Pumpkin Roll

Fall is by far my favorite time of the year and I love absolutely everything about it....Halloween, going to the apple orchard, crisp and cool nights, the smell of apple cinnamon candles in the house, the trees changing color, cozying up to a warm fireplace with a nice cup of hot cocoa, Thanksgiving and the best part yet: PUMPKIN!  I definitely know it's Autumn when I begin my first craving for Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte...yum!  Another favorite...Pumpkin Roll.  It's a staple in my family at Thanksgiving and Christmas and it seems to be a big request here in the South! 

If you've never had it, Pumpkin Roll is best described simply as: goodness!  The moist cake with flavor accents of nutmeg and cinnamon makes you feel so warm and fuzzy inside and the rich and creamy cheesecake filling is almost sinful!  This one is a sure pleaser for any get-together and is quite simple with a "showy" presentation; you'll definitely leave others impressed with your baking (or non-baking) skills! 

This recipe actually comes from my all-time favorite cookbook, Grand Temptations, by the Junior League of Grand Rapids, MI.  Being a former "Michigander" myself, I spent a couple of years as a member of Junior League and an active member of our chapter's cookbook committee.  This book is a collection of recipes from local chefs and individuals throughout West Michigan; all of the pictures were taken throughout the area to show all of the beauty West Michigan has to offer and all of the proceeds go to benefit improving the lives of women, children and families through local organizations.  If interested in purchasing Grand Temptations, you will find a list of local participating vendors who carry the book on the JLGR website or you can order one through Schuler Books.

Pumpkin Cream Roll
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Ingredients - Pumpkin Cake
3 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Flour
Powdered Sugar


Ingredients - Cream Filling
2 cups Powdered Sugar
3 Tbsp. Butter, softened
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
Powdered Sugar


Directions
For the cake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10x15 cake pan. Line with waxed paper and grease the waxed paper. Beat the eggs with a wooden spoon in a large bowl until pale yellow. Add the sugar, pumpkin, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flour and mix well. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. - I used parchment paper rather than wax as I prefer it and found that it works much better. If you do use parchement paper, note that you do not need to grease the paper before pouring the batter onto it (I still greased the pan so the paper had something to stick to and didn't slide out).

Dust a clean kitchen towel with sifted powdered sugar. Invert the warm cake onto the towel. Remove the waxed paper. Roll the warm cake in the towel like a jellyroll from the short side and place on a wire rack to cool.


For the filling, combine 2 cups powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.


To assemble, unroll the cooled cake carefully. Spread the filling to the edge and roll the cake. Cut into 1-inch slices, sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar and serve. The cake will keep covered in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.

Source:  Adapted from Grand Temptations