Gingerbread Latte Roll

Soft, spiced sponge with the creamiest coffee filling.

Baker’s Notes

Dress it up or keep it simple; fun and festive

Creamy coffee filling; great do-ahead dessert

Hi Bakers!

I wanted to kick-off the final stretch of the holiday season with something fun but simple and super doable. I didn’t intend for this Gingerbread Latte Roll to be such a show-stopper, but isn’t she pretty!? 

Here’s the thing though, roll cakes are so whimsical and look fancy, but they are actually pretty easy to put together. One pan, one frosting, and the decorations are totally optional. They store in the fridge, so they make for a great do-ahead dessert option. 

This gingerbread cake is soft and spongy. It has brown sugar and lots of warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. I’ve made it both with honey and molasses, the latter being a bit robust. Like other sponge cakes, it is light and springy despite all the heavier flavors. 

You get a lot of bang for your buck with this cake. It looks fancy, but I think you’ll be surprised how doable it actually is. The cake itself stirs together in just a few minutes and bakes up very quickly. There’s some down time as the cake cools and then again when it’s filled and needs to chill, but overall not nearly as fussy as it looks.

The light sponge is offset by the creamiest filling. Tangy, sweet cream cheese is flavored with coffee and vanilla. The hints of coffee pair exquisitely with the gingerbread.

Dress it up or keep it simple, just make sure to roll the cake straight out of the oven to prevent future cracks. A dusting of confectioners’ sugar will help cover any tiny splits in the sponge. All the sugary accents get dipped and glittered at the same time, so the process is rather quick. I know I say they are optional, but I think you’ll really love this part!