This luscious cake roll features a creamy and tangy eggnog cream cheese filling with the trademark gingerbread taste. Serve with mulled wine or homemade eggnog.

Let’s get one thing straight: yes, I recently shared a gingerbread filled with something sweet, and yes, this is another one. They share the taste of gingerbread and are extremely wonderful, but they don’t have anything else in common.

Since this does not resemble a log, I’m calling it a gingerbread cake roll rather than a gingerbread yule log. But, if you squint from a distance, it appears like a log coated in new snow, but oh well. It’s been labeled a cake roll; you can’t change it now.

I didn’t get a really tight roll on the one I shot, but that’s alright since I think it’s absolutely flawed. A little loosey goosey, and not crammed to the gills, as I believe the holidays should be.

A bit more relaxed, full of festive enjoyment, but not to the point where you’re worried about how much fun you’re meant to have.

So consider this my permission to take some time for yourself and fully appreciate the things you adore. Maybe this cake roll will be the next item you fall in love with. Just a thought.

Ingredients for gingerbread eggnog cake roll

Gingerbread cake:

• 4 separated and room temperature eggs
• a cup of light brown sugar, packed
• cupmolasses
• 1 cup of cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• teaspoonsalt
• a cup of granulated sugar

Eggnog filling:

• 8 ounces room temperature Philadelphia Original Brick Cream Cheese
• room temperature unsalted butter
• cupeggnog
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• teaspoonnutmeg
• a cup of powdered sugar

How to make gingerbread eggnog cake roll

Gingerbread cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 1015 baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Egg yolks should be whisked for 1 minute in the big bowl of a stand mixer (aff link). Mix in the brown sugar and molasses on medium speed until well mixed. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
4. Mix the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture until barely incorporated.
5. Whip egg whites in a separate large mixing bowl until frothy soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, gradually add the granulated sugar. After all of the sugar has been incorporated, raise the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Fold the egg white mixture into the batter carefully with a spatula. Take your time and be delicate; you don’t want to remove all of the air you whipped into them.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
8. Bake the cake for 11-14 minutes, or until it is spongey and springs back when touched.
9. While the cake is baking, spread a flour sack or kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Tip: I like to use my flour sifter (affiliate link) to ensure that the layer is pretty level and that no places are missed!
10. Let the cake to cool for a minute on the baking sheet before gently turning it out onto the towel and removing the parchment paper.
11. Roll the cake up starting from one of the short ends (rolling the towel with it as you go). Let the covered cake to cool fully, seam side down.

Eggnog cream cheese filling:

1. In a large mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, butter, eggnog, vanilla, and nutmeg on medium speed with a stand or hand mixer (aff link).
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix on medium high speed until entirely combined.

Assemble the cake roll:

1. 4 inches on both sides. Unroll the cake gently after it has totally cooled. With a spatula, spread an equal layer of the eggnog cream cheese filling over the top of the cake, leaving approximately 1 inch between layers.
2. Carefully re-roll the cake and transfer it to a serving tray, seam side down.
3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice, and serve!

How this is different from a classic yule log

My last yule log recipe was a light, spongey chocolate cake with a light whipped cream filling. I tried a somewhat different approach with this one, and it was well worth the risk I made.

I was put off by the concept of a dry and spongey gingerbread, so I wanted the cake to be more moist and chewy, with a much richer filling.

We’re stuffing it with eggnog and cream cheese, and if you don’t get Philadelphia Cream Cheese while you’re at the supermarket, you’re doing it incorrectly. I never use anything other than their 8 oz blocks, which makes measuring for this recipe a breeze since, surprise!

For the filling, you’ll need eight ounces.

It’s not overly sweet

I wanted the eggnog and cream cheese tastes to stand out, so this filling isn’t too sweet. Bill sampled it, made delicious sounds, and requested another piece, although he dislikes too sugary things, so I believe they were nice.

Bill’s buddy is staying with us, and I offered each of them a slice of this as they sat on the living room sofa. I kid you not, they were both done before I even got back to the kitchen. The living area is about eight feet away from the kitchen.

When I want to prepare a decadent dessert, I go for cream cheese since it doesn’t take much to change a meal. It is also true for savory foods, but we are not discussing cheese sauces today.

We’re talking about a dessert that will be the highlight of your holiday tablescape, and it won’t take you all day to prepare. That will not even take you an hour! [insert emoji of uplifted hands here]

Is there anything more holiday-themed than gingerbread? When I asked myself that question, I instantly thought of eggnog, so I merged the two. It’s now twice as festive.

You are quite welcome.

Garnish with powdered sugar

I may have gone overboard with the powdered sugar on top, but it creates such a wonderful appearance. And, really, the excess will naturally fall off when you try to serve it, so you won’t be smacked with a sugar explosion.

You could leave it off entirely and treat it like a bare cake, but where’s the fun in that? You could be creative and put gorgeous powdered sugar designs on top with stencils, but I’m lazy.

As usual, all thoughts are my own. This article is sponsored by PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese. Thank you for your support of the brands that enable Bluebirdcafela.com to exist!