Recipe: Pumpkin Rolls

My FIL & BIL came over for lunch today and I made a pumpkin roll for dessert.  I LOVE pumpkin rolls...actually I just really like the cream cheesy goodness in the middle of them, but since it's wrapped up in pumpkin cake, I eat it too.  I have made pumkin rolls each fall for the past 2 years and it's sort of a tradition now.  I usually make quite a few of them and freeze them.  They make a great dessert to take to dinner parties or to pull out of the freezer when unexpected guests stop by for a visit.  One warning though...they are addicting!  lol  This recipe is for 1 roll, however I decided to double it and make 2 rolls.  I used a 29 oz. can of pumpkin and only used about half of it, so I think I have enough pumpkin left over to make 2 more rolls!!  (YAY!)

Pumpkin Roll (found at About.com)

Yield:  1 roll

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. pumpkin

1 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese - softened

4 T. butter, softened

1 c. powedered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In large bowl, combine eggs and sugar, beating with a mixer until thick and light yellow in color.  Add pumpkin and lemon juice, mixing until blended.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.  Add to egg mixture mixing well.  Spread batter into greased and waxed-paper lined 10x15pan. (Jelly roll pan).  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins.  Remove from oven.  Cool for 15 mins.

Place cake on clean tea towel sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar, with waxed paper side up.  Cool 10 mins longer. Remove waxed paper from cake  From 10" side, roll cake up in towel.  Set aside.

While cake is cooling in towel, prepare filling.  Beat together cream cheese and butter; stir in powdered sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth.  Unroll cake. Evenly spread filling over cake. 



Roll up cake (without towel).  While I rolled up the cakes, the girls helped with clean-up (aka licking every iota of frosting off spatulas!)

Wrap in plastic wrap.  Cover and chill at least 1 hr (if you can wait that long to indulge in a piece...I couldn't)  Slice before serving. 

Keep leftover slices refrigerated.  To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil.  Let thaw on counter prior to slicing and serving.

So one pumpkin roll is now gone thanks to my family and we have one more left.  My son suggested taking it to our neighbor who is recovering from an automobile accident, which I thought was so generous of him!  I want to stock our freezer with enough to last us through the holidays, so I will be working on that over the next couple of weeks.  Don't be intimidated by them, they really are easy to make...and you will impress your friends and family for sure!