Pumpkin Roll

For years, my family has been making pumpkin roll. It has not been uncommon for me to have friends ask me to teach them how to make it as I have lived in different places. Last year, I had friends over three different times to teach them how to make pumpkin roll. The beauty of this dessert (besides looking & tasting amazing) is that once you learn the technique, you can make any kind of jelly roll dessert. I've decided to it would be a good idea to put directions, complete with pictures and tips in writing for some of my friends who live away from me now. I just don't see myself flying out to Virginia or Washington on a whim to help make a dessert, although I would LOVE to! With all of this being said...lets bake!

Get out your shortening because it's time to get greasy! There are a couple of steps to preparing your pan. 

*Grease it.

*Line it with wax paper.

*Grease it again!

Make sure your pan is liberally greased with shortening, then line it with wax paper. You will want some extra hanging over the edges of the pan.  

Because a standard roll of wax paper is not as wide as a jelly roll pan, you'll have to piece it together. Grease the wax paper and then add another skinny piece to fit over the top. It's best if they overlap some. I made mine two very different lengths so that it is easier to see. Make sure you grease your wax paper. This comes into play and is very important later on. 

One thing that I have learned that sets my pumpkin roll apart from others' is that it is light and fluffy! Growing up, one of my jobs during pumpkin roll week was to beat the eggs. Turn your mixer on high and set a timer for 5 minutes. This will create light, fluffy eggs and will ensure you cake will be light and fluffy as well! You can see the air bubbles!

Gently mix in any other "wet" ingredients, such as the sugar and pumpkins. Then fold in the rest of the dry ingredients, flour and spices. It is important not to over mix. Over mixing will cause you eggs to deflate, thus causing a denser cake. You should still be able to see the air bubbles after mixing everything. 

Pour your lovel pumpkin cake mix into your prepared pan. You will find this is not like most cake mixes. It does not fill the pan on its own. You will have to gently smooth it into all corners of your pan, making sure not to scrape your pan. An angled spreader like what you would use to frost a cake works wonderfully!

Make sure you don't spread this thin in any one spot or you will have a crunchy spot in your cake! 

Notice I also have my pan sitting on a dish towel. I have deliberately picked a towel larger than my pan because this is where I will cool my cake (tip: do not use a terry cloth towel!). At this point, the cake goes in the oven and it is time to prepare my towel. Generously shake powdered sugar (or cocoa if you are making a chocolate cake!) on your towel. 

Spread the powdered sugar evenly over the towel. You can fold it in half and rub your hand over the towel to spread or just use your hand. 

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Set a timer! The cake will be warm still and easy to form. Turn your pan over on top of the towel. 

The wax paper hanging over the edge will allow you to gently pull the cake out of the pan. If you greased the pan under the wax paper well, it may just fall out! 

Now is the test of how well the wax paper was greased. You should be able to peel it off your cake. Start at the edges and go slow. If this is your first time, you might tear the wax paper or you cake. Don't panic...just move to another area and work from a different direction. 

Pull out your powdered sugar shaker again! Generously shake powdered sugar on your cake like you did the towel. 

By now, you and your kitchen should be covered in powdered sugar! Fold one end of your towel over your cake (tip: make sure there is not a tag). 

Gently start rolling your cake in the towel. Remember your cake is still slightly warm, which will allow you to roll it without it breaking. 

It should be a nice tight roll that you can let sit on your counter now to cool completely. The powdered sugar on the towel and cake will help prevent the cake from sticking to each other. Letting it cool rolled will also allow you to roll it easier after you frost it!

After several hours and making your frosting, it is time to unroll your cake. This is when we find out how well I powdered sugared my towel! 

This one came right off the towel as I unrolled it. Sometimes I have to gently peel it off, other times it breaks and we end up eating it plain! Even with years of experience making these, there are times that it doesn't work due to impatience in one area or another. Here it is completely unrolled. Notice it curls at the end because it was wrapped while cooling. 

We are almost done! Spread your frosting to the sides, leaving a small space at the end that was first unrolled. When you roll it up with the frosting, it will push some of the frosting to the other end, and out if you have too much! 

Now just start gently rolling...

...and rolling! (Thank you to my assistant photographer, Rachel!)

When done, it should look like this!

Transfer to wax paper dusted with powdered sugar. Then wrap in foil. 

Store in the refrigerator. Slice and enjoy! Here's a picture of how to transfer the roll. 

Just roll it right onto your arm so you are supporting to whole thing. The last thing you want to do is break this when you've succeeded! Good luck!

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Beat eggs for 5 minutes. Add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice. Fold in dry ingredients. Spread into greased jelly roll pan lined with wax paper. Bake at 375 for 15-17 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, peel off wax paper. Roll in a powdered sugared towel. Let cool several hours. Unroll, frost, reroll. Refrigerate. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1-2 drops of milk, if needed

Cream together until smooth. 

Note:1 29-ounce can of pumpkin can yield 5 rolls. 4x the frosting can frost 5 rolls.