Gentler Ginger Cake Roll

Fresh ginger carries a cornucopia of flavor compounds good in both savory and sweet recipes. In this dessert, the candied ginger was previously cooked, changing the spicy, hot and pungent flavor to a gentler sweet version.

The recipe is based on one in Clean Eating Magazine.

Ginger Cake Roll

(Serves 10)

Prepare a 10 X 15 inch baking sheet by misting with olive oil spray, covering with parchment paper and misting the top of the paper with the spray. 

Cake

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 teaspoon candied, minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

In bowl of electric mixer, combine eggs with brown sugar and molasses. Beat on medium speed 6 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl after 3 minutes.

4 eggs

3 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon black strap molasses

 

Add oil and yogurt. Beat for 1 minute.

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

 

Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined.

Pour batter onto prepared pan. Smooth batter to edges of pan. 

Bake at 360F. for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Place a pastry towel over the cake and top with cooling rack. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan and parchment. Roll warm cake with towel into a spiral. Set seam side down on rack to cool.

 

Filling

In bowl of electric mixer, beat sugar, cheese, buttery spread and ginger. 

3 tablespoon powdered sugar

8 ounce part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup buttery spread

4 teaspoon candied, minced ginger

 

Remove towel from cake. Spread with ricotta cheese mix and roll. Place filled cake seam side down onto pan and refrigerate until ready to eat.

 

To serve, sprinkle with confectioners sugar. 

 

The name Ginger originated in India and means "horned root". It was the first of Asian spices to reach Europe. In the Middle Ages, the ladies gave knights gingerbread before going into battle. The Greeks used it for stomach complaints. Ginger was grown in Africa in the 1200s and by 1600, it was cultivated in Jamaica. My ginger was grown right here in West Virginia.