This Roll Rocks

When your bestie grows zucchini the size of small children, quick and easy recipes need to come fast. Once you start grating the squash can throw out liquid faster than some faucets! Here’s a great one to add to your collection. It was always a favorite of our not-so Littles and I loved that it added a vegetable to their snacking without being super sweet. #momWIN

Ingredients

CAKE

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom – may substitute cinnamon but the cardamom is sooo darn good! 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini

FILLING

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 4 TBSP butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom – may substitute cinnamon but the cardamom is sooo darn good! 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • filling:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 4 TBSP butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
STEP BY STEP 
Step 1 (For Cake)

Line a 15x10x1 sheet pan with parchment paper. I only own commercial half sheet pans and this batter still fits.

CHEF-y TIP: spritz pan with water before placing parchment to hold it in place.

Grease the paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy…about 3 minutes.

Gradually add sugar; beat for 2 minutes or until mixture becomes thick. Stir in the shredded zucchini and vanilla.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and add to egg mixture until well blended (Batter will be thick!).

Step 2

Spread batter EVENLY in the prepared pan. Prepare a clean kitchen towel by dusting with cocoa powder; set aside.

Bake at 335° for 10-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

Step 3

After inverting onto a kitchen towel dusted with cocoa and gently peel off parchment.

Starting with a short side, roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style. Cool completely on a wire rack.

LOOK at that! I swear you can almost smell it! Transfer toasted slices to a baking sheet and hold in oven on warm until you finish batching all your slices. Don’t forget to repeat the oil/butter melt with each new batch. When finished toasting, remove baking sheet from oven and switch temperature to broil (low is sufficient if the struggle to stay focused on broil is real!)

Generously top each slice with cheese and pop baking sheet under the broiler until it’s melted and bubbly and screaming cheese-pull!

Step 3

After inverting onto a kitchen towel dusted with cocoa and gently peel off parchment.

Starting with a short side, roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 4 (For the Filling)

In a large bowl, whip cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add in confectioners’ sugar beating until smooth.
Unroll cake and spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges.

Re-roll (is that a word??) . Place seam side down on a serving platter.

I dust with both cocoa powder & confectioners’ sugar because I don’t like ‘super sweet’ but simple confectionary sugar will suffice. 

Step 5

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes- an hour before serving.