PUMPKIN ROLL

I asked for this recipe from a friend I worked with many years ago.  She had brought a pumpkin roll for a bake sale/bake-off that we had one year.  If I'm not mistaken, this recipe came in as one of the winners!

It's not too heavy or overly sweet, with a cream cheese filling that works any time of the year...but for me, I love it as either a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE:

¾ cup all purpose flour (I always use Hungarian flour in Colorado)

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves 

3 large eggs

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin*

powdered sugar

FILLING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla, or almond, or lemon extract (whichever flavor you prefer)

*you'll have enough in a small can of pumpkin filling to make two rolls; or use the leftover for something else.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 15"x10" jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray; line with wax paper. Spray the top of the wax paper with non-stick spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda, cloves, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.  Beat eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until thick.  Beat in the pumpkin.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Spread evenly in prepared pan.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the top springs back when touched.  

While the cake is baking, sprinkle a thin cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.   When the cake is finished baking loosen and turn it face down onto the towel.  Carefully peel off the wax paper.  Roll the towel and cake together into a loose roll.  Cool on a wire rack. 

Mix filling; unroll the cooled cake and spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake.  Re-roll the cake. 

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  Dust with powdered sugar prior to serving. 

I love the look of it too....so pretty and professional looking...but, it's not too hard to pull it off and look like a world class pastry chef for your friends and family!     Enjoy!