A Pumpkin Roll a Day Brings the Family Your Way

Leaves on trees are changing, the temperature continues to fall and nothing says Autumn quite like a moist, delicious pumpkin roll! I was raised in a single parent household, with a dad who truly gave me and my siblings his all. And while he was successful in the cooking and home-building aspects, there was one part he wasn’t particularly skilled at - the baking! Most of my childhood birthday desserts were store-bought, or so graciously made by my Nana. But as I got older, I wanted more from the treats on my special days, so I began learning to make them myself!

One year was Ina Garten’s infamous chocolate cake, another was brownie pudding. One time I brought out the blow torch and toasted marshmallow icing on homemade caramel filled cupcakes. Every year was something different, and every year the family came flocking on my birthday to see what I had come up with. But nothing quite brought the family around like a good old fashioned pumpkin roll!

I began making them when I was 19, after moving out of my parents house. My family was never fond of pumpkin, so I took the opportunity to explore the flavors that I enjoyed! And while the first few tries were unsuccessful, to say the least, I’ve honed in on my baking abilities and the recipe that has family members drooling come Autumn each year!

I’ve spent years perfecting this recipe, adding my own blends of spices and flavors! This recipe is easily adjustable, so if you see something you don’t like or want to change, it’s simple to substitute!

The roll is simple to make, with an easy list of ingredients and instructions! To start you’ll need:

- 3 Large Eggs

- ¼ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

- 1 Cup of White Sugar

- ⅔ of a Cup of Pumpkin Puree (this is to taste, and adding more can make the cake even more moist! I usually add closer to ¾ of a cup, but this is up to you!)

- ¾ of a Cup of All-Purpose Flour

- 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

- Cinnamon, Cloves, Allspice and Nutmeg to Taste OR ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (the original recipe only calls for a 1/2 Teaspoon of cinnamon, but I love all the spicy flavors of fall. These are all completely optional!)

For the frosting you’ll need:

- 8 Ounces of Cream Cheese

- 2 Tablespoons of Butter

- 1 Cup of Powdered Sugar

- ¼ Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

- (If you’d like to add some more fall flavor to this dessert, you can add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the frosting for a richer flavor)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F and butter or grease a 10x15 baking sheet.

2. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, spices and pumpkin. In a different bowl, mix the flour and baking soda. Slowly mix wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients until it appears smooth. Evenly spread the mixture onto the buttered baking sheet.

3. Bake between 20 and 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let sit until the pan is cool enough to handle.

4. Place the cake on a cotton towel (this is very important) and begin rolling the cake. Make sure that the towel is in the roll, separating layers to ensure they don’t stick together. Completely cool the cake, either by placing in the fridge or allowing it to cool on the counter for just about an hour.

5. In the meantime, collect the ingredients for the frosting. Mix together the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined.

6. When the cake is completely cooled, carefully unroll it and spread the cream cheese frosting. Use the towel to roll it back up and wrap the cake in plastic saran wrap. Place the roll in the fridge until it is time to serve. Top with powdered sugar and enjoy!

This roll serves my family of about nine people with generous slice sizes! It’s a classic now at our family gatherings, and I’m usually asked to bring extras so that family can go home with more! As Autumn and Winter find their way to your kitchen, this dessert is sure to bring family together from near and far for you to enjoy the holiday seasons together!

Happy Baking!