cake Roll with Adzuki Red Bean Cream
• Enchanted Forest Buche De Noel Cake Roll for Christmas/Winter
• Asian Inspired Pumpkin Roll
• Bear Pattern Cheesecake Roll
• Gingerbread Cheesecake Roll
• Gingerbread Man Pattern Cake Roll
• Christmas Silent Night Peppermint Cake Roll
• Earl Grey Tea Cake Roll - Substitute with Any Tea
• Cotton Candy Cake Roll
• Tokyo Banana Cake Roll

Continue to Content

Recipe

Yield: 8 slices

Japanese Carrot Cake Roll with Stabilized Mascarpone Cream

Print

The fluffiest carrot cake roll made in the Japanese-style using a light and airy chiffon cake base and semi-sweet stabilized mascarpone whipped cream. So unique and delicious!

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

Dry Mix

• 45 grams cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients

• 50 grams carrots, pulverized
• 12 grams unsweetened finely shredded coconut
• 20 grams sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 40 ml neutral vegetable oil (Note 2)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 2 teaspoon orange zest
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 50 grams granulated sugar
• Optional: Raisins and/or toasted chopped pecans

Stabilized Mascarpone Whipped Cream

• 115 grams mascarpone cheese
• 40 grams granulated sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream (33% M.F.)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 + ¼ teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
• 5 teaspoon water

Instructions

Carrot Cake

1. Line a 8 X 12" rectangular cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F.
3. In a small bowl, combine all the "wet" ingredients together with a whisk and set aside (this includes first portion of sugar).
4. In a large mixing bowl, sift in dry mix. Stir to combine.
5. Create a well in the center. Inside it, add all the "wet" ingredients.
6. Combine until just incorporated, do not over mix as it will result in a tough cake. Set aside.
7. In a clean and dry, non-plastic mixing bowl, whip egg whites on slow speed until frothy, add cream of tartar.
8. Increase speed to medium, once the whites become opaque and bubble size have tightened up, add the second portion of sugar a little bit at a time.
9. Increase speed to med-high, whip until stiff peaks. (Note 3) You've now made a meringue.
10. Gently fold ⅓ of the meringue into the carrot-flour mixture to get it moving. Once incorporated, fold in the rest of the meringue. Do not stir. Use batter immediately. 
11. Pour batter into lined cake pan from one spot, spread out the batter evenly with an angled spatula.
12. Tap the pan on the counter to release large air pockets.
13. Bake for 10-12 min. at 325 F until a skewer pulls out clean and cake springs back in the center.
14. Let cool in pan for 5 min.
15. Place cooling rack over cake pan.
16. Flip cake over onto the rack, gently remove paper.
17. The side facing up will eventually become the top of the cake roll. Let it sit on cooling rack for 5 min.
18. Place a new piece of parchment paper on top of the cake.
19. Flip the cake over and start rolling, allowing the parchment paper to be in between the folds. This will prevent the cake from sticking to itself. It's important to roll the cake before it cools completely, otherwise, it will crack while rolling.
20. Let it cool in this wrapped condition while making the mascarpone cream.

Stabilized Mascarpone Cream

1. Refrigerate mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes. This will help the cream whip better.
2. Place water in a heatproof cup and sprinkle gelatin on top to bloom. Wait 5 minutes.
3. Place cup in a small sauce pan filled with simmering water. Once gelatin becomes liquid, take it out of the water. Let cool on the counter.
4. Immediately start beating the mascarpone cheese and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the chilled bowl. Whip on low speed until it loosens up.
5. Add chilled whipped cream, increase to medium and keep whipping until beater starts leaving tracks inside the cream.
6. Check on the gelatin. It should no longer be hot but still runny.
7. Once the beaters leave tracks in the cream, pour the gelatin into the bowl slowly and steadily. Aim for the area in between the whisk and the bowl.
8. Increase speed to medium-high. Add the vanilla extract, stop whipping once the cream turns stiff. Do not over whip.
9. Optional: Gently fold raisins or pecans into mascarpone cream.
10. Use cream to assemble the cooled cake immediately.

Assembly

1. Gently unwrap rolled cake and spread an even layer of mascarpone cream on it. (Note 4)
2. Carefully roll up the cake from the short edge using the parchment paper to help push the cake onto itself.
3. Wrap with plastic wrap or a new piece of parchment paper and place in refrigerator to set before cutting.
4. Unwrap assembled cake. If desired, pipe swirls of mascarpone cream onto the top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
5. Before serving, cut off sides for a cleaner presentation. Carrot cake roll can be kept in the fridge in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

Notes

1. Some ingredients are repeated, use them in the same order as outlined in instructions.

2. Neutral oil choices: canola, grapeseed, avocado

3. Stiff peaks are characterized by egg whites that have a pointed peak when the whisk is pulled out. It points upwards and doesn't droop on itself.

4. Depending on the volume your cream attains once whipped, not all of the cream may be needed. A layer about ½" is recommended, with a bit more on the edge that will be rolled first.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Bob's Red Mill Unbleached White Fine Pastry Flour, 5-pound
• 
  Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Coconut Flakes, 16 Oz - Finely Shredded
• 
  McCormick Ground Ginger, 1.5 oz
• 
  Simply Organic Nutmeg Ground CERTIFIED ORGANIC 2.3oz. bottle
• 
  McCormick Ground Cinnamon, 7.12 oz
• 
  Cuisinart CTG-00-3MS Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers
• 
  RYBACK Stainless Steel Egg White Yolk Filter Separator Cooking Tool Dishwasher Safe Chef Kitchen Gadget
• 
  Wilton Industries Perfect Results Mega Cooling Rack, Black
• 
  PaperChef Culinary Parchment Multipurpose Non-Stick Paper, 205 sq ft
• 
  McCormick Gourmet All Natural Cream Of Tartar, 2.62 oz
• 
  WINCO Rectangular Non-Stick Cake Pan, 18-Inch by 12-Inch, Aluminized Steel

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 247Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 69mgSodium 136mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 14gProtein 5g

This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although indulgewithmimi.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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