Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram I think I’ll sleep with the door locked tonight. “Oh yeah, what did you talk about?” (mumble mumble) “Sorry, what?” “Just like, violence and stuff.” Oh dear. Well, assuming there are no homicides in our family this week, I’m SUPER excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities! What is your favorite part? Turkey? potatoes? rolls? I’m all about the DESSERT. Specifically this Pumpkin Roll recipe. But on top of that they are DELICIOUS. There is a reason everyone is obsessed with pumpkin-cream-cheese combos this time of year (see these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins). It’s because pumpkin and cream cheese is an amazing combination. And the best part about this pumpkin roll recipe is that I used a LOT OF FROSTING. So there really is no bite of cake left behind, always my mantra when it comes to the best cake. Who wants to eat dry cake? Honestly though, this cake is pretty amazing even without the frosting. I love pumpkin spice flavors, and I added all the best ones to this cake. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, oh my! The cake is so flavorful and has the best light and fluffy texture. For the cake:
For the cream cheese frosting: To make the cake: To make the cream cheese frosting: To assemble the pumpkin roll:
Roll it up when it is HOT. Like, within 1 minute of pulling out of the oven, you might burn the tips of your fingers, HOT. You know how the very edges of a cake get that crispy edge as they cool? You need to roll your cake BEFORE that edge gets too crispy. That’s why it’s important not to over bake. Use lots of powdered sugar while rolling so that the cake doesn’t stick to itself. Don’t rush your cooling and chilling times. The cake needs to be completely cooled once you roll it up. And once you unroll it, add the cream cheese frosting, and roll up again, it needs to be chilled before slicing.
That’s about it! If you follow these rules you will have an amazing crack free pumpkin roll cake. Most pumpkin roll recipes call for removing the cake from the pan, placing it on a tea towel that is well-dusted with powdered sugar, and rolling with the towel. You can certainly do it that way, but it sounded like a huge pain in the neck to me. I decided to roll the cake in the parchment paper that I baked it on. It worked great. I recommend sprinkling with powdered sugar before rolling so that it unrolls easier. (I didn’t use any, and I had to be very careful.)
If you’re not a fan of cream cheese frosting, you can substitute vanilla buttercream. Sweet tooth? Drizzle caramel or chocolate sauce on top of each slice (or the entire pumpkin roll) just before serving. Mix toffee bits into the cream cheese frosting for a sweet crunch. Chop pecans or walnuts and add some to the cream cheese frosting. If you don’t have cardamom, you can omit it – I love the flavor of cardamom in spiced baked goods but it’s not 100% necessary.
Use canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has spices and sugar added – and we’re going to add the perfect amount of each on our own. Just check the can to make sure that it includes only pureed pumpkin and no additional ingredients if the front of the can seems unclear. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven. This helps the cake stay dry, not sticky, as you’re rolling it up. Make sure that you have parchment paper to line your jelly roll pan. Parchment is very non-stick. Do not use wax paper. Do not use a tea towel. This is the way. Fit the parchment to your pan. You’re cutting a piece long enough that it overhangs by a couple inches on each end (the short sides). Then use your fingers to press the paper into the corners. That way, when you pour the batter in, it’ll go into the corners as much as possible (don’t expect perfection, we’re just doing the best we can).
Enjoy this time spent with your family! Happy Thanksgiving prep weekend!
