Gingerbread Roll With Cinnamon Cream Food

GINGERBREAD CAKE ROLL

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk the egg yolks, melted butter and molasses in a large bowl. Beat the egg whites and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 minutes. Stir the
• flour mixture into the yolk mixture until smooth. Stir one-third of the whites into the batter with a rubber spatula, then fold in the remaining whites in two batches. Spread the batter in the prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Immediately sift confectioners' sugar generously over the top of the warm cake and loosen the edges with a knife; lay a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) over the cake. Place another baking sheet over the towel and flip the cake with the baking sheets to invert it onto the towel. Remove the top baking sheet and parchment. Starting at a short end, roll up the cake and the towel together into a spiral. Transfer seam-side down to a rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the heavy cream and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in the mascarpone and vanilla. (Do not overbeat.) Fold in the chocolate chips and candied citrus with a rubber spatula.
• Make the topping: Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a bowl. Gently unroll the cake. Spread the filling over the cake about 1/4 inch from the edges; reroll (without the towel). Trim the ends with a serrated knife. Transfer to a platter; dust with the spice mixture.

GINGERBREAD ROLL WITH CINNAMON CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until pale, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses, 1/4 cup brown sugar and the fresh ginger and beat until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, allspice, black pepper and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture until combined.
• In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and beat until firm and glossy. Fold the egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain. Spread the batter onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle the cake with the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Run the blade of a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Cover the cake with a clean kitchen towel and top with a large cutting board. Holding the pan, towel and cutting board, invert the cake onto the cutting board. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let the gingerbread cool completely.
• Make the Filling: In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Microwave at high power until the gelatin is melted, about 10 seconds. In a clean bowl, beat the cream cheese with the cinnamon and melted gelatin until smooth. In another bowl, whip the creme fraiche with the confectioners' sugar until stiff. Fold the cream cheese into the creme fraiche.
• Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface of the cake. Starting at a short end roll up the cake jelly roll-style. Wrap the gingerbread roll tightly in pastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add 1/3 cup brown sugar and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves, Whisk in the rum and cider and remove from the heat. Let the butter-rum sauce steep for 1 hour. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves.
• Upwrap the gingerbread roll and transfer it to a plate; dust lightly with confectioners' sugar. Cut into slices and bring to room temperature. Garnish with pecans and cranberries and serve with the butter-rum sauce.
• Make ahead: The finished roll can be refrigerated overnight. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat gently before serving.