Vertical Carrot Cake

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans with parchment; grease paper. Set aside. Sift flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves together twice. Place pecans in a food processor; pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl; toss with carrots, fresh ginger and zest.
2. 2

   In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar, beating on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Fold in flour mixture, then carrot mixture.
3. 3

   Place egg whites in another large bowl. With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Fold a fourth of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer to prepared pans, spreading evenly.
4. 4

   Bake until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched, 18-22 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto tea towels dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off paper; trim ends. Roll up cakes in towels jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. 5

   For the frosting, place 1 cup butter in a small heavy saucepan; melt over medium heat. Heat until golden brown, 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool until thick and creamy, but not hard, stirring occasionally.
6. 6

   Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl of stand mixer, whisk egg whites, 1 cup sugar and salt until blended. Place over simmering water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until a thermometer reads 160°, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat. With whisk attachment of stand mixer, beat on high speed until cooled to 90°, about 7 minutes. Using the paddle attachment, gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup butter, a few tablespoons at a time, on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla and cooled browned butter until smooth; transfer to another bowl. Add cream cheese to mixer bowl; beat until smooth. Gradually add buttercream back to bowl; beat until combined.
7. 7

   Unroll cakes; cut each into two 15x5-in. strips. Spread 1 cup frosting on each strip to within 1/2 in. of edges. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, at least 20 minutes.
8. 8

   To assemble cake, tightly roll up 1 strip jelly-roll style, starting with a short side, lifting slightly as you roll. Carefully align seam of roll with short side of another strip. Continue to roll, jelly-roll style, adding remaining strips; seal seam. Carefully stand rolled cake on its end on a serving platter. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before slicing.