Episode 3: Pumpkin Roll

Thanksgiving is this week and what would it be without something with pumpkin in it. My family never served pumpkin pie when I was younger but we always had pumpkin roll. It's a spongy, light cake with a decadent cream cheese filling. So like I said, I hate blogs that rant so on to the recipe. 

PUMPKIN ROLL

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

        Filling

• 1 8oz pack cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients - flour, powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together. Add sugar and vanilla. Stir. Add pumpkin and stir, again. Once fully stirred, add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be slightly thick, but not hard to stir. It also shouldn't be runny.

Take an inch deep cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper. Spray the paper with non stick spray. Add the batter and evenly distribute. Bake for 10 minutes. While baking grab a clean kitchen towel and lay it on the counter. Sprinkle powdered sugar on the towel. Check the cake - when it is springy and doesn't pull away when touched it is ready to come out of the oven. Take the parchment paper while the cake is still hot and flip the cake on to the sugared towel. Roll it up so it can set aside to cool.

In the meantime make the filling. In a bowl add the cream cheese and the butter. Cream together with a hand or stand mixer. When smooth add vanilla and stir. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar a little bit at a time so that it doesn't fly all over the kitchen while using the mixer. Once everything is together and smooth check your cake to see if its cooled. 

Unroll the cake and evenly smooth the filling over the entire cake surface. Roll the cake back up on itself without the towel. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake again and then cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

Some people like to add walnuts to the cake itself. I feel like this takes away from it but you can do whatever you want. I have also done this recipe by replacing the pumpkin with banana. It turned out great. I am looking to use other fruits to see what happens - maybe apples next time. Cooking is about experimentation so you can see what works for you. Have fun and see what happens. Why not?

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