Recipe Pumpkin Roll

 

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

35 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

⅔ cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 cup powdered sugar plus additional ¼ cup for sprinkling on the towel

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)

½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes with a hand mixer.  Gradually beat in sugar. 

Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.  Set aside.  Stir together remaining ingredients.  Fold dry mixture into pumpkin mixture.  Spread mixture into jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Jelly roll pan should be 15x10x1-inch .

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. 

Turn the cake out onto a dish towel generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Carefully peel the parchment paper off the cake.  Beginning with the short end, roll cake in the towel and cool completely while rolled.  

While the cake is cooling, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth.  Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling on the cake.  Re-roll the cake, without the towel, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Chill at least 1 hour before serving. 

Notes

For nice, crisp slices, place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before cutting.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving for a pretty presentation.

Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated 1-2 days before serving.

Can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing.

Make sure to use the correct size of jelly roll pan.  Using one that’s too large will result in a thin cake that cracks very easily.

Towel should be a clean towel that has no fibers or patterns, flour sack towels work best.

Don’t skimp on the powdered sugar for the towel!  It is what prevents the cake from sticking to the towel when it’s rolled.

Tip for flipping cake out of pan: place towel with powdered sugar over jelly roll pan and place a cooling rack on top of the towel.   While holding the cooing rack and towel firmly on top of the jelly roll pan, flip upside down and remove the jelly roll pan.  This is a little less messy than turning the cake out onto the towel (powdered sugar flies everywhere!)  But, you still get powdered sugar all over.

There are lots of different reasons for cracking - but to minimize the chances, roll the cake while it’s hot - right out of the oven and let it cool completely before unrolling and filling.